His Lordship Bishop Santo Loku Pio welcoming speech

Your Eminence,

The priests, the religious brothers and sisters have been praying for you since the day you left. And all the time keeping you in their prayers but somewhere else they were now becoming more anxious and say Bishop Santo where is the Cardinal? What is happening? so I tried to go around and encourage them that the Cardinal is okay, he’s fine, he’s doing well, he’s taking his medication and the doctors have checked everything, he’s okay but then as time goes then they again say but where is he?

Now I’m happy that you are back. They are also happy that you are back. We have passed this information to all the religious communities and institutions that the cardinal is arriving today. so, this representation of the few leaders and religious brothers and sisters is just to symbolize that you have come back and you are back home. so, we are grateful.

We don’t have much at this stage just to say welcome.

and you bless them, then they go back to continue their duties. So far nobody has run away. They all remain in their assignment. They are happy with the exception of other difficulties like Father Emmanuel Omolo who lost his mother. He is the only parish priest who is out because he has to go for the burial of his mother. But the rest are here, heads of institutions and parishes carrying on their duties happily. We celebrated Easter nicely and all the other celebrations are on and we continue. We are happy that you are back.

I think the Christian community are also happy that you are back because of this anxiety they’ve been asking when is the cardinal coming back? you know when the father of the house is not there the children will ask even if They know, they will still ask “Baba wen?” And you have to keep explaining every day that he is here, he is there, and he is coming and so on. So, this is the situation. Juba is a bit hot, little rain, and the situation is not very much appealing because of the economic situation. People are suffering, there is a lot of hunger.

But there is also a lot of death. People are dying suddenly. There is a lot of frustration because of the situation. And we are trying to encourage our people that things will improve. Let them keep on. A lot of robbery. People are being hijacked here and there and so on. We were this morning with these religious for the traffic police. They are harassing them all over.

Even the castles, the church, even on Sunday the priest going for mass, will be stopped. So, we try to solve those issues. But normally everything is okay. We are managing by God’s grace. So, thank you very much and you are welcome. You can now say a few words, and bless us.

Speech of the Cardinal

Thank you. Your Lordship, Bishop Santo Loku Pio, Reverend Fathers, Reverend Sisters, Reverend brothers, my dear laity people, and my auxiliary staff in the house, thank you very much for this warm welcome that you have accorded to the sick person. You have gone from here struggling to catch up with the life which is sometimes difficult. And I remember when I left you on the Holy Wednesday,

We are already preparing for the Eucharistic celebration. But after consulting many of you, including Bishop Santo and other people, I felt that I was unable to accomplish the Holy Week prayers because I saw all my activities reduced to zero.

and I felt that I should look for a doctor. Indeed, I went because my blood pressure was no more normal. It went up and so as a result my doctor in Nairobi advised me to come because I had been following the doctor in the hospital of Karen, Dr. Dan K. Gikonyo

since 2024 and because of my diabetic condition and also pressure. And so, when I arrived there on Wednesday, immediately I went on Saturday to the hospital and he immediately told me that he’s not going to put me in the award of the common people.

he will take me to his private clinic where I will have to recover, recuperate there. And so, I was taken there, conscious. Remember when I went from here, I went on foot. On my own, I was conscious. But of course, after sometime, the treatment has to take place. And I took almost all this treatment.

The blood pressure could not come down. The whole of April until the 14th of April, it did not come down. Only afterward, then my blood pressure came down. But as you know, the blood pressure always comes with all the effects.

There are many effects that it can cause. And those effects might be affecting the internal organs or the senses and so forth. And so, the doctor say I have to undergo some test. I have to undergo all the tests of the body, the whole organs of the body. And so, the doctor told me, “Your organs are okay.

But there was a problem with my left eye. This left eye of mine had a lot of bleeding inside. And so, it has caused me a lot of pain. This was now a different doctor already.

