Legio Maria
Legio Maria (Latin Legion Maria - not to be confused with the Catholic lay organization Legio Mariae ) is a new religious movement among the Luo, an ethnic group in western Kenya. The religious movement takes rites of Luo on a Christian base structure. It is a kind of syncretic - animist -Christian cult, which was originally only prevail in Luoland, however, could spread to this day far in East Africa. It was created by a schism from the Roman Catholic Church, called from its own pope and claimed to be the Roman Catholic Church as the "true" Church of Jesus Christ to have replaced. Due to the claim to absoluteness and the Vergöttlichungen and adorations of living persons as Jesus or Virgin Mary Legio Maria is considered new religious community. Instantaneous faith leader is Pope Raphael Titus Otieno.
History
The Legion of Mary was founded by two Roman Catholic catechist in the Diocese of Kisii in western Kenya. ( Father Messiah German ), " Black Messiah " ( German: Black Messiah) or "Black Jesus" ( German: Black Jesus ) - with 90,000 followers of the Roman known as " Baba Messiah" - 1962 parted Blasio Simeo Malkio Ondetto Catholic Church. Gaudencia Aoko, the wife " on his left ," was known as "Mother Mary", and is now worshiped as the Mother of God. Both were excommunicated in the 1960s by the Roman Catholic Church.
Dissemination
The Legio Maria is now found in all three East African countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) and beyond believers. At the time of secession in 1962 by Ondetto he counted 90,000 followers. By 1980, this number increased to 248,000. At the beginning of the 21st century, the number of members is estimated at over 3 million.
Got Kwer
The Legio Maria headquarters and center of expansion is the village Got Kwer, a community that appeals to their orthodoxy "Jerusalem". This village of about 600 inhabitants, is about 15 kilometers away from the south-western Kenyan city Migori. Here are the home of the old family Ondettos as well as the grave of the " Messiah " itself, which umstreut as a long, with cloth coated base is visible with a variety of memorabilia.
Popes
Baba Messiah was, practically regarded, despite his actual position as the Pope as God. To date, three popes have followed in his succession:
- Pope Timothy Blasio Ahitilia (1991-1998)
- Pope Pius Maria Lawrence Chiaji Adera (1998-2004)
- Pope Raphael Titus Otieno (2004 to present)
Other sacred sites
Kit Mikayi, a rock formation about 29 kilometers from Kisumu, was a popular place of pilgrimage for members of the Legion of Mary, who come to the rock to pray and to fast at any given time several weeks.