The leadership wrangles in Legio Maria church is far from over going by the events that happened before the burial of church cardinal Alphonseus Romanus Ong’ombe.
Top leaders were split on who to officiate at the burial ceremony. A section was opposed to Pope Raphael Adika, who has been battling it out over church leadership with Ong’ombe, from leading the burial ceremony. The wrangles have been on since 2009.
Tempers are said to have flared in one of the burial arrangement talks as one faction did not want Adika even to attend, preferring Cardinal Lawrence Ochieng to officiate. It is the same faction that named Cardinal Ochieng to head the church on interim basis as they look for successor.
Informed sources told your favourite Weekly Citizen that those opposed to Pope Adika have positioned Ochieng as the next head of the church.
Raphael Adika
Bishop of Nairobi Diocese Rt Reverend Peter Joseph Onyango who is allied to Adika features in leadership wars. Onyango also holds the church’s powerful docket of administrative secretary.
Pope Ong’ombe death was expected to end leadership wrangles at the church.
Ong’ombe died at Got Kweru centre in Migori county, a hill the sect claims is Calvary and where their founder Melkio Ondeto was buried in 1990s.
Also caught in leadership mess is Joseph Warambo, chairman of the sect who was in charge of the burial at Got Kweru.
The pope’s body was kept at St Joseph Mission Hospital in Migori town as preparation for his burial was ongoing.
The leadership feuds started when Ong’ombe declared himself as pope after death of Ondeto. The feuds ended up in court, forcing Adika to establish his headquarters in Kisumu town at Manyatta’s Corner Legio.
Romanus Ongombe
The two factions have own administrative structures and bank accounts.
Adika had also declared himself as the church’s pope.s.
However, before his death, Ong’ombe had engaged Adika on a peace mission to bring the two warring factions under the same fold.
The peace truce was opposed by hardliners within the two factions out to control church funds running in millions of shillings. They prefer the two camps for personal goals not spiritual nourishment, according to sources.
Andika did not attend the burial as he had been barred by the courts setting foot at Got Kweru the burial site.
During Papa Mesiah Ondeto’s tenure, Adika was one of the assistant popes while Ong’ombe served as the cardinal.The name of Bishop Titus Otieno is emerging in the wrangle with cardinal Joseph Ongaw also.-
