By Paschal Norbert
ISIOLO, JULY 30, 2024 (CISA) – Currently, Kenya has 30 active Catholic bishops across its 27 dioceses. Among them, six bishops are over 70 years old, with three approaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. Nine bishops are over 63, and five are between 60 and 62. Seven bishops are between 50 and 59, while the youngest three are under 50.
As the older generation of bishops gradually steps down, many new bishops, including archbishops, are taking leadership roles in key dioceses. This shift provides the new local ordinaries more influence within the local Church and among the faithful, impacting political, economic, and administrative aspects of the dioceses and regions they represent.
The traditionally conservative older bishops are finding themselves outpaced by changes in faith, evangelization, evolving maturity of the faithful, and emerging questions about Church practices. In contrast, the younger bishops, who are increasingly challenging the status quo, bring fresh perspectives. Theirs is a breed not seen in recent years and a blend between both the diocesan and missionary backgrounds. Many are former and pioneer African superiors of various missionary congregations that have played a significant role in evangelizing Kenya.
This generational shift, however, welcomed by many poses a challenge to established traditions and the old guard. The recent appointments of younger bishops with innovative ideas are amplifying this dynamic.
On July 27, during the Episcopal Ordination of Rt Rev Peter Munguti Makau IMC, Archbishop Hubertus Maria van Megen, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, addressed this shift. He encouraged the new Coadjutor Bishop of Isiolo, aged 49 and the second youngest in the conference, to leverage his pastoral experience and leadership skills despite his age, aiming to advance his diocese and the broader Catholic Church in Kenya.
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young … I still remember, if not years ago that a bishop said to another newly ordained bishop that you know, you are down there, you are the last one in the pecking order of bishops. But Peter I think, it shouldn’t be like that. You are as much a bishop as all the others who are seated here. You share in the same sacrament, you share in the same graces, you share in the same consolation and you share the same God,” said the nuncio.
In his homily, the nuncio drew on an analogy from The Rule of St. Benedict, specifically Chapter Three, “How to Make a Good Decision in a Monastery.” He referenced St. Benedict’s guidance for abbots, noting that for minor matters, the abbot should “take counsel with the Seniors only” (pg. 20). However, for significant issues, the abbot must “call together the whole community” (pg. 19) to hear all perspectives, including those of the younger members.
The nuncio who has ordained 13 of the current bishops suggested that this approach to decision-making should be adopted by bishops at the conference. He admonished that “There is no pecking order in the Church, there is no pecking order among young and old bishops, and at times in fact, the young have a better sense of reality than the old ones have.”
He pointed out that senior bishops may sometimes lack practical insights into the current ground-level realities. Therefore, he urged the bishops to challenge their conservative views and work together, embracing the evolving nature of the Church and the needs of its faithful.
“Basically because it is a conflict between the old guard and the new guard, between the past and the future and the old guard will say as Jesus uses in the parable, the old wine is good enough for me and am comfortable, why would I change, let me cling to what I have but Peter you as a missionary you know very well and have done it many times in your life. You have to get out of your comfort zone. A new wine in a new wine skin. A fresh start and a better future. Don’t be afraid. The Church had recognized in you a gift, the gift of prophecy and the Church will put its hand on you. The body of the elders had put their hands on you, as Paul said to Timothy,” counselled Archbishop van Megen.
