In his Easter message to Nigerians, the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji noted that in order to foster national unity and cohesion, citizens must choose and insist on the pathway to peace by shunning injustice, discrimination, bigotry and fanaticism, which has caused discord, disaffection and disunity among them as a people.
In his message titled “Facing the Future with Hope and Optimism”, the Prelate who is also the Metropolitan of Owerri Province, lamented that Easter celebration this year is sadly characterised by an atmosphere of uncertainty, tension, and pessimism. He observed that the general insecurity of life and property across the nation is heightened by the recent hike in the kidnapping of school children for ransom, especially in the Northern part of the country, the decline in the value of the national currency which has made the price of basic commodities beyond the reach of the poor and vulnerable, which has caused untold hardship, hunger and malnutrition among many families in the country.
The Chief Shepherd, however encouraged Nigerians not to despair, but that they should rely on the message of hope that Christ brought to mankind at Easter. He emphasised that as God raised Jesus to life after his torment and shameful death on the cross, that He (God) would not allow injustice, oppression and death to triumph for ever in Nigeria, and that he would not allow his people to die and perish in their helplessness, because he desires that all should have life and have it to the full.
“Against this gloomy and cheerless background, the joyful and heart-warming Easter message resounds: God has raised Jesus to life. He would not allow injustice, oppression and death to triumph for ever. He would not allow his people to die and perish in their helplessness. He desires that Christ and indeed all should have life and have it to the full.
“Amidst our feeling of despair and disillusionment, Easter has a message of hope, namely: that at the end of every dark tunnel there is some light; that the darkest part of the night is the beginning of dawn. This message of hope underscores that even though the forces of evil might seem at times to have the upper hand over the good, on the long run goodness always triumphs over evil. Accordingly, far from yielding to pessimism and despair, believers in Christ face the future with hope and optimism; and persevere to the end in hard and difficult circumstances.”
The Nigerian Catholic Bishops helmsman further advised Nigerians to understand that the the socio-economic problems currently experienced in country, are self-inflicted wounds which have their origins in the personal and collective transgressions reflected in greed, graft, embezzlement, dishonesty, electoral malpractice, ethnocentrism, bigotry, and fanaticism. He called on all – the leaders and the led, to renounce their personal and collective sins, and embrace uprightness of life and rededicate themselves to the duty of nation building.
Leave feedback