Celibacy is a requirement for Catholic priests, and they must swear a vow to that effect when they are ordained. On October 21, however, a Catholic priest in Kenya made news when he defied the conventional norm and deserted.
According to Citizen Digital, Reverend Father Edwin Gathang’i Waiguru and Margaret Wanjira Githui married after he left the Roman Catholic Church and joined the Catholic Charismatic church, a splinter group.
Waiguru was married on the same day he was consecrated as a priest. In an interview with Nation TV, Waiguru stated that his decision to marry was God’s calling, adding that it had been on his mind for years.
“I thank my wife for accepting to come and be also used by God so that we can show the world that it’s possible for somebody to serve God and have a family because God did not make a mistake when he created a man and a woman and he said it is not good for a man to be alone,” said Waiguru.
“Many people who were in the occasion said they have never seen such a thing that you can have a wedding and an ordination at the same time.”
The newly married priest also said he was ordained in 2003, and he has since traveled to the United States as well as Haiti for missionary endeavors. “I thank my bishop for accepting that call from God to come and ordain me. I’m also grateful that God has found it worthy to use me to bring something new in the world,” Waiguru said.
