Kenyan election cannot be ‘a matter of life and death’, say religious leaders
Kenya’s religious leaders have denounced the formation of militias ahead of next year’s general election.
“We appeal to all politicians with their vested interests to cease making elections a matter of life and death for Kenyans,” the Inter Religious Council of Kenya, which comprises the country’s Catholic bishops’ conference as well as the leaderships of several other Christian, Muslim and Hindu denominations, said in a statement.
“It is immoral and sinful for anyone who is seeking a position to casually posit that Kenyans can die and be maimed just so that they achieve their political ambitions,” the statement continued, adding the leaders were “especially disgusted that politicians and aspirants at different levels are creating militias whose sole intent is to visit violence on Kenyans”.
Calling for this to stop immediately, they urged that politicians should work for peace “rather than creating structures for violence”.
Indiana moves to protect unborn
A new law in the US state of Indiana that seeks to protect unborn children by banning abortions based on potential disabilities, gender and race “reflects the love that God has for everyone by affirming that every human life is sacred”, according to Archbishop Joseph Tobin of Indianapolis.
Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed the measure into law on March 24 after it passed both chambers of the state’s Republican-controlled General Assembly with large majorities.
“This is a decisive step in promoting life, not death, for unborn human life,” Dr Tobin said, continuing, “No baby should lose its life because of a potential disability or its gender or race. Every human life matters.”
Fr Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, praised the governor as “a strong defender of the most vulnerable among us – the unborn”.
Ten commandments recalled in Philippine elections
Catholics should think in terms of the 10 commandments when considering which candidates to vote for, a Philippine archbishop has said.
If Catholics need help “assessing the worthiness” of candidates, they should “use the age old standard set by our Judeo-Christian tradition – the 10 commandments”, Lingayen-Dagupan’s Archbishop Socrates Villegas said in a pastoral letter.
Explaining how the commandments could be used to help evaluate candidates for the May elections, Dr Villegas, who is also president of the Philippines’ bishops’ conference, listed each one, highlighting especially problems with corruption and political dynasties.
“How does the candidate show filial piety to elders? How does the candidate safeguard family life, the protection of children and the elderly and frail family members?” he asked, saying that a candidate who failed at the commandment of honouring one’s parents could “harm the basic unit of society – the family”.
The archbishop also suggested that the commandment against stealing had implications for candidates’ business interests and reminded Catholics that neglecting the “environment is robbing future generations of a clean and beautiful land”.