Abstract
This paper examines the pastoral care of elderly Catholic priests in Kenya, focusing on the challenges, support systems, and opportunities within the contemporary Kenyan Catholic Church context. With over 3,644 priests serving across more than 1,100 parishes nationwide, Kenya's Catholic Church faces increasing demands for comprehensive care of its aging clergy members. Through analysis of secondary data from church reports, academic research, and institutional documentation, this study reveals significant gaps in retirement planning, healthcare provision, and spiritual support for elderly priests. The research demonstrates that while Kenya's Catholic Church has established some care mechanisms, systemic challenges including limited retirement facilities, inadequate pension systems, and insufficient specialized healthcare create vulnerabilities for aging clergy. Key findings indicate that pastoral care for elderly priests operates through diocesan initiatives, interfaith collaborations, and emerging support organizations, yet requires enhanced coordination and resource allocation. The study recommends comprehensive policy frameworks addressing housing, healthcare, spiritual support, and financial security to ensure dignified aging for priests who have devoted their lives to pastoral service.
Keywords
Pastoral Care, Elderly Priests, Catholic Church
Citations
IRE Journals:
Leonard Juma Wafula
"Pastoral Care of Elderly Catholic Priests in Kenya" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 9 Issue 1 2025 Page 1520-1525
IEEE:
Leonard Juma Wafula
"Pastoral Care of Elderly Catholic Priests in Kenya" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 9(1)
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IRE Journals is an open access online journals established with an aim to publish high quality of research work in various diciplines. We have more than 6 years in publications. Over 2500+ papers already published.
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