Delegations from across the country were finalising travel plans to Nairobi ahead of the arrival in the country tomorrow of Pope Francis. The Pope is scheduled to arrive in Nairobi tomorrow evening for a three–day visit, the first leg of his historic African tour.
Yesterday, the Mombasa Catholic archdiocese launched a caravan for pilgrims who will attend the papal
mass in Nairobi on Thursday. The peace caravan will include pilgrims in 53 vehicles from the six coastal counties.
Mombasa Archbishop Martin Kivuva said more than 2,000 Catholics will travel to Nairobi to attend the papal mass.
Archbishop Kivuva yesterday flagged off the “Pamoja Peace Pwani” road show at the Holy Ghost Cathedral that went through the streets of Mombasa ahead of the main caravan tomorrow.
Kivuva said the caravan will include about 900 youth in 20 buses, adding that another 20 buses are expected to ferry other Christians. Today inter-faith prayers are planned at Tudor Pastoral Centre where the archbishop is set to flag off the peace caravan at 5am tomorrow.
"So far a total of 20 buses are expected to carry the youth journeying during the peace caravan, while over 21 buses from different parishes will carry parishioners," the archbishop said in a statement.
And Father Kizito Renato Sesana will be one of the 4,000 priests who will join Pope Francis when he conducts mass at the University of Nairobi grounds on Thursday. The Comboni missionary father who has worked in several African countries set foot in Kenya almost 30 years ago and started the Koinonia Community Programme whose mandate was to care for the marginalised and disadvantaged in society.
However, his stay in Kenya has been marred with controversy. Four years ago, he was accused of molesting the boys being rehabilitated under his programme. The case, which became one of the most publicised sexual offence charges in the country, almost tainted his philanthropic work in Kenya.
He was acquitted of the numerous charges against him. When The Standard visited Father Kizito yesterday, he said he still had hope amid the chaos.
"I have forgiven the people who made those false accusations, and I have learned to forget," he said.
He said the Pope's visit to Kenya is a beautiful coincidence to him, since exactly one year ago, he met him at the Vatican.
He had accompanied 15 former street children for a tour around Europe, when he was invited to go and meet the Pope. The children were performing acrobatics in different cities and were given an opportunity to meet the Pope.
Kizito described the brief encounter as a moment that capped an extraordinary sense of excitement and one that made him believe that the Pope has an 'easy' personality and he can interact with anyone.
"I met the Pope and even though it was a short period, I felt very much at ease. He is a friendly Pope," he said.
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rugged beard
A photo of him shaking hands with the Pope stands defiantly on the blank wall of his office, showing him in his characteristic white hair and rugged beard.
Eldoret Diocese Bishop Cornelius Korir expressed optimism that the visit will help strengthen cohesion and reconciliation processes in the country.
"Even as we await the Pope's visit, we are happy for the continued role which the Catholic Church has played in reconciliation of warred communities. We hope that from his visit, which is currently highly anticipated, he will stress the need for the country to foster peace and harmony," Korir said.
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