- The diplomatic dispute between Kenya and the Holy See has emerged after the government complained to Pope Francis about the Apostolic Ambassador Archbishop Hubertus van Megen
- The controversy stemmed from a speech given by Archbishop van Megen, where he criticized the Kenyan government and its handling of protests
- The Kenyan government was disappointed by the Nuncio's remarks, accusing him of failing to consider the wider context and using his position to unfairly criticize the government
- In an official complaint to Pope Francis, Kenya described the Archbishop's behavior as “deplorable and inappropriate” for a prominent diplomat.
Nairobi – A diplomatic dispute breaks out between the government of Kenya and the Holy See.
Source: Twitter
This comes following the protest against Pope Francis made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the conduct of the Apostolic Ambassador in Kenya, Archbishop Hubertus van Megen.
What? What did the Apostolic Ambassador in Kenya say?
In a solemn sermon delivered on Saturday, June 29, during the Congregation of Vincentian Priests and the Priesthood of Deacons, the Nuncio focused on the protests in the country and emphasized the need for political change, ACIA reported.
The demonstration, according to Archbishop van Megen, “turned the tables” in the country in a revolutionary way.
In apparent reference to the President William Rutothe Apostolic Ambassador said that the young men asked Zaccheus to come down from the tree.
“The young protestors changed things… they changed things in the parliament; they changed the affairs of the money changers who wanted to clean the temple of democracy. The young protestors wanted to release Zakayo from the tree, they wanted Petro to confess to treason, these days we have witnessed a revolution in Nairobi After this, politics will have to be of this country should change,” he told the believers as reported by CISA.
The Vatican envoy, who was born in the Netherlands, lamented the violence that marred the Nairobi protests, causing casualties as in previous revolutions.
He criticized the police for the way they handle the situation, explaining that it is a confrontation between the oppressors and the weak; heavily armed security forces against poorly protected protesters.
What did Kenya tell the pope?
Archbishop van Megen's remarks did not go down well with the government, which called them reprehensible and unworthy of a distinguished diplomat.
The government was angry with the Apostolic Ambassador criticizing it without focusing on the wider context.
“Without mentioning the broader context of the government's action as a responsible diplomat, the Nuncio chose to use his high position to criticize the Kenyan government and its institutions. We find this behavior disgusting and inappropriate for a distinguished diplomat. Corps,” the letter read in part.
Ambassadors from 13 countries call for dialogue
At the height of the protests led by Gen Z, 13 Ambassadors and High Commissioners called for a compromise between the government and the protesters.
Led by United Statesforeign countries have condemned the killing of protesters against the 2024 Finance Bill.
Ambassadors and high commissioners were drawn from the Canadian High Commission, Royal Danish Embassy, Finnish Embassy, Federal Republic of Germany Embassy, Irish Embassy, Dutch Embassy, Estonian Embassy. , Embassy of Norway, Embassy of Sweden, Embassy of Romania, Embassy of Belgium, Embassy of Great Britain, and Embassy of the United States.
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