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KENYA: Catholic Priest Quits, Says He Can’t Do Without Sex
A priest has quit the Catholic Church in protest against celibacy saying he cannot do without sex.
Father John Karimi, now married with three children, had served the church for 15 years.
He felt that celibacy was not practical in the mainstream church and opted out rather than continue cheating God and his flock.
“I made up my mind to walk out of the Church and have a wife of my own whom I cherish instead of living a hypocritical life and finally go to hell,” he told the Nation in an exclusive interview.
Celibacy was introduced to ensure that priests with a calling to serve God concentrated in spiritual nourishment.
It was also introduced to avoid nepotism, which was prevalent in one of the oldest churches.
Fr. Karimi
According to Father Karimi, the founders had wives and family and at one time one of the Pope was succeeded by his son.
He clearly recollected how in 2004 while he was in-charge of Ichagaki parish, he decided it was time to go and start a new life than continue sinning against God.
Father Karimi boldly approached the then Murang’a Catholic Bishop Peter Kihara and informed him of his decision.
However, the Bishop would not accept and pleaded with him to stay urging him that he would be used to celibacy with time.
The Bishop then gave him one year to meditate over the issue and give a feedback.
After staying outside the Church for one year, Father Karimi reported back to the Bishop and told him his decision still stood but he remained adamant asking him not to quit.
Unsatisfied, the clergyman wrote to Pope John 11 in 2005 through Bishop Kihara asking to be relieved of his priesthood duties.
The priest never got a reply. He left the Church unceremoniously and settled in his rural home in Kirinyaga County.
“I had to leave whether I was allowed to go or not. And I say this with finality,” he said.
Ever since, Father Karimi led a quiet life until Saturday when he went public about his tribulations.
Without mincing words, the priest said almost all the priests do not practice celibacy.
He disclosed that in his priesthood, he had four different girlfriends.
“I used to make love to these women. More often than not I would sleep with a woman and the following day on Sunday I’m at the altar delivering a sermon and giving out sacrament. Sometimes I would feel so guilty or feel like dying when I thought of the celibacy vows I took,” he said.
Instead of embracing such a life that could easily make him rejected in heaven when time comes to meet his maker, Father Karimi tied the knot with Mary Nanjekho.
He met her in 2006 and proposed to her after a few months of courtship.
He got married at the Attorney General’s chambers as no Church was willing to solemnise his wedding.
When he married Nanjekho, she had two children. He later sired another child with her.
Father Karimi said “like air and food, sex is a necessity that one can’t do without. It is a basic human need and psychologists can attest to this”.
He claimed that 95 per cent of the priests were not celibate and suggested celibacy which he noted was introduced in the 16th century should be scrapped or made optional.
He said many priests would like to take the hard decision of quitting but because of money have chosen to remain in service.
“When one is a priest in the Catholic Church, he has everything he wants. Money, transport, accommodation and many other benefits and many clergy have chosen to go to hell than leave and suffer,” he said.
Father Karimi said although he initially had difficulties in making ends meet, he slowly got accustomed to life outside the Church.
And because he loved priesthood so much, he was Saturday consecrated the Bishop of Ecumenical Catholic Church of Christ in a colourful ceremony at Good Samaritan Secondary School in Mwea. He will be in-charge of Mount Kenya region.
Born in 1964 at a remote Mahigaini village, Father Karimi grew in a Christian family.
As a young boy, he admired priesthood and vowed that he would become a priest when he grew up , a dream that came true in 1990 when he was ordained.
Father, Karimi, a second born in family of 12, holds a Bachelors Degree in Theology from the University of Ubaniana in Italy.
Father Karimi is not alone.
Father Godfrey Shiundu and Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo are some of the priests who have rebelled and quit. Both have since married.
While conducting the consecration ceremony, Archbishop Theuri who also quit the Catholic Church, said Christianity has evolved for Africans to make their own decisions on religious matters.
He insisted the New Church was not at war with the Roman Catholic Church but just differed in principle.
The Archbishop said the New Church has now 300,000 followers in Kenya and its wings are spreading fast.
So far, the Church has consecrated five Bishops across the country.
nation
Posted by
fonko fonko
April 24, 2013 at 3:22 pm
He is an *****, before you start anything, it is good to go through on the advantages and disadvantages and not priests are aroused to sex.
forfo christian
April 24, 2013 at 3:29 pm
who forced him to join?ma rubbish, nayena akapanga church,nayo Pentecostal, this is the problem with christians church is a very big investment for them,its no longer for worshipping its now for money makib i hate this religion,its full of danderheads and scarter brains.