You know the pressure always affects the senses, the organs. So, one of my organs, this left eye, was affected seriously. And I had to undergo operation. The first operation never succeeded. I remained 14 days and more. The eye here could not open. Then I had to go for a second operation.

by a very specialist doctor from India who succeeded to wash the blood in my eye and cleanse the eye. At least today I am able to see at least how virtually I am able to see some of you. So that is the condition why my health has to take me for a longer time. I think exactly it is already two months and almost ten days when I left from here. However, I would like to thank you. I think I was not going to come out intact like this with my senses, with all my capacity to talk and to say words and to initiate the word because the doctor told me that it was a serious blood pressure which went until almost 240 which was terrible. But however, because of your prayers, your resilient prayers, I am able to come to you here. Thank you to my brother Bishop Santo, who have kept you together, not to get discouraged because many questions were already given him and he has no way of answering because the archbishop disappeared suddenly like that. And so, it is not easy. However, after all this, I have to say to Father Abe, please go home

At least we came here for some 10 days in order to explain to people, especially in the curia, about my condition. My condition was improving and of course I cannot come unless the doctor tells me that, okay, now you go. You know, it’s always good to respect the authority of the doctor.

a doctor or somebody who is responsible for you. So, the doctor kept me all this time there. He told me that you cannot go, otherwise a lot of things can happen to you which are not okay. And so finally when we went, the last review, especially for the eye, the last review was recently on the 19th, which they postponed it until Friday.

And so, we have to meet the doctor on Friday. And for that review, we told me that, okay, now your eye is improving. So, you can go home. We will come and meet on the 8th of July. So, the condition, the doctor is still keeping me in Nairobi. He does not like to release me. So,

But all in all, I would like to reiterate this, that your prayers have helped me. If I have come out of the hospital now intact like this, it is because of you all. Each one of you.

Every time, especially my priest, every time you pray the Eucharist, you mention me and God has really accepted your prayers and your individual prayers. And may you continue to be like that. The church is not only the bishop. All of us together are the church. The church that is capable of loving one another

And with your warm welcome, I feel that I have people behind me. Even if something happens, the church will continue.

because the church is not the church of Cardinal Stephen, it is the church of Christ, which is able to live and be strong because all of you are committed in doing your own tasks as in different tasks that you do in the church. And so, all in all, let us thank God for this great moment and let us thank all of you for this important welcome, warm welcome. I thank you for your prayers. May God bless you. May God keep us together, united in love so that we can continue to serve him as long as he gives us this energy that we take sometimes for granted, you know. I have never had a situation like this

two months of sickness. I have never heard that this is the time. But as I know, I learned from my Lord, the Lord said, this sickness leads to the glory. When Lazarus got sick, he said the sickness of Lazarus will lead to the glory of God. So, each one of us who suffers in sickness, it always leads to the glory of God. And I think with all this, we say God is still with us and He continues to push us together and to work together, especially all of you who are responsible in different institutions, the parish priest,

different departments and all our high institutes. I thank you for having come to welcome me, and may God continue to bless all of us. Thank you.

++ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. ++ Amen.

Lord our father, we thank you for the gift of health.

We thank you for the gift of energy that you continue to give each one of us in order to serve you in all our different capacities. As we live, we always have this setback in our health, but you always come to cure us. You are the first doctor who walks through the hands of the doctors so that we can still acquire a better health.

As we thank you, we remind ourselves of the importance of the angels who accompany us, especially angel Gabriel, angel Michael, angel Raphael, who always protect us from the adversities. Bless all these people who are in need of better health and better conditions of their life.

Bless our country and bless all our religious people so that they continue to persevere in this life.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen

We ask also our mother who accompanies us always, as we say,

Hail Mary Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

The Lord be with you.

And with your spirit.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Now and forever.

Our help is in the name of the Lord.

Who made heaven and earth.

And may Almighty God bless you,

The Father + the Son + and the Holy Spirit +.

 Amen.

Let us remain in the peace of Christ.

Thanks be to God.