Thousands remember the prelate with affection and gratitude.
This year marks the 14th anniversary of the death of Maurice Cardinal
Otunga, whose process to sainthood has completed the Kenya chapter and is in
its Roman phase.Christians whom he served — as bishop of Kisii, bishop of the military and the
cardinal archbishop of Nairobi — recall a humble bishop of great dignity.
VISIONARYMany narrate with nostalgia how he visited their parish every year
without fail to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation and discuss their
spiritual and human development activities. They recall with admiration how he
would drive himself in his simple but decent Peugeot 305, celebrate the
Eucharist with reverence and sit to a common meal with them.Fr Callisto
Nyangilo of the Archdiocese of Nairobi, the Notary or Church Lawyer in the
Cardinal Otunga Process, describes him as a “visionary whose powerful eyes were
focused on the heavens with his feet firmly on the ground”.DEMOCRACYCardinal
Otunga was level-headed and soft-spoken but beneath the humble bearing lay
boundless energy. As a student at Mang'u High School in the early 1940s,
Maurice Otunga was a star footballer who captained the first 11 with great
success. He expended his energy with similar generosity in pastoral and
priestly duties.Clergymen such as Archbishop R. S. Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki, Bishop
Alexander Muge, Rev Dr Timothy Njoya, Fr Dominic Wamugunda and Fr Ndikaru wa
Teresia are known to have played an important role in championing expanded
democratic space — especially during the ethnic clashes of late 1980s to early
1990s. SOCIAL JUSTICEIt was a major turning point when Catholic bishops joined
forces with the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) to fight for
social justice. Several clerics involved in the historic struggle alongside
civil society have recorded accounts of the endeavour.In his book, A Voice
Unstilled: Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki, Fr Ndikaru narrates how in 1991
Cardinal Otunga invited Bishop Mwana a'Nzeki to his residence and said to him:
“We must do something to defend the people.”Cardinal Otunga multitasked in many
church organisations. LEADERSHIPBeing a cardinal, he had responsibilities in
Rome as a key member of the department that formulates policy and administers
the finances of the universal church. Active in the Symposium of the Episcopal
Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (Secam), the pan-African organisation for
Catholic bishops, championed the founding of the Association of Member
Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (Amecea), comprising eight countries,
and was chairman of the Kenya Catholic bishops.Cardinal Otunga was a pastor in
the original and best sense of the term. ARCHBISHOPWell-known football official
and former chairman and singer in the Holy Family Basilica Choir, Mr G. M. T.
Ottieno, narrated how the cardinal related with the choir.“Every time the
cardinal celebrated the liturgy at the Basilica, he made sure to meet our
choir, albeit briefly, after Mass,” Mr Ottieno said.“His Eminence knew many of
the choir members by name.”Cardinal Otunga became archbishop of Nairobi when
the country was terribly divided along ethnic lines after the assassination of
Tom Mboya, the immensely gifted Cabinet minister. KENYANWhile proud of his
ethnic heritage as a Bukusu elder of the Bakhone clan, he transcended all
negative tribal divisions and stereotypes. He incarnated and represented what
is best among our people. Many Kenyans were able to say with pride: “Cardinal
Otunga is our archbishop.”As our republic experiences trial and tribulation in
the aftermath of the recent general election and, given the repeat presidential
poll, let’s take a lesson from the life of that servant of God who loved this
nation dearly. May that good man of God intercede for the cohesion, justice and
peace of our beloved country. Prof Njoroge, pro-secretary of Maurice Cardinal
Otunga at the Holy Family Basilica in 1981-82, is the Catholic chaplain and a
professor of development studies and ethics at JKUAT.
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