Raila, Wetangula lead MPs in signing Pope condolence book

Late Pope Francis with the current Nyeri Catholic Archbishop Anthony Muheria when he visited Kenya in 2015. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard]

Raila Odinga, the ODM party leader, has mourned the late  Catholic Pope Francis as a gentle voice for the oppressed.

Speaking during the signing of the condolence book at the Apostolic Nunciature in Nairobi on Thursday morning, Odinga recalled the unwavering commitment of the Pope to humanity.

“He was a very gentle person, he struggled to pray for the World. Each time there is trouble or problems anywhere in the world, he has been the voice of reason, he has spoken for the downtrodden and has spoken for the weakest, he spoke against injustice,” Odinga said.

Though not a Catholic himself, Odinga stressed the universality of the message of Pope Francis.

“I am not a Catholic, but I am a Christian and a friend of Catholics; that is why we have all been pained by the loss of Pope Francis. He is the first Pope from the Global South, and he exemplified the spirit of hope, reconciliation, and compassion,” said Odinga.

Moses Wetang’ula, the speaker of the National Assembly, described Pope Francis as a bridge-builder. 

“In my communication to the House when we observed a minute of silence I quoted one of his profound statements, the world is like a public hospital that heals wounds but wounds hearts…he stood for building bridges between people and communities and not barricading walls, we don’t have a perfect world but we need one where everyone is brother and sister regardless of background, religion or status in society,” said Wetang’ula.

He said that he would represent President William Ruto at the Pope’s burial in Vatican Square this Saturday.

“As Kenyans and as the Catholic Family, we have always cherished and loved our Pope. In 2015, he was in Kenya, and he left an indelible mark in the lives of Kenyans. The first Pope outside Europe and coming from Africa felt like he was closer to us,” he said.

At the entrance to the Nunciature, was the portrait of Pope Francis, framed above the Coat of Arms bearing the Italian motto Miserando atque eligendo, which translates to “by having mercy and by choosing him.”

Matheus Maria van Megen, the Archbishop Hubertus, and the Apostolic Nuncio, explained that the motto captured the essence of Pope Francis' vocation as that of one grounded not in worldly qualifications but in divine mercy.

“That not only applies to himself, but he did that to the people around him. Many of the people he surrounded himself with were people who were wounded, people who were gone from Christ, and he was merciful with them and appointed them and chose to work with them and lift them out of the crisis,” the Nuncio said.

He noted that, until his final hours, Pope Francis had inquired repeatedly about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

He said that the Pope constantly inquired about the situation there, concerned over the welfare of children, mothers, and the thousands who had lost their lives and the level of destruction across the world due to war and strife.