KENYA: Catechists and Family Life Coordinators challenged to spread the joy of love
Group Photo of the Workshop Participants
Catechists have been challenged to take up their roles seriously by ensuring that they teach the families about ‘The Joy of Love’ which affirms the Church’s teaching that stable families are the building blocks of a healthy society and a place where children learn to love, respect and interact with others.
Addressing Catechist and Family Life coordinators from different dioceses in Kenya during the joy of love workshop, at Little Daughters of St. Joseph Spiritual Centre in Nairobi, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) – National Family Life Chairman Rt. Rev Selesius Mugambi said the role of catechists in the Catholic Church is fundamental especially in equipping the parents in parishes to pass on the Catholic Faith to their children enabling them to grow in their faith together as a family.
Bishop Mugambi said Catechists should disseminate their message founded on the truth and social teachings of the Catholic Church, designed to make living the faith a way of life and a life-long learning adventure. The Bishop said the family is made up of real people living in the real world and that this Jubilee Year of Mercy is a good occasion to meet up again, to embrace each other, forgive each other and to leave bad things behind.
He said the family is the fundamental unit of the society, emphasizing that, the natural family is based on marriage between a man and a woman, established by the Creator as the “fundamental unit of society,” the foundation of civilization, and the best refuge and school for children calling on the faithful We are all called to uphold the sanctity of the institution. “Catholics have been given a special insight. We know how precious life is. We know what a treasure our children are.” He said
Bishop Mugambi added that the Catholic Church has long taught that the family is a school of humanity the first and best place to learn about love and respect. “A healthy society relies on citizens who learn love, responsibility, loyalty, acceptance of others and solidarity from their family relationships” He equipped.
He said, the right and duty of parents to give education is essential, original and primary, and it is irreplaceable and incapable of being entirely delegated to others hence the goal of the Family Life National Office is to promote responsible parenthood and is mandated by the bishops to handle all family related groups and associations through various programs, key among them: Natural Family Planning, The Faithful House, Parenting, Abstinence and Behavior Change adding that, the family life coordinators have a crucial role to play in the families in Kenya.
He called on the participants to therefore maximize the Workshop to learn more on how to make better their roles as pro-family champions. He also reminded the Catechists and Family Life Coordinators to prepare for the 2018 9th World Meeting of Families to be held in Ireland as they implement, over the next few years, the recommendations on the family from previous Synods.
Joy of Love or ‘Amoris Laetitia” is a Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation and covers two preceding Synods on the family (2014 & 2015).The Document asks the Church to meet people where they are, to consider the complexities of people’s lives and to respect people’s consciences when it comes to moral decisions.
By Rose Achiego, Waumini Communications, KCCB
