“Prof. Mwandha’s research on the specific reasons for Defection from the Catholic Church in Kenya sheds light on the experiences of individuals baptized into the faith but who subsequently departed for various reasons. It also offers pastoral aids rooted in Catholic teaching and Canon law, which are invaluable resources for those entrusted with caring for the People of God, including those who have strayed from the full communion of the Church.”

From the Foreword by Rt. Rev. Bishop John Oballa Owaa
(Catholic Diocese of Ngong’ – Kenya)

The present publication is a contextualised study that deals with the phenomenon of Defection from the Catholic Church in Kenya. Although the study is of a legal-canonical nature, it is purely interdisciplinary because it illustrates the socio-cultural complexity of the Kenyan context from an anthropological and interreligious perspective. The first part offers a brief overview of the religious situation in which the Roman Catholic Church coexists with numerous other Churches, Ecclesial Communities, Christian sects and various religions. The second part precisely outlines the problem of Defection from the Catholic Church in Kenya, analysing the variables from a quantitative and qualitative point of view in order to grasp the frequency of the phenomenon, its causes and effects. The last part aims to revitalise the pastoral care of the Catholic faithful and to strengthen their membership. Well-informed and well-documented, the study demonstrates great scientific rigour and the Author’s mastery of the subject. It faithfully follows Catholic doctrine and current canonical norms that provide the parameters for judgement.

Contents

Foreword
Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction

1. An Overview of Christian Religious Affiliations in Kenya

1. Propagation of Christian Churches in Kenya
2. The Catholic Church in Kenya
3. The Promotion of Religious Freedom
4. A Call to Communion and Ecumenism

2. A Survey on Defection from the Catholic Church in Kenya

1. Some Preliminary Notes
    1.1. Research Problem, Hypothesis and Method
    1.2. Population, Sample and Units of Analysis
    1.3. Type of Research and Sampling Procedures
2. Quantitative Research Findings
    2.1. Frequency Tables and Charts on the Socio-Demographic Questions
    2.2. Frequency Tables and Graphs on Nominal Variables
    2.3. Frequency Distributions for Ordinal Variables
    2.4. Some Correlation Tables: Spearman Correlations    
3. Qualitative Research Findings
    3.1. Research Sample and Instruments for Data Collection
    3.2. The Content of the Research Findings
    3.3. Summary of the Findings in ATLAS.ti Graph
4. The Relevance, Challenges and Some Conclusions from the Research

3. Revitalisation of Pastoral Care Among the Faithful

1. Baptism of Children Born Outside Matrimony
    1.1. General Doctrine
    1.2. Guidelines from Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops
2. Disparity of Worship and Mixed Marriages
    2.1. Disparity of Worship
    2.2. Mixed Marriages
3. Spiritual Goods to Irregular Families
    3.1. Polygamy and the Eucharist
    3.2. The Divorced and Remarried
    3.3. The Marriage Covenant and the Eucharist
    3.4. The Divorced-Remarried and the Eucharist
4. Catholic Church Doctrine on Witchcraft and Magic
    4.1. Nature and Origin of Witchcraft and Magic
    4.2. The Provisions in the First Millennium
    4.3. The Provisions in the Second Millennium
    4.4. The Provisions in Codex Iuris Canonici 1917
    4.5. The Provisions in Codex Iuris Canonici 1983
    4.6. Summary
5. Ecclesiastical Teachings and Indications on Funerals
    5.1. Funeral in General
    5.2. Some Indications from the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops
    5.3. Cases of Suicide
    5.4. Summary

Conclusion
Appendix
Bibliography

Fr. Kevin Otieno Mwandha, SDB, is an Ordinary Professor of Canon Law and the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the Salesian Pontifical University (Rome). He is also a guest Lecturer at the Pontifical Beda College (Rome). He has been Director of the Institute of Dogmatic Theology in the Faculty of Theology (Rome); Lecturer at Tangaza University College (Nairobi - Kenya), Salesian Theological College (Nairobi), and at Jerusalem Campus (Israel).