Mosotho
April 24, 2013 at 3:49 pm
if he cheated his priesthood, what guarantees that he will not cheat his wife as well??
james
April 24, 2013 at 4:40 pm
The sweetness of nini?
kay
April 24, 2013 at 4:45 pm
u did the right thing
KASABULA
April 24, 2013 at 4:47 pm
He is not a hypocrite.
ft Bwalya
April 24, 2013 at 4:55 pm
Hand up! father. Now we know wht 90 per cent of these Italians n our local priests do 2 suspecting women n gals. U’ll all perish in sin bane. Jst ligalise marry n be f**king ligally.
Nature
April 24, 2013 at 5:40 pm
Thats the problem with as pipo we rush to invest our lives sex,bullshit bakolwe imwe
Ba game
April 24, 2013 at 5:46 pm
sex niyonzuna guyz, wat God has made he created them 4 the purpose nt ukakolewa chibuku atinifuna-onkala priest no!!
Alfred
April 24, 2013 at 5:52 pm
It is better to marry than to burn with passion says the bible.
Ndeloleshafye
April 24, 2013 at 8:02 pm
It’s good to come out clean and have a clear conscience. Hypocrisy tefintu…maningi ama migraine.
Democrat
April 24, 2013 at 9:03 pm
There are a lot of priests in Zambia who “fathers” come out in the open like the Kenyan priest. Marriage is not a sin. Sex is good, ask Dora siliya.
Piss off
April 24, 2013 at 9:35 pm
eyi at least the man is caming out to the open then wait to be caught. the truth has set him free!!
chachilamo
April 24, 2013 at 9:59 pm
Tuleipima before tatulachita desired ka,not waya ku priesthood jst becoz family yobe yalifilwa ukukwanisha ukukutwala ku univesity atase banee- mwalabikapo?
susu
April 25, 2013 at 6:39 am
He made a rigt decn atho went for a second hand wif.
KASABULA
April 25, 2013 at 8:54 am
He is also second hand.
princess mandy
April 25, 2013 at 8:18 am
you did the right thing…pretence is bad…waumfwa.
shilingi mia
April 25, 2013 at 9:49 am
He was in a wrong place from the word go! He slept with different women even before he left priesthood! He is lustful, period! What guarantee is there that he may not cheat on his wife?
boastful Banda
April 25, 2013 at 11:14 am
sex is good..and i love it…you can either have it or not..there are no lessons involved..
mwewa
April 25, 2013 at 11:20 am
Priesthood/sisterhood is no longer a call from God but to many it is a stepping stone!to all those who feel they can join plz better go for pastor where you can make free decisions no one can deny the fact that sex was given to us by God that it should be enjoyed by legally married couples.
Mutwe
April 25, 2013 at 1:07 pm
I know a priest in mansa with 2 children , the girlfriend is a seventh day Adventist , he should leave the priesthood and start looking after his children properly instead of dipping his long fingers into the mutulo to support his prostitute , ala!
Umwina Nkana
April 25, 2013 at 3:26 pm
The Catholic church has been paying a lot in compensation to victims of sexual abuse by priests. The force/spirit behind the celibacy snare is very strong BUT the Good news is that GOD Jehovah is greater. And the catholic church leadership need to do is to run to God for deliverance from the unnecessary curse of celibacy
joseph mutemena
April 25, 2013 at 8:38 pm
Priesthood is a vocation that one feels called and verifies through discernment. When one feels he is not called to this way of life he can leave freely without compelling others to do the same. fr karimi probably has no vocation and cannot speak on behalf of all the priests even to the extent of giving false statistics of people not living in celibacy. If one has difficulties with sex, why not just leave and get married? No one is compelled to become a priest and those who become priests usually are convinced that they are called. Ofcourse even when becomes a priest, there is no supposition that sex is bad or evil. Sex is good but a precondition for those who become priests is that they have to abstain from it. Besides, when one stops on the basis that he can nolonger live in chastity, that is allowed and no one surely will force you not to quit. I see that such a priest had some problems because he fathered children before he even quit. ” Uwawa tabula kabepesho” Bemba proverb!