“Our young men and women are being influenced by what is happening globally because of a small gadget in their pocket called a mobile phone. They know what is happening. By the time they are coming to ask to join your institute or your diocese, they know too many things because they are exposed to too many things,” he said in the seven-day event that ends on Saturday, October 18.
On receiving the young men, Religious institutes have to begin molding them, reshaping them, realigning their aspirations to what they want to become, the Archbishop said, and appealed to the animators, “In spite of all these things happening in society, and because of the responsibility the Church has placed on your shoulders, please don't preach a gospel of compromise.”
The Catholic Church leader in Kenya urged vocation animators to remain focused in their ministry, reminding them that their mission serves the universal Church and not just individual congregations or dioceses.
“Remain focused on vocational animation. You are animating vocations for the universal Catholic Church. Not just for your institute. Not just for your diocese,” he said, and emphasized, “You must be sensitive to what is going on in society around us. The changes are happening very fast.”
The Local Ordinary of Kisumu called upon the vocation animators to be careful while selecting those interested in Religious Life, saying that the young ones are all “coming from the same societal pool.”
Archbishop Muhatia called on the animators to exercise discernment when accompanying candidates for Religious Life, saying, “Your eyes have to be alert. Eyes of faith. Eyes of discernment. What you bring in for your institute. Discern. Don't be afraid is they say that it was during your term that they saw few vocations. It is worse if they say that it was during your time that they received the worst vocations.”
He told the animators to take the responsibility of ensuring the candidates are suitable for the Institute, the Diocese, or the Congregation they are joining.
“You have been given a huge responsibility. Don't ordinarize it. It is a huge responsibility. Because it is the point of departure. In matters of vocation, if you make a mistake at the point of departure, it is very difficult to correct it. At the point of arrival, very difficult. Please help the church to discern,” he said.
He underscored the need for deep spiritual and moral scrutiny, noting that some candidates join with “strange ideas” about faith and human sexuality.
“Some of the young people who come to us still have strange ideas. But some are innocent. Some are just strange ideas because they are not yet refined. Others are already very crooked. They have done terrible things,” he said in the KAVA meeting, which was realized under the theme, “With hope, Cast the Net on the Right Side, John 21:6.”
