KENYA: Archbishop Muhatia: Catholic Schools Must Form Disciples and Uphold Identity
Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba
Sr. Henriette Anne, FSSA
Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba, presenting on the “Role of Catholic Schools in Creating Hope and Resilience” at the conference of Catholic Private Educational Institutions Association-Kenya (CaPEIA-K), emphasized that the Church’s mission in education is to go and make disciples, t teach them to live by Christ’s commandments, so they have a big role to ensuring that the Catholic identity in their learning institutions is maintained.
“Go therefore and make the disciple of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you MT 28: 19-20. This post resurrection instruction underlines the mission of the Church and gives direction to her engagement to a society, so that the society may be consecrated in the truth”, he underscored.
Speaking during the opening of the 11th edition of the CaPEIA-K conference on Monday, April 7, he lamented that the assault on this “special identity” in Catholic schools is escalating.
“It is the members who are seated in this hall that need to be strong and resilient in maintaining this identity in our schools, especially the institutions managed by yourselves and run by yourselves,” he told teachers from Catholic institutions.
Archbishop Muhatia who is the Chairperson of Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), noted what underlines the Church involvement in education is its “endeavor to make society a better place to live in by bringing the human persons to the realization of himself/herself by building their capacities”.
The Archbishop of Kisumu Archdiocese said that the Catholic Church involvement in education focuses on the development of individual and their talents which contributes to the success and growth of the society.
He pointed out that “until the capacities of individual are built, societies will forever remain impoverished”, adding that education is not only necessary for society development but it is indispensable for individual fulfillment.
“In any given society, education is fundamental for growth, a growth of individuals, and for general development and organization of that society. What we need to emphasize from the very beginning is that education is necessary for human fulfillment, self- fulfillment. A society without education is a hopeless society”.
Quoting the Second Vatican Council teaching on education, archbishop Muhatia emphasized that “true education is directed towards the formation of human person in view of his final end and the good of that society to which he belongs, and in the duties to which he will as an adult”.
He further explained that the vision of the Catholic Church in education cannot be separated from Christian belief that the human person finds full realization only in reference to God urging the educators to guide leaners towards the fullness of life, helping them to understand that their ultimate fulfillment is not found in material success alone but in communion with their creator.
In his presentation, Archbishop Muhatia underscored that the Catholic schools are meant to develop within the school community an atmosphere animated by special freedom and charity based on the gospel that enables young people to grow in the new life while developing their responsibilities.
He added that Catholic schools orient the whole human culture to the message of salvation, where the knowledge which the leaners acquire of the world of life and of men is illumined by faith giving, and warned those who ignore the values of Christian education in the development of young people.
Addressing over 1000 educators across the country at the workshop held at Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), archbishop Muhatia emphasized to the educators to stress in their responsibility that the Catholic Church “cannot relinquish its own freedom” to proclaim the Gospel and to offer formation based on the values found in a Christian education but it is “its right and its duty”, and therefore the Catholic schools must provide some obvious teaching of Catholic Church like Catechism, prayer, giving access to priests to come to the institution, and providing Catholic identity.
He then warned that the purpose of education cannot be reduced to a mere transmission of learning or the mastery of job-related skills, describing it as a “utilitarian” understanding of education that tends to completely ignore the role of education in transforming a person to full realization which calls for mutual respect between the leaners and educators.
He also said “Education has important social dimension. There is a strict relationship between education and the community or society and our institutions have to be aware of this constantly because of this natural openness to the other that is inherent in the formation of the human person”.
