Catholic Canonists Seek to Address Plight of Single Parents and their Children in Kenya

“It has emerged that in some Dioceses, you find children from single parents are denied the opportunity to join seminaries or to join religious institutions,” she told ACI Africa on the sidelines of the event that was graced by Archbishop Anthony Muheria of Nyeri Archdiocese, Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde of Mombasa, and Bishop John Oballa Owaa of Ngong Diocese.

Bishop John Oballa Owaa of Ngong Diocese. Credit: Sr. Scholastica Kasisi

Children of single parents, she said, “feel they have a vocation, but as long as you come from a single-parent family, it becomes a challenge.”

“We are advocating for that freedom of vocation, without judging where I come from,” Sr. Kasisi said, and added, “Even if I come from a single parent, if I have a vocation, let that vocation in me be nurtured like that of any other person who has been brought up by two parents.”

“The cry for involvement in the Sacraments and the choice of vocation for those who have been raised by single parents has become something real. Something we really need to pay attention to,” the Kenyan Canonist who teaches at the Kenya- based Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) said.

Credit: Sr. Scholastica Kasisi

Sr. Kasisi said that single parents feel isolated and see themselves as outcasts to the extent that even when they have problems, they don’t know where to go to for help because they feel like the Church doesn’t accept them.

She said that she finds it unfortunate when “a normal Christian faithful, a layperson, stops a single parent from accessing the merits we get from the Church simply because this person knows, ‘This is a single mother, and single mothers are not accepted by the Church.”’

The Kenyan Nun said that formation will go a long way in addressing the plight of single parents in the Church.

Credit: Sr. Scholastica Kasisi

“I would really advocate for ongoing formation, not only for the Clergy but also for the Laity as a whole, so that each one of us knows we all belong to the Church, we have our position in the Church, and we have things we can do in the Church,” Sr. Kasisi said.

Archbishop Anthony Muheria of Nyeri Archdiocese. Credit: Sr. Scholastica Kasisi

She acknowledged that there are certain things they cannot do as Canonists, especially when considering the different states of life. She explained that members of the Clergy, for instance, are able to perform many functions related to the faculty of Orders, which are not accessible to the Laity. However, she noted that the biggest challenge they face is widespread ignorance.

“We have our laws, but how many people know them? Mostly, it’s only the Clergy, because they undergo some formation in the same,” she said, and added, “Because of ignorance, many of our people suffer.”

Sr. Kasisi told ACI Africa that with formation, the people of God will be able to effectively implement the Synod on Synodality.

(Story continues below)

She emphasized that in embracing synodality, the Church must work collaboratively, particularly through the formation of the Christian faithful.

She noted the importance for each member of the Church to understand their specific identity and role, whether as a Religious, a layperson, or a member of the Clergy, and to be aware of their respective rights and obligations.

Credit: Sr. Scholastica Kasisi

Sr. Kasisi said each person in the Church “should be allowed to embrace the state of life he or she feels is best for him or her,” and challenged the Church to be inclusive.

“We need to be so inclusive and allow each one of us to enjoy the merits of being members of the Church. No one can feel complete without the other,” she told ACI Africa in the August 7 interview.

She added, “We only need to embrace our uniqueness and encourage each other to grow together toward holiness. Because the main call, which is advocated by canon law, is the salvation of souls.”