Editing Legio Maria (section)

==Official hierarchy==
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The full official title for Simeo Ondetto became Baba Simeo Lodvikus Melkio, the eternal spiritual leader and mediator of Legio Maria.
  
The administrative duties of the church were put under a Pope. So far, there have been five such popes:
* Pope Timothy Joseph Blasio Atila (1963–1998)
* Pope Maria Pius Lawrence Jairo Chiaji K'Adera (1998–2004)
* Pope Raphael Titus Otieno (2004–present)

By 2009, there were differences in Legio Maria that led to the consecration of a Cardinal Romanus Alphonse Ong'ombe, going against the order of succession placed by Simeo Ondetto and enforced by Our Lady. The differences between the two leaders has taken Legio Maria to the courts more than three times, and the differences still persist.<ref name=xx1/> According to Bishop Peter Onyango Abuto of [[Nairobi Diocese]], the differences will end soon. "Simeo Ondetto has foretold those differences and said that Legio Maria's unity will return under the third pope.<ref name=xx2/>"
Under the popes are over 500 deacons, 350 priests, 60 bishops, 21 archbishops and 17 cardinals. Currently, all these lower hierarchies swear allegiance to the different sides led by Adika and On'gombe.<ref name=Legiopedia/> Some notable people on the On'gombe side are On'gawo Aloo (Cardinal Camerlengo), Owino Obimbo (Cardinal Dean—deceased), Romanus Odongo (Arch-bishop-Rongo), the late Susana nyar Ouma (Ondetto's cook), and Bishop Melkio. Notable people on Adika's side are Cardinal Joseph Atieno (Dean of Cardinals), Maurice Akello (Cardinal Deacon), Bishop Peter Onyango Abuto, Elias Komenya, Mother Dorina (Ka-Baru, and Hellena nyar Rosari.<ref name=xx2/>
A parallel hierarchy to the male priesthood is the Legio Maria women priesthood that is led by Nuns (Mothers). Legio nuns are married women who are ordained.<ref name=xx2/> The lowest female rank in Legio Maria church is sisterhood, then mother (heads a mission), superior mother (heads a diocese), arch mother (heads an arch diocese), and Dean mother (head of legio mothers).<ref name=xx2/>
Below the clergy are church teachers and church administrators who are elected by the faithful. Prophets are also core to the Legio Maria mission because the church is Spirit Initiated.

History of Baba Messiah 
According to Legio Maria teaching Simeo Ondetto is the son of God sent to establish the glory of God on earth. Legio Maria believes in dispensations or times when God has stepped into human history after the fall of man.  The first is found in the Old Testament "when the High Priest [[Melchizedek]] appeared to Abraham. Melchizedek established a reign of a monotheistic awareness which ended with the arrival of Jesus.<ref name=xx2/> The dispensation established by Jesus was one of recognising the trinity, of individual salvation, and established universal barometer of religion which is love. Instead of the law, the second dispensation is characterised by love. The third dispensation is the reign of God established by Simeo Ondetto as Lodvikus, that is the son of God sent to show the glory of God to the World.<ref name=xx2/> In Legio Maria theology, the second person of the trinity has appeared in history three times: as [[Melchizedek]] Son of God to define the history of the human redemption by blessing God's chosen race through [[Abraham]]; as Jesus to conclude the mission of redemption, opening it and teaching the core element which is love; and as Simeo Lodvikus, to reveal the glory of life after death and the nature of God. To Legio Maria faithfuls, Simeo Ondetto, Jesus of Nazareth and Melchizedek are one and the same person incarnated during different dispensations of human history.<ref name=xx2/>
Simeo Ondetto is known as the Lodvikus or [[The Glory of God]], whose role is to bring the world to understand the hidden treasures of life after death and dramatise the reality of eternal life. According to Legio Maria the promise by Jesus to return has been fulfilled by the coming of Simeo. Legio Maria also seems not to believe in a final judgement of the whole world. They believe in immediate judgement of individuals immediately after death. This is supported by the long list of adored Legio saints. Some of the official Legio Maria saints include Timotheo Atila, Maria Ombwayo, Tobias Oongo, Petro Otieno, Mumbo Carilus and Angi Clement.<ref name=xx2/> Church leaders distinguish Messias Simeo Ondetto's mission as separate from that of Jesus. He was not sent to replace Jesus, for Jesus was a name given to the son of God when he accomplished a second dispensational mission. Instead, Messias Simeo Ondetto is God incarnated in another context, specifically for the third dispensation of the glory of God. Often, 1 John 4:1 is used as biblical support for the confession that God has again come into the flesh through Messias Simeo Ondetto, for "every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God and every Spirit that does not confess Jesus is not of God…Therefore we say that Jesus has come in the flesh.
Finding Africa in the yoke of colonialism, Simeo is also talked of as a saviour from the oppression of colonialism and "healer and protector from the evils of witchcraft." Simeo Ondetto is not seen merely God's messenger, but as "the actual embodiment of God in history."<ref>Pobee, J. (1992), "Exploring Afro-Christology" Frankfurt am Main; New York: P. Lang</ref>{{rp|140–142}}
 
In their affirmation that Messias Simeo Ondetto is the Black Messiah, the Legio Maria do not exclude the possibility and reality that the Messiah has been incarnated in multiple times and contexts.  In interviews during her three years researching the Legio Maria Church, Nancy Schwartz relates,
<blockquote>
most Legios insisted to me that theirs was not the only way to choose light and Heaven. The Baba Messias Ondetto had preached that 'God is a polygynist' who loves 'all the houses in his home'. All religions, he had said, are akin to 'branches of a tree that bears fruit'.  Legios reiterated that black and white people could both get to Heaven, if they followed their faiths.<ref>Schwartz, Nancy (1989), "World Without End: The Meanings and Movements in the History, Narratives and 'Tongue-Speech' of Legio Maria of African Church Mission among Luo of Kenya." PhD dissertation, Princeton University, 131–133</ref>
</blockquote>
Thus, salvation is available through other religions and revelations of God.  While the Legio are clear that God has provided specific revelations and even incarnations for different peoples of the world, this does not translate into an exclusivist position in which only adherents of Legio Maria will be with God in heaven.  According to Schwartz, "most Legios affirmed that Heaven was a place where the [[God the Father|Father]], [[God the Son|Son]], [[Holy Spirit in Christianity|Holy Spirit]], [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Mary]], [[saint]]s, [[angel]]s and [[Old Testament]] prophets and patriarchs are without color, a place where there is nothing like [[Mzungu]] (European/white person) and African."<ref name=Dreaming/> She concludes that the Legio Maria Church has "formulat[ed] their own version of an anti-racist [[Black theology|black liberation theology]]," which is unique.<ref name=Dreaming/>{{rp|188}}