Catholics in Kenya Urged to Embrace Culture of Infant Baptism, to be Faithful to All Sacraments

Nairobi, 24 August, 2025 / 8:58 PM

The Archbishop of Kenya’s Catholic Archdiocese of Nyeri has urged the people of God in the East African country to practice all the sacraments of the Church faithfully, and to embrace the habit of getting their children baptized when they are still infants.

In his reflection published on Facebook on Sunday, August 17, Archbishop Anthony Muheria said that all the Sacraments of the Church, staring with Baptism, were introduced by Jesus Christ Himself.

“The Sacrament of Baptism is the fountain of Christian life. Beloved Christians, we are invited to get used to baptizing our children while they are still infants,” Archbishop Muheria said.

He added, “Let us be accustomed to seeking Baptism so that we may be able to confess our faith and truly say we have been born again in the grace of the Lord.”

“Jesus Himself was baptized with water by John the Baptist. He showed us the way to enter into communion with God, to be born again, so that we may overcome our old nature and receive the new nature of becoming children of God,” the Kenyan Church leader said.

He noted that through baptism, Christ sent His disciples to “go into the whole world so that you may baptize people in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

The Catholic Archbishop urged the people of God to utilize the seven sacraments of the church, which are Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony, to obtain abundant graces.

On the Sacrament of Eucharist, which was initiated on Holy Thursday by Jesus Christ, he urged the people of God in Kenya to show respect to the wine and the bread during the Consecration process in Mass.

“Let us be accustomed to kneel, worship God in the Holy Eucharist, and to receive Him ordinarily when we have well prepared ourselves. These sacraments of the Church are the strength of our Christianity. That is where we get the courage to continue in life,” the Archbishop said, highlighting the importance of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

“Once you have received Jesus in your soul in the holy Eucharist, what is it that you cannot do? What is it that you will fear? Let us be able to show our faith in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist that Jesus Himself left us. There are great miracles of the holy Eucharist which put a seal that Jesus is in the holy Eucharist,” he added.

Regarding the Sacrament of Confession, Archbishop Muheria said that Jesus gave Priests the power to forgive sins, and explained, “It is not the Priest. It is not even the Bishop who forgives. It is Christ. We are invited to go and confess our sins so that we may be forgiven.”

Referring to the book of James on the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, the Kenyan Member of Opus Dei cautioned the people of God against seeking purification outside the Church, encouraging them to prioritize calling the “elders of the Church, the Priests, to come and anoint the sick with oil” for them to receive healing.

“The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven,” Archbishop Muheria said, and added, “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”