Cardinal John Njue has asked fathers to put their daughters' happiness first and stop demanding unreasonable bride prices.
It is disturbing that the demands end up destroying relationships, Njue said, and gave the example of a man who prevented his daughter's wedding saying he wanted Sh250,000.
The clergyman
said the incident in Embu forced a young man, who had approached him to officiate the marriage, to call off the union.
"The man later accepted that the two get married after he was informed that I wanted us to talk," he said. "Does this mean I will have to speak to fathers to allow their daughters to be married in harmony?"
He spoke at
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Buru Buru, Nairobi, on Sunday when he presided over a mass to mark Family Day. Sunday was also Father's Day.
The Cardinal
administered the sacrament of confirmation to 90 faithful and
urged Christians to pray for the country especially during the electioneering period.
"What Kenyans need more is peace and unity," he said, adding the Church was developed by members of all tribes.
"How wonderful it would be for the same to be replicated in our daily lives and our country."
The Cardinal closed the parish year of women and inaugurated the year of the youth which will run up to June next year.
He was with Parish priest Father Moses Kago and his assistants James Mbugua and Bernard Ndichu.