Religious leaders should promptly return gifts that they deem unfit

I disagree with the head of the Catholic Church, John Cardinal Njue, and Archbishop of Kisumu Philip Anyolo (DN, March 4) that the church had not received a communication from Pope Francis to return a car donated by Deputy President William Ruto during the archbishop’s installation in Kisumu in January.

But the best communication for the Catholic Church to reject ‘suspicious’ gifts happened when Pope Francis received a brand new Lamborghini Huracan from Lamborghini CEO Stephen Domenicali last June and he put it up for auction to raise money for charity. The most important lesson for bishops, priests and catechists was that ‘unfit’ gifts from the rich must be sold and the proceeds go back to the poor.

Also, I disagree with Dr Ruto (DN, March 4) that giving a priest a gift is empowering the church and anyone who is not happy with it is a devil worshipper. As a Catholic, I strongly feel that all gifts to the church, vehicles in particular, should be sold off.

The church cannot rightfully claim to be independent and having broken free from the bondage of corrupt and power-hungry politicians.

A story is told of how a priest sent to work in then-Zaire (DR Congo invited President Mobutu Sese Seko to Mass. The priest then said a sycophantic prayer for the president, who hosted him to lunch at the State House.

Mobutu gave the priest a brand new vehicle. In the evening news bulletins, Mobutu ordered the security forces to never confiscate or even inspect priests’ vehicles.

That paved the way for some priests to start smuggling ivory.