KENYA: “Protection of Human Dignity is not Optional,” Says Archbishop Anyolo at Safeguarding Launch
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
On Thursday, February 19, the Catholic Church in Kenya took a courageous step in the protection of women Religious and launched a Safeguarding Initiative for Catholic Sisters (SICS) where the Archbishop of Nairobi Archdiocese reminded the people of God to treat the protection of human dignity as a non-negotiable responsibility rooted in the Gospel.
The launch brought together women Religious, priests, bishop, and partners committed to creating safe environments for Catholic Sisters across Kenya and the wider African Church.
In his homily during the Eucharistic celebration before the launch, Archbishop Philip Arnold Anyolo emphasised that the protection of dignity could not be treated as peripheral to the Church’s mission, saying, “Protection of dignity is not optional; it is intrinsic to who we are as disciples of Jesus.”
According to the Archbishop, the SICS launch, themed “Shared Charisms, One Commitment: A Synodal Journey in Safeguarding Catholic Sisters in Africa,” is a true reflection of the Church’s nature as a diverse community of congregations, each with unique histories and charisms, united in one mission of Christ.
“Safeguarding is not the responsibility of one congregation or one office; it is the shared responsibility of the whole Church,” Archbishop Anyolo said and continued, “Synodality calls us to walk together; the Bishops, priests, religious, laity, experts, educators, and partners.”
The Archbishop acknowledged that the path of safeguarding is not always comfortable. Linking this to the Lenten Season, as the event took place just a day after Ash Wednesday, he invoked the Gospel’s call to take up the cross daily and challenged the safeguarding leadership to demonstrate honesty, humility, and courage in confronting difficult realities, and to accompany survivors of abuse with both compassion and justice.
“The cross of Christ teaches us that love does not turn away from suffering. It remains present. It seeks healing. It restores dignity,” he said.
The Archbishop also underscored the pastoral significance of creating safe spaces in convents, formation hous
es, and institutions of apostolic work, not as a bureaucratic exercise, but as an evangelical one.
“This initiative, though administrative in nature, is evangelical. It flows from the Gospel itself. It allows our sisters to serve joyfully, freely, and with confidence,” he said at the event that took place at Radix Hotel, Nairobi.
Archbishop Anyolo called on the Church to move from a reactive posture to a proactive one, from silence to transparency, from isolation to collaboration, and to invest in forming future generations, particularly those in initial formation, with clarity, integrity, and a strong sense of accountability.
Drawing on the day’s Scripture readings, Archbishop Anyolo anchored his homily in Moses’ exhortation in Deuteronomy: “I have set before you, life and death… Choose life,” arguing that safeguarding is fundamentally a response to this call.
“Safeguarding, at its heart, is about choosing life. It is about choosing structures, attitudes, and practices that protect the dignity of every person. It is about ensuring that our communities, especially our religious communities, are spaces where life flourishes, where trust is nurtured, and where no one is left vulnerable or unheard,” he said.
The Archbishop appreciated all who organized for the launch and entrusted the work to God, praying that SICS would bear lasting fruit not only in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, where they are already collaborating on this, but also to the broader African Church.
“May this Safeguarding Initiative bear fruit across Kenya and the wider African Church. May it strengthen our women religious in their vocation. May it help us to choose life in every decision we make,” he said.
