“Many people have lost the sense of sin”: Catholic Bishop in Kenya Laments, Urges Humility, Faith in Merciful God

Nairobi, 21 June, 2024 / 8:48 PM

There is a general disregard for moral and spiritual uprightness in contemporary society, a Kenyan Catholic Bishop has observed. 

Bishop Simon Peter Kamomoe, one of the three Auxiliary Bishops of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi (ADN) in Kenya, made the observation in his June 16 homily during which he also called upon the people of God to embrace humility and nurture the gift of faith in God, who is merciful.

“The biggest problem we have these days is that many people have lost the sense of sin,” Bishop Kamomoe lamented during the Mang’u Deanery Family Day celebration at St. John the Baptist Mang’u Parish of ADN.

The Kenyan Catholic Bishop said he finds it regrettable that “people no longer see sin as sin.”

He called upon followers of Christ to live their Christian faith by paying keen attention to the formation of their consciences, which he said help in moral and spiritual integrity, including the sense of sin.  

“Christianity helps us to differentiate between good and evil,” Bishop Kamomoe said, adding that “during baptism, we are called to abandon sin and embrace what is right.”

“Let us develop the conscience to distinguish between what is evil and good,” he emphasized.

The loss of the sense of sin, the Catholic Church leader said, has had adverse effects on families, where he said evil has been allowed to reign, with members refusing to take responsibility of their respective faults as did Adam and Eve with the original sin and the fall.

“Let us pray for our families,” he implored, and explained, “The devil is now ruling between a husband and a wife; and their children are suffering. When we are wrong, let us not give excuses as Adam and Eve did, let us instead, acknowledge our sins, and go for the Sacrament of Confession’ that’s what God wants.”

The Kenyan Catholic Bishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry on April 6 cautioned against normalization of sin, and added, “Don’t commit sins simply because you will go for Confession.”

“If you fall into sin, accept that you are wrong; don’t start blaming each other,” he further said, adding, “Blaming shows that you are not ready to accept your mistakes. And that is why people don’t go for the sacrament of confession.”

“Sin is no longer seen as sin; even those who are corrupt amongst us have made corruption a normal thing; but it is not normal; it’s a sin,” Bishop Kamomoe emphasized.

Sin, he went on to say, “defiles you; it defiles your family; it defiles your soul, and your journey to heaven becomes obstructed.”

“You cannot be forgiven if you don’t accept your mistakes. You’ll end up living a life full of challenges; you may continue receiving the Holy Eucharist, but all you will be doing is desecrating it,” the Catholic Church leader warned.

Reflecting on the life of St. John the Baptist, whom he described as an epitome of humility, Bishop Kamomoe called upon the people of God to humble themselves before God of mercy and compassion, taking note of the link between the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist. 

“As a Christian, you should live as John the Baptist did. Let us be humble as he was, and we shall receive God’s blessings in His appointed time,” he said.

“You must try to go for Confession,” he appealed during the June 16 celebration at St. John the Baptist Mang’u Parish, where he solemnized the marriage of some 15 couples, and emphasized, “The sacrament of confession and the sacrament of the Eucharist must go together.”

Addressing the 15 couples, Bishop Kamomoe said, “Don’t be a person who complains; let God do His work. He respects our freedom. It’s you who have chosen your spouse, remain united.”

“You have to be humble; God loves humble people,” he further said, and added, “It is necessary for those who are married to understand their calling.”

He reflected on the Gospel Reading of the eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time in which Mark presents Jesus’ two parables about seeds in His explanation of the Kingdom of God.

“Our role is to plant faith; but the work of growing that faith belongs to God,” Bishop Kamomoe said.

However, he further said, “you must also collaborate with God in nurturing that faith because God may wish to bless you, but you can refuse. If we refuse to follow God, His plan for us will not be fulfilled; we will be taken into exile and end up being slaves to all the difficult things we see.”

Nicholas Waigwa contributed to the writing of this story