Legio Maria: Difference between revisions

In 1963 a movement of dissatisfied Roman Catholics in south [[Nyanza Province]] left the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Kisii|Diocese of Kisii]] and formed the Legio Maria Church, or Legion of Mary Church, under the leadership of the Lodvikus-son of God Simeo Melkio Ondetto and an old mystic woman named Mama Maria. This mystic woman is the one Legio Maria adherents relate with the Fátima Secrets.<ref name=Legiopedia>{{cite web|url=http://legiopedia.com {{webarchive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123015815/http://legiopedia.com/ |date=23 January 2015|title=The 50 Norms of Legio Maria: How Should Legio Maria Faithful Live Their Lives?}}</ref> She is believed to have called a number of Catholics to the new movement by visionary appearances, telling them to look forward to her son who had come to Africa. Her spiritual son, Simeo Ondetto, was then a catechist in Roman Catholic Church. Ondetto was [[excommunicated]] by the Catholic Church in the 1960s. By 1980 the church numbered 248,000 adherents.<ref name=Schism>Barrett, David and John Padwick (1989), ''Rise Up and Walk!: Conciliarism and the African Indigenous Churches, 1815–1987'', [[Nairobi]]: [[Oxford University Press]], 199, 66</ref>{{rp|66, 199}} Government estimates at the time of the split from the Catholic Church stated that there were nearly 90,000 followers of Legio Maria. By 1968, it had become a member of the East African United Churches.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

The Legio Maria Church was not the only church schism among the Luo people in the early years of Kenyan independence. Catholic missionaries had been working among the Luo for 61 years before the 1963 split.<ref>Barrett, David (1968), "name=Schism and Renewal in Africa: an Analysis of Six Thousand Contemporary Religious Movements." [[Nairobi]]: [[Oxford University Press]], 135</ref>{{rp|135}} By 1966 there were 31 "distinct Luo separatist churches registered with the Kenyan Government."<ref>Barrett, David (1968), "name=Schism and Renewal in Africa: an Analysis of Six Thousand Contemporary Religious Movements." [[Nairobi]]: [[Oxford University Press]], 14</ref>B{{rp|14}} Across Kenya, "by 1966 there were 160 distinct bodies with a total of 600,000 adherents, most of whom were formerly members of the Protestant or Catholic Churches," with the Legion of Mary Church being the largest of the schisms from the Catholic Church.<ref>Barrett, David (1968), "name=Schism and Renewal in Africa: an Analysis of Six Thousand Contemporary Religious Movements." [[Nairobi]]: [[Oxford University Press]], 30</ref>{{rp|30}} Today, estimates of the number of Legio Maria adherents range from 3.5 to 4 million<ref name=xx2/> or down to just over three million.<ref>[http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=4064 Rambaya, Samwel, "Legio Pope Blasts Leaders", ''The Standard (Kenya)'', Monday, 25 October 2004]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}.</ref> In this regard, the Legio Maria Church is one of the most resilient and successful of the African initiated churches.

Legio Maria had many notable prophets at its founding. According to Bishop Abuto,it is the massive number of prophets and prophetesses in Legio Maria that made it break into a formidable religious organization.{{#tag:ref|lejionmaria.blogspot.com|name=xx3}} Among the prophets that Oloo attributes the success of a young legio movement to are Tobias Oongo, Silvester Okweto, Sila of Yimbo, Siprianus Ochien'g, and Gaudencia Aoko. The name of Gaudencia Aoko has featured prominently as a founder and even a co-equal with Simeo Ondetto, but according to Bishop Abuto, this is a confusion.<ref name=xx2/> Oloo affirmed that Gaudencia Aoko achieved great feats for Legio Maria, but was in no way comparable to Simeo Ondetto.<ref name=xx3/> Born among the Luo of western Kenya, Aoko was only 20 when she joined Legio Maria. The death of her two children, apparently thought to be due to witchcraft pushed her to seek divine intervention from the 'budding prophet Simeo Ondetto' leading to her eventual conversion.<ref>http://legiopedia.com {{webarchive|urlname=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123015815/http://legiopedia.com/ |date=23 January 2015 }}<Legiopedia/ref> Aoko was referred to Ondetto by her brother-in-law, Johanes Muga, and went to Ondetto to seek help. She was commissioned to pray for the sick with Rosary and to battle witchcraft by Simeo Ondetto and the old woman, Mama Maria. Going back to her homeland in Kano and stretching to Alego, Siaya, of Western Kenya, Aoko exorcised evil spirits, burnt amulets, and converted many people to the Legio movement. Bishop Onyango Abuto insists that it is the agility of the young Aoko that led to her being confused with the 90-year-old legio maria founder, Mama Maria.<ref>Ong'ombe, Romanus (2007), "The Founding Years of Legio: Legio Prophets."</ref>

While at Sagegi in 1958, serving as a Catholic catechist, and living in the home of another catechist known as Petrus Pitalis Ogeka, Simeo Ondeto is said to have died for 3 days and came back to life with a mission-focused approach.<ref name=xx2/> After rising from death, Ondetto began to call himself the son of God. He was now preaching that he had gone to confer with God the Father about his mission and was freed to begin his mission. He describes a visit to heaven, chats with saints, angels, and God. Simeo Ondetto permitted the baptism of polygamists and the baptism of old Catholic converts without going through catechism training.<ref>http://legiopedia.com {{webarchive|urlname=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123015815/http://legiopedia.com/ |date=23 January 2015 }}<Legiopedia/ref> He also said that he was sent to start a church called Legio Maria.

Under the popes are over 500 deacons, 350 priests, 60 bishops, 21 archbishops and 17 cardinals. Currently, all these lower hierarchies swear allegiance to the different sides led by Adika and On'gombe.<ref>http://legiopedia.com {{webarchive|urlname=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123015815/http://legiopedia.com/ |date=23 January 2015 }}<Legiopedia/ref> Some notable people on the On'gombe side are On'gawo Aloo (Cardinal Camerlengo), Owino Obimbo (Cardinal Dean--deceased), Romanus Odongo (Arch-bishop-Rongo), the late Susana nyar Ouma (Ondetto's cook), and Bishop Melkio. Notable people on Adika's side are Cardinal Joseph Atieno (Dean of Cardinals), Maurice Akello (Cardinal Deacon), Bishop Peter Onyango Abuto, Elias Komenya, Mother Dorina (Ka-Baru, and Hellena nyar Rosari.<ref name=xx2/>