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Believing in the Black Messiah


By Odhiambo Oganda

LEGIO MARIA OF AFRICA is a break away sect from the Roman Catholic Church and still owes a lot to the Catholic Church. As every religion has its own dogma and laws that makes it different from others, Legio is no exception to this cardinal rule.

Islam for example has its tradition, laws and dogmas, like the recently celebrated days of fasting, Idd-Ur-Fitri and other serious prayers.

Legio Maria has also days when thousands of them travel to Got Kwer in Kadem of Migori district which is the birthplace of their prophet pope Simeo Ondeto.

Those who travel comes from all over East Africa every August 15 each year.

The significance of such a pilgrimage is that they pay homage to him by offering prayers.

The sect was founded in 1962 but was not recognized until in the late sixties when the government accepted it’s registration as a religious body serving the purpose of prayer without contravening the laws of the land.

Just like the Catholic, it’s hierarchical set up is almost the same. It has the Pope as the top man followed by Cardinals, Archbishops, Fathers and Brothers alongside Mothers and Sisters. Many of the original followers were illiterate or semi-illiterate but this situation has since change as the church take new shape.

When this writer talked to one refered to as Mother in the church attached to Ludhedongo Parish in Homa Bay district, there was no surprised when she talked of BABA MTAKATIFU (in reference to SIMEO) being a gift from God.

Many of the members believe that Jesus was a gift from God but after his death, God decided to make the messiah a Blackman, possibly Pope Simeo Ondeto, who was considered among the human race.

The sect has its followers drawn from many African countries like Rwanda, Zaire, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania with the majority from Kenya.

The major difference the sect and Catholic Church is that the Catholic permits it’s followers to drink and smoke and its top leaders are drawn from highly intellectual and academic Cadre.

To the contrary Legio Maria up to now has no written prayer book but most of its unwritten laws are very strict. It is therefore a duty of any member of the sect to follow.

Drunkenness and Polygamy are not permitted in the Church. Yet many of the men in the church are polygamous.

“We have some who are polygamous but are not allowed to undertake official duties in the Church,” adds a faithful.

“How can one be a faithful husband if he shares his love with other wives?” asserts another during the interview.

One of the Bishops take pride that “BABA MTAKATIFU (Ondetto) is the first African Pope to have gone to see and talk to the founding father of the nation Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.”

“This was a great pride for all the Legio leaders and members wherever they are,” he said.

“This particular visit brought a new sense of inspiration to all the Legio’s leaders because it helped them believe that they are Part and parcel of the Kenyan society,” he added.

“It was after the county’s independence that the government of President Kenyatta gave us the freedom of worship and equal treatment with Other Churches,” says the Archbishop.

He quickly referred this writer to the UNO’s Universal Declaration of Human Right’s of 1948 Chapter five paragraph 78 which states that:

“No person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom and conscience... freedom of thought and of religion, freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance. Every religious community shall be entitled at its own expense to establish and maintain places of worship.”

From the above, it is evident that the sect is dynamic and undergoing a sporadic change of literacy of its leaders. The first Pope Simeo Ondeto was a very forceful speaker. He was tall, slender and about seven feet and was a man endowed with personality and charm that makes him a very powerful orator.

Simeo spoke very impeccable Kiswahili and poor Pidgin English. Infact he was able to read and write so well despite the fact that he did not have formal education.

Simeo was a man wielding powers among his followers and respected much more than you would expect any African leader.

His successor is Pope Maria Pius Lawrence Chiaji Adera. When he took over, there were infighting for leadership by a section of the faithfuls but all has been contained accordingly.



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