Bishop Filippe Rukamba the President of Episcopal Council in the Catholic Church
Just a day left to the hearing of a court case in which the Kibeho Apparition is being challenged, the head of the Episcopal Council has told KT Press that church challenger is a treacherous conman.
Bishop Filippe Rukamba the President of Episcopal Council in the Catholic Church told KT Press on Tuesday that the Petitioner Herman Manirareba does not have any basis to drag the church to court.
“For us it should not be a court case because the person who appeared to the girls said herself that She is Mary, Mother of the Incarnate Word-Mother of Jesus Christ-, and Nyirarumaga has never been the Mother of the Incarnate Word,” Rukamba said, but did not reveal how the church was prepared for this challenge.
When contacted to respond to allegation by the President of the Episcopal Council, Manirareba told KT Press, “He has insulted me and can base on those words to sue him.”
“I did not confirm that it was Nyirararumaga because it is up to the court to confirm it in accordance with testimonies and facts,” Manirareba said in a reaction.
Manirareba had earlier told KT Press that the apparitions to three college girls in the 1980s were of the spirit of Nyirarumaga Queen mother to King Ruganzu II Ndoli not the biblical Virgin Mary as claimed and approved by the Catholic Church Jury.
“If I had the powers to prove that it was Nyirarumaga I would have done so without taking matters to court. If he thinks it was Virgin Mary, then let him prove it in court.”
According to Manirareba, for one to understand that it was Nyirarumaga who appeared to Kibeho girls one should read through the History of Rwanda and Rwandan Culture.
“Saying she appeared telling the girls She is the Mother on Incarnate Word is not enough, because Rome uses a lot of techniques to manipulate people to convert them into believers.”
Herman Manirareba
Manirareba insists that he presented more than one hundred testimonies and facts to court for examination, he argues that since the three college girls confirmed that the person that appeared to them in a vision was a black woman that also spoke to them in Kinyarwanda language is a strong fact to confirm it was Nyirarumaga instead of Virgin Mary (usually considered a white woman).
Yvonne Ndengeyingoma the lawyer representing Archbishop Thadee Ntihinyurwa told KT Press that her client is prepared and ready to appear in court on Thursday.
“My client will be present for the court hearing during which it will be determined whether the case has substance,” she said, adding that incase court determines validity and substance of the case, I will consult with my client if the decision can be appealed against.
But subject to provisions of Art 2 of the civil code in Rwanda, lawyer Pie Habimana told KTPress that Manirareba cannot win the case unless he has been delegated by Rwandans to file the case on their behalf.
“For anyone to file a court case, one needs to have personal interests in that case or have a group of concerned victims delegate him,” he said.
Under Art 2 of the code of civil procedures, setting conditions of admissibility of a claim whereby “a claim cannot be accepted in court unless the plaintiff has the status, interest and capacity to file the suit,”
“So following provisions of this law, I think Manireraba Herman won’t win this case,” Habimana said.
Habimana adds that the colour of the person who appeared to Kibeho girls is not enough, and he says that “two persons may look at the same object but see it in different colours depending on their divergent beliefs.”
