Kenya’s party culture forces Catholic Church to replace altar wine

The Kenyan Catholic Church has introduced a new brand of altar wine to be used for Holy Mass after the previous one became readily available in secular outlets with liquor shops, supermarkets, hotels and bars selling it.

The use of the previous wine has subsequently been discontinued with priests urged to quickly familiarise themselves with new distribution guidelines put in place to regulate the distribution of the new wine and retain its distinction.

The Church took the step after Kenya’s party culture caught up with the previous wine which became popular across Kenyans bars and entertainment joints.

It was also readily available at business outlets with widespread use outside the church, making many Catholic faithful believe that the wine had lost its sacred distinction.

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Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) chairman Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba unveiled the new sacramental drink during the National Prayer Day at the Subukia National Marian Shrine

"This is the only wine that will be used in Mass celebrations across the country, going forward," Archbishop Muhatia decalred.

What you need to know about the wine

The new wine is labelled Mass Wine and is imported from South Africa exclusively for the Catholic Church for religious purposes.

Unlike the previous sacramental drink, it will not be available anywhere else as it is not for sale at any business outlet.

The South African vintage was selected after a rigorous exercise in which it met the quality and standards required as with its regulated by the Catholic Church's Canon Law.

Its bottle is branded with the coat of arms of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and an official signature to certify its authenticity and a mark of exclusivity.

The label also captures its sacred significance with the words "The fruit of the vine and the work of human hands will become our cup of joy".

It is imported and owned by the KCCB, with its distribution strictly to the dioceses which makes it unavailable outside the confines of the Catholic church.

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"The newly approved wine is not for sale at any business outlet, but is imported and owned by the KCCB, and only distributed to the dioceses," Nyeri Archbishop Anthony Muheria explained in an interview with BBC.

The move was well-received by Catholic faithful who hailed is as an important step towards preserving the sacredness of altar wine.

Altar wine is used to symbolise the blood of Jesus Christ and is widely used during liturgical events such as Easter and Christmas.