Many of them couldn’t hide their joy of being among the invited guests; a rare opportunity to meet the Holy Father.

Pope Francis did not disappoint. Speaking to the heart of the problems that are currently inflicting Kenya; he said corruption; tribalism and radicalisation of young people were key concerns. These are issues that many Kenyans have yearned for him to speak about since he landed three days ago.

Kenyans should not condone or justify corruption even when others are freely engaging in corrupt tendencies, the Pope said.

The Argentine citizen noted that in his country people were faced with similar problems and that even the Vatican had experienced incidences of corruption.

“How can we be Christians and overcome corruption?” he asked. “Corruption is something which eats inside; it’s like sugar; sweet; we like it, it’s easy; and then we end up in a poor way. … we either end up being diabetic or our country ends up being diabetic.

“Each time, when we accept to bribe, and we put in our pockets, we destroy our hearts, we destroy our personalities and we destroy our country. Don’t develop that taste for that sugar which is called corruption,” he urged.

The Pope encouraged young people to set the example that would rid Kenya of corruption.

In Kenya ethnicity is exploited by political leaders to win elections. The Pope challenged Kenya to rid itself off tribalism before it destroyed the country. He urged Kenyans to talk and listen to each others, and invited all in the stadium to hold hands as an expression of solidarity against tribalism.

He said the youth in Kenya were faced with a myriad of problems and many have fallen to scams that promise quick riches.

The Pope noted his concern about young people who had chosen paths of destruction, but he told them they had the power to choose the right path.

He also addressed the problem of the radicalisation of youth, saying that Kenyan society, especially those in positions of authority, had to ask salient questions about why young people with ideals were being radicalised.

The Pope noted that unemployment as well as lack of opportunities to study were problems in any society and should be resolved. He urged society to accompany the young people along the paths of their lives.

The Pope’s three-day visit has been opportunity for prayer; peace and reconciliation in Kenya. He stressed the important place of family in society; and African values that espoused godliness, while also encouraging communities to walk together and care for each other.

He has also repeatedly propagated the power of prayer, urging Christian Kenyans that to forget to pray is to suffer the delusion that one is all-powerful, that one does not need to ask God for help. He also urged them to pray for him – in a similar move as he did in the past when he asked a huge crowd in Rome to pray for him after he was elected as Pope two years ago.

The Pope concluded his address by leading the crowd in the Lord’s prayer. He was to meet Bishops of the Catholic Church before departing for Uganda Friday.


ANA