The High Court in Migori on Wednesday brought to an end a decade-long leadership dispute at the Legio Maria sect.
Justice Anthony Mrima ruled that the sect’s pope will be Raphael Adika, a position which was held by his nemesis Romanus Ong’ombe.
Adika and others had filed a civil case against Ong’ombe and others in 2009 and the two parties reached an agreement by consent.
“By consent, the matter herein is marked as settled and Raphael Adika remains the only pope of the Legio Maria as per the church constitution as Romanus Ong'ombe resumes his role as cardinal of the church,” read part of the ruling.
The court also ordered that all members across the two antagonising camps access every worship place, unite the church and promote necessary reconciliation.
Speaking after the ruling, lawyer Omonde Kisera who represented Pope Raphael Adika termed the court's decision as “historical consent to permanently settle the matter”.
“We are happy that the court has made this historic ruling to arrive at a permanent decision,” he said.
Ong’ombe’s camp was based at Got Kweru in Migori county where the sect founder Melkio Ondetto, believed to be Jesus Christ incarnate was buried and is considered holy ground.
Adika’s camp was based at Kona Lejo in Kisumu county, with each controlling their turf.
Later, Adika, who was one of the assistant popes, and Ong’ombe, who was the cardinal each claimed the throne in 2000, leading to the split of the church.
The church was founded by Pope Ondeto in 1960s as an offshoot of the Catholic Church by incorporating African culture. Ondeto died in 1992.
While Christians wait for the second coming of Jesus Christ, the sect believes Christ already came as Ondetto and they are waiting for his third resurrection.
The church has taken biblical historical places in the Middle East and created their own maps in Nyanza region with Amoyo village, in Migori being Jerusalem and their holy city.
The current movement of Legio Maria is said to have been started as Legion of Mary at Myra Dublin, Ireland on September 7 1921 by Catholics to fulfil their baptismal vows by dedicating themselves to the Church.
The movement brought it to East Africa in 1939.
It was from the sect that the founding mother of the church, Gaudensia Aoko inherited it to Legio Maria to mean ‘large followers of Maria’ as she is believed to be the holy mother of Ondetto like the Virgin Mary.
Aoko was buried at Nzoia in Siaya which the sect calls the land of Efeso, but she has a holy shrine at Amoyo.
The sect believes she descended with a vision from heaven as her ancestry is not known and searched for her lost son (Christ) Ondetto who they met at Got Kweru which is believed to be the biblical Calvary where Jesus was buried.
Messiah Melkio Simeo became a catechist at Nyandago Catholic Church where they broke up with a white priest who claimed that the messiah went against the church doctrine by baptising people en-masse.
Messiah and Aoko rebelled and broke up with the Roman Catholic Church to start the sect.
“My people the blacks I have come for your safety because you have been ill-treated, I heard the white man abusing the black man ‘monkey’ although I created all of them. I have come to show the Whiteman that the black man is also a human being,” Ondetto is quoted in the sect texts.
The sect spread tremendously in 1960s in East Africa, including Congo, Nigeria and three churches in Ethiopia with Ondetto building the Jerusalem Amoyo in 1963.
The messiah was first buried at Jerusalem Amoyo when he died on September 5 1991 and was later reburied at calvary, Got Kweru, according to his wish and will on the 14th of the same month.
