KENYA: KEC appoints the new postulator for the beatification process of the servant of God Maurice Cardinal Otunga.
Kenya Episcopal Conference has appointed Dr. Waldery Hilgeman a New Postulator for the beatification process of the servant of God the Late Michael Maurice Otunga.
Dr. Waldery Hilgeman, a 30-year old Dutch layman who works and resides in Rome Italy has been appointed postulator for the beatification process of the servant of God the Late Michael Maurice Otunga.
He takes over from the late Fr. Joseph Belagamba who passed on in August this year.
Dr. Waldery’s appointment was already approved by the Holy See. He is a doctor in Canon Law and currently supervises nineteen (19) causes of beatification processes, four of which are in East Africa; two in Uganda, one in Tanzania and one in Kenya.
Among the 19 causes of the beatification processes Dr. Waldery is involved in and which has been successfully completed is the beatification process of Maria De Loudes Guarda from Brazil. The process was concluded two weeks ago when Maria was pronounced Venerable as the people of her country waits for a miracle which is a requirement for a person to be pronounced Blessed.
Other than his engagement in the beatification process, Dr. Waldery is working in Rome as a defender of bonds. He will be coordinating the whole process with the assistance of a vice-postulator, Br. Reginald D. Cruz, CFX, who is a lecturer at Tangaza College where he teaches Church History and Spirituality.
At the Holy Family Basilica hundreds of Christians congregated on the morning of 11 November 2011 to celebrate solemn mass and to witness the First Session of the Archdiocese inquiry for the cause of beatification Process of the Servant of God the Late Michael Maurice Cardinal Otunga.
The procedure for the first session involved the following:
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His Eminence the Cardinal sits at the presider’s chair
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The postulator and vice-postulator exhibits their nomination and present it to the cardinal
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The postulator reads the petition (Libellus) and, with the vice-postulator presents it with the documentary proofs on the servant of God and list of witnesses
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His Excellency the vicar general reads the nihil obstat of the Holy See and the opinion of the Kenya Episcopal Conference
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His Eminence the Cardinal reads the decree of nomination of the Officials of the Archdiocesan Tribunal
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His Eminence the Cardinal takes prescribed oath
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The Episcopal delegate, Promoter of Justice, Notary, Adjuct Notaries take the prescribed oath
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The Postulator and the vice-postulator take the prescribed oath
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The promoter of justice submits to the Episcopal Delegate the Interrogatories
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The Notary of the first Session reads the Acts of the First Session and establishes the public record
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His Eminence the Cardinal the Official of the Archdiocesan Tribunal, the Postulator and the vice-postulator sign the Public record.
In his homily during the Eucharistic Celebration, His Eminence John Cardinal Njue expressed his confidence in the newly appointed postulator saying that after much consultation, he feels encouraged that Dr. Waldery has been identified as a competent Postulator. He urged Christians to continue praying for the whole process of beatification of the servant of God to be a success and also for the team to be guided by the spirit of truth and commitment.The Second Session will be held on 29th November 2011 and the first witnesses to be called are His Grace Raphael Ndingi Mwana a Nzeki, Archbishop Emeritus of Nairobi and former Archdiocese of Nairobi Vicar General Rev. Fr. Pelin Desouza.
SOURCE: AMECEA Social Communications
