How it feels to host Papa at Nunciature

Ahead of Pope Francis’ visit, The Standard interviewed the man who will play host to the Pope in Westlands, Nairobi: His Excellency the Vatican Ambassador to Kenya and South Sudan, Archbishop Charles Daniel Balvo, officially referred to as the Apostolic Nuncio.

How does it feel to be the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya at a time when the Pope visits?

I have had the experience of a papal visit before but not as nuncio in Czech Republic in 1997 and in Jordan in 2000. I was the consular at the Apostolic Nunciature in Prague when Pope John Paul visited and I did not have to be deeply involved because the government did all the preparations. Then in Jordan, I was the one in charge because the nuncio was in Iraq. Now, it is 15 years later and this is the first experience I have had as being the head of the Nunciature. It is such a special experience. The Kenyan Government and Church are doing most of the work. We have been holding lots of meetings with the joint commission to see to it that everything is set up.

So, will you be staying with Pope Francis throughout his visit?

Yes. This is the Nunciature and he will be staying here. Remember recently when he was in New York where we have the United Nations’ mission, the Pope stayed at the Nunciature of the UN. But in a place where there is no Nunciature, he simply stays with the local bishops like it happened when he went to Philadelphia and had to stay at one of the seminaries. The Pope does not stay in government residences or hotels. Sometimes the papal party has to stay in hotels because there is no otherwise but here in Nairobi, we fortunately have this facility plus a lot more centres where the papal party will put up. Journalists who will travel to cover the Pope (the Vatican Accredited Media Personnel) will be staying at one of the hotels in the city because they need a press centre plus they are taken care of by their respective agencies.

Will there be other bishops coming for this momentous occasion?

Of course yes but there will be not so many people coming in because the Pope is also going to Uganda, which is still within this region. A certain number of bishops will be going there to avoid having everyone in the same place. There are very few bishops who will be coming to meet with the Pope including the retired bishops who are about 30.

Will the Pope be conducting some other functions such as flagging off projects or even laying wreath or blessing certain monuments like Pope John Paul did in his last visit?

No, none that I know of. The Pope will be visiting Kangemi and he will have a meeting with the young people at Kasarani. What happens is that there are some places that have new structures and such people will have cornerstones and lots of other things which will all be lined up and he will bless them, rather than physically visiting the places just to cut the ribbon. I remember when I was in Jordan, there were all such things, which were all brought and the Pope blessed them for use as a plaque.

Are you saying that the Pope is not coming with goodies to Kenyans and that there will be no new appointments or certain centres being made dioceses?

None at all; if a new diocese has to be created, it is only the local bishops conference who decide and propose to Rome but that is not normally something he would have to do when on a visit. Those are things that are handled by his office in Rome and he does not have to travel all the way to do these things.

Is the Pope visiting Kangemi because he is a Jesuit and that is the only Jesuit Centre around?

There are two things here; one of the most important aspects of planning a papal trip is that you have to consider time management. The Pope will be staying here at the Nunciature in Westlands and we must consider things like time and proximity. That the place is a Jesuit parish is even more helpful because the Pope is a Jesuit and he would definitely like to have some contact of being directly with the Jesuits in countries that he visits. There will be representatives of seven different slums and many more people will be there, not the residents of Kangemi alone.

Are you a Jesuit?

No. Most of us in the diplomatic service are diocesan priests. There are a few who are from the missionary like the nuncio in Kampala.

During President Obama’s recent visit to Kenya, there was protocol right from the time Air Force One touched down. What should Kenyans expect immediately the Pope lands?

Once the plane has landed and the door is opened, only the chief of protocol from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and I will go into the plane first. I have never done this before and so, I don’t know what it is really like to do this. Then the Pope will come out first person from the plane and then Alberto Gasparri, the man who organises papal trips and normally accompanies him. The Pope will then be greeted by the welcome party. I do not know who will be there but the local church will be led by John Cardinal Njue, Bishop Philip Anyolo and other archbishops. He will then sign the guest book and then we all head to State House for the formal welcoming ceremony and the military honours. On other protocols, a lot depends on the desire of the host country. President Uhuru Kenyatta is not obliged to go to the airport to receive him and in some cases, the Pope has simply been received by a Foreign Affairs minister or the Vice President but if, like in Obama’s case, President Kenyatta desires to be the one to receive him at the airport because he is also a Catholic, that would be great.