Kenyan Catholic Archbishop Calls for Proper Formation in Human Sexuality among Future Priests and Religious

Nairobi, 14 October, 2025 / 9:25 PM

The Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kisumu has called on vocation animators to ensure that young people preparing for Priesthood and Religious Life have a clear and “correct understanding of human sexuality.”

In his Monday, October 13 homily during the Kenya Association of Vocation Animators (KAVA) meeting at the Dimesse Retreat and Conference Centre in Nairobi, Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba made reference to contemporary perspectives on gender and sexuality, such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+), and encouraged the animators charged with promoting vocations to inform candidates about the Church’s teaching on human sexuality at entry.

“Young people choosing to become Sisters and choosing to become Brothers, choosing to become Priests must have the correct understanding of human sexuality,” Archbishop Muhatia said at the commencement of the KAVA meeting, which was realized under the theme , “With Hope Cast the Net on the Right Side, John 21:6”.

“We should not allow a pagan understanding of human sexuality to infiltrate the sacred priesthood and the holy vocation of brotherhood and sisterhood. The more we keep quiet about this thing, the more the church continues to suffer,” he added.

He said that some candidates to Religious Life have adopted strange ideas on human sexuality, emphasizing that the correct sexuality in Religious vocations and even marriage is that of “men with manly feelings” and “women with womanly feelings.”

“This thing is serious. Let us not correct it in the Priesthood and in the Convents. Let us correct it at this point of animation,” the Archbishop said, and added, “Sexuality is a gift from God.” 

The Archbishop explained that the Church promotes Priesthood and Consecrated Life not because it undervalues the marriage vocation, but because it recognizes the spiritual calling in both vocations.

Archbishop Muhatia cautioned that confusions about gender identity are misleading young people. He urged vocation animators to be honest and courageous when guiding candidates for Religious Life.

“The church expects real women to become sisters. Real women with feelings. The church expects real men to become brothers and priests. Real men with feelings. Men with manly feelings. Women with womanly feelings. Not men with womanly feelings, and women with manly feelings,” the Local Ordinary of Kisumu said at the-day event, which commenced on Monday, October 13.

He emphasized that vocation discernment should be handled with care and prayer, urging  members of KAVA to spend time with young people, visit their families, and understand their backgrounds before admitting them to formation.

“Have an eye for discernment. Take some time with them. Don't be in a hurry. If you are keen, you will detect… and the Holy Spirit of God will give you a sign,” he said.

“If you are sincere at heart, just love the church, want to give the best to the church, to your institute, the diocese, I'm assuring you, God will give you a sign,” he added.

The Archbishop also raised concern over the growing exposure of young people in schools to modern ideologies on gender and sexuality, saying such ideologies risk being carried into seminaries and convents.

“Our schools in Kenya are full of these things. All these things are all over. That is the pond we are going to fish from,” Archbishop Muhatia said.

The Local Ordinary of Kisumu also discussed distorted ideas of equality, condemning competition among men and women.

“There's nothing wrong with being a man,” he said, and added, questioning the perception that ‘what a man can do, a woman can do better’, “Why should a woman do it better? God did not create anyone to be better than another one. God created people to be themselves.  He created you to be real. Not to compete with the sister behind you. Just to be real.”

“This is propaganda. Propaganda by feminists,” he said, adding that the true value of a human being is not measured through competition but by being created in the image of God.

The Archbishop cautioned all the people of God in Kenya planning to join Religious Life against joining them with pagan ideas.

“Paganism in our society is coming into the Church through the agents of evangelization including Priests, Brothers, and Sisters,” he said and appealed, “Help the Church to correct these things at this stage. You are so critical in this area. Some of you know very well how difficult it is to deal with these things later on in time. Very difficult, very complicated.”

Archbishop Muhatia called on members of KAVA to remain faithful to Catholic teachings and to form young people who are humble, balanced, and respectful of others.