NAIROBI, Sept. 18 -- Pope John Paul II arrived in Kenya Monday urging people not to let their social divisions 'smother the yearning for true peace,' but his message was unable to overcome religious differences that prompted a Muslim leader to pull out of services organized for the visit. The Roman Catholic pontiff received a joyous welcome at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as he began the final leg of his three-nation African tour. The greeting party of some 2,000 people included traditional African dancers and a crowd of chanting women. Addressing the crowd, the pope called on Africa's leaders and peoples to 'exercise all their wisdom in the difficult and urgent task of promoting a development which is not just economic and material, but involves building a civilization of respect for all society's members.' 'I come as one who is deeply concerned for the destiny of Africa's peoples,' the pope said. 'Africa is at a crossroads. Social unity and solidarity are not easy in the best of times. They are made all the more difficult when ethnic, political and social divisions are allowed to smother the yearning for true peace.' Kenyan President Daniel Arap Moi, in welcoming the Roman Catholic leader at the airport, said, 'We live in a turbulent world, and mankind looks up to its religious leaders.' 'We the people of Kenya are grateful for the peace and freedom we enjoy.' Moi, who has a reputation for harassing his political opposition into subservience and heads a government often accused of gross corruption, said Africa's recent bloodshed could have been avoided by respect for the truth.
'The massacre in Rwanda is a case in point,' he said, without elaborating. Shortly after the pope arrived in Nairobi, Sheikh Ali Shee of the Jamia Mosque announced he would not participate in ceremonies scheduled for Tuesday. The organizers of the pope's trip had asked Shee to address Pope John Paul II at services in Uhuru Park. 'This morning the imam communicated to me that their community is no longer interested in participating in the function,' said the Rev. Stephen Okello, one of the organizers of the event. 'They regretfully handed to me their VIP cards (for the service).' Shee told the British Broadcasting Corp. he decided to withdraw from the event because of what he described as the pope's intention to Catholicize the whole of the continent. 'We have good relations with our Catholic brothers, but the (pope) would like to Christianize the African continent by the end of the century,' he said. 'We feel we cannot sit together and listen to what he will preach.' Pope John Paul, who is on his third official visit to Kenya in the 17 years of his papacy, will celebrate mass at Uhuru Park. He will also present Roman Catholic bishops with his overview of the African synod held in Rome last year contained in the papal document 'Ecclesia in Africa.' The strongly worded statement harshly condemns repressive dictatorships on the African continent, home to about 98 million Roman Catholics, and sets out a radical church-based solution to Africa's political, social and economic problems. Commentators say they will be watching the pope closely on this trip for criticism of Moi, who has ruled the country of 28 million people since 1978. While the country has moved toward a multi-party democracy since one- party rule was lifted in 1991, Moi's Kenya Africa National Union has continued to hold power in the East African nation. Observers also will be watching for any signs of the pope easing his implacible stand on birth control in a country where the birth rate tops 4 percent per year. Moi has been strongly criticized by church leaders for establishing notorious 'sterilization camps' in a bid to bring down the population. Traditional sentiments about male virility and the belief that children can be providers in old age have kept the population growing rapidly, with the number of Kenyans expected to nudge 40 million soon next century.
