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New Book on Marriage and Family "timely" Ahead of Controversial UN Summit: Church Leaders

Archbishop Bert van Megen, Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya and South Sudan with Fr. Simon Peter Kamomoe at book launch on Sunday, October 20, 2019

As plans are underway in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, for the UN-sponsored International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25), which Christian professionals have regarded as controversial owing to the Summit’s envisaged agenda, various Church leaders have described the launch of a new book on marriage and family in Nairobi Sunday, October 20 as “timely.”

"In the coming month of November there will be a UN Conference in Nairobi, which directly and indirectly handles the theme of family and of relationship between man and woman," the Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya and South Sudan, Archbishop Bert van Megen said Sunday as he presided over the launch of the new book at Nairobi’s Holy Family Minor Basilica.

“It is appropriate that this book is published at this moment," the Apostolic Nuncio reiterated, expressing awareness of the various themes expected to guide the November 12 conference organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) under the slogan, The  Nairobi Summit on ICPD25: Accelerating the promise.

“One of the things that they (UNFPA) want to do is to change the way families incline," the National Director of the Pontifical Missionary Societies (PMS) in Kenya, Fr. Bonaventure Luchidio observed during the book launch and decried, “Already the UN has changed the definition of family."

Therefore, Fr. Luchidio remarked, “We need to bring God in the center of a family and that is what the book is about.”

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Published under the title “Marriage through my priestly eyes: Heaven or hell?”, the book contains reflections on marriage and family based on the 25-year experience of the author, Fr. Simon Peter Kamomoe journeying with couples.

“This book is about my own reflections as a priest because I have encountered so many families, especially couples," Fr. Kamomoe told ACI Africa in an exclusive interview at the venue of the book launch.

"It has been my wish to write a book. Some reflections on how to guide couples, to indicate some problematic areas and why people are in conflict, fighting and what would be the intervention," Fr. Kamomoe added.

Being launched on Mission Sunday, Fr. Kamomoe also noted with regard to the book, "It speaks to mission work because missionary work starts in families, with marriage." 

"Every life starts there. So, if the Mission of Christ is so welcome in the families, it is going to reach the whole world," Fr. Kamomoe explained in an interview with ACI Africa. 

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Victor Salamba who has worked closely with the Fr. Kamomoe expressed appreciation for the content of the book saying, "It is not notes put together, it is wisdom put together."

According to Salamba, the author of the book has used his experience in "priesthood, counseling psychology and life situations" to make the book unique.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.