Legio Maria popes cast out demons of division

Pope Romanus Ong'ombe and Pope Raphael Adika meet for the first time in ten years at St Michael Kwayo Mapera Legio Maria Church on May 19, 2019. The two leaders have announced that they are burying their differences. [ Standard]

Followers of one of the oldest indigenous churches in Kenya are ardently praying that its two leaders will finally agree on who is the rightful pope.

Started in 1963 by Simeo Ondeto and Gaundencia Aoko after they were excommunicated by the Catholic Church, Legio Maria rapidly spread in Nyanza and Western regions, thanks to its blend of African traditions and Catholicism.

The church largely adopted a Catholic hierarchy with the topmost leader taking the title of pope.

But in the past ten years, two popes have emerged, triggering a vicious supremacy battle that split the church in the middle.

Romanus Ong’ombe and Raphael Adika both claimed Legio Maria's papacy, leading to a massive fallout in the church with the differences at one time spilling over to the courts.

Church wrangles

According to sources, the wrangles began shortly after the death of Pope Simeo Ondeto in 1991.

Also referred to as Papa Mesia, his followers say he could see into the future, and even foresaw a a fallout in the church before he died.

To preempt this, Ondeto is said to have left instructions on the next four generations of popes to succeed him.

The first three people became pope at different times, with the mantle passed to the next person after the death of the predecessor.

But when the third pope died, divisions emerged, with both Adika and Ong’ombe laying claim to papacy, splitting the church right down the middle. This led to a series of physical and legal battles, which the church followers now believe are about to end.

Last month, Pope Adika and Pope Ong’ombe were for the first time spotted together during a church service at Got Calvary in Migori County, where they announced that they were burying the hatchet after a decade of fighting.

Effecting the reunion, however, remains a delicate balance, as it will mean one pope must give way for the other. So will a host of cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, ordained mothers and deacons.

These uncertainties have triggered confusion in the church for the past two months now as details of the "handshake" between Ong’ombe and Adika continue to be a tightly-guarded secret between the two leaders and a few of their closest followers.

Interviews with representatives from each of the factions revealed intense boardroom negotiations which may see one of the popes step down.

“Good things are coming, our people must give the two leaders time to deliberate and come up with concrete information,” said Archbishop Lazarus Obera, one of Pope Adika's allies.

Big announcement

According to Obera, the two leaders have already struck an agreement and now have the mandate of bringing on board their followers before the big announcement can be made.

His sentiments were echoed by Joseph Odhiambo Warambo, an ally of Ong’ombe.

“Once an understanding is reached, the people will be informed adequately,” said Warambo.

Still, the church's followers and leaders will be waiting with bated breath for the biggest announcement in more than a decade: that the demon of division has finally been cast out.

They say the church's split and eventual reconciliation was prophesied by its founder nearly three decades ago, and as such, is irreversible.

Reconciliation talks

“Just before he died, Pope Ondeto mentioned that there would be division in the church, which would last for some time and people would come back together. This has come to pass,” said Obera.

His sentiments seemed to be in reaction to some church leaders who have opposed the reconciliation talks.

Led by a number of cardinals, the group opposed to the talks claim they were not consulted, and that they only learnt about the reconciliation through the media.

They insist that only a proper and all-inclusive dialogue will end the church's wrangles.