The Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kisumu, Most Rev. Maurice Muhatia Makumba, has cautioned against the rising influence of paganism and secular ideologies in Kenya, urging vocation animators and Church leaders to remain steadfast in preaching authentic Christian values.
Delivering his homily during the opening of the Kenya Association of Vocation Animators (KAVA) meeting on Monday, October 13, at the Dimesse Retreat and Conference Centre in Nairobi, Archbishop Muhatia warned that the spread of LGBTQ+ ideologies, materialism, secularization, and radical feminism threatens to erode the moral and spiritual fabric of the nation.
> “My brothers and sisters, don’t bend. Don’t preach the gospel of compromise,” he said. “The levels of materialism are high, secularization is shooting through the roof. Our young men and women are used to the supermarket way of doing things — choosing what they want and discarding what they don’t want.”
The prelate lamented that modern technologies, particularly mobile phones, have exposed the youth to foreign cultures and distorted moral standards, urging Church leaders to guide them firmly and compassionately.
The Archbishop advised vocation animators to be spiritually discerning and morally vigilant when accompanying candidates for religious life. He stressed that discernment is crucial in protecting the sanctity of the priesthood and religious vows.
> “You have been given a huge responsibility. Don’t ordinarize it,” he said. “If you make a mistake at the point of departure in vocation, it is very difficult to correct it at the point of arrival.”
He encouraged animators to identify candidates with genuine intentions and to differentiate between naivety and deep moral flaws, emphasizing that formation should aim at reshaping and refining the youth’s values.
Archbishop Muhatia further observed that pagan attitudes are not confined to secular society but are also creeping into Christian communities.
> “Even those who go to church every Sunday — those who attend Mass and small Christian communities — you can still detect elements of paganism in them,” he said.
He called on the animators to emulate the Prophet Jonah, who boldly preached repentance to the pagans in Nineveh, reminding them that true evangelization requires courage and unwavering faith.
Concluding his address, Archbishop Muhatia urged the vocation animators to remain focused on their mission of serving the universal Church and not merely their local congregations or dioceses.
> “Remain focused on vocational animation. You are animating vocations for the universal Catholic Church,” he said. “The material we are working with today is not the same as 30 years ago. Society speaks — and it speaks very noisily.”
The KAVA meeting, themed “With Hope, Cast the Net on the Right Side” (John 21:6), runs through October 18, 2025, gathering vocation directors and religious formators from across Kenya for reflection and renewal in their ministry.
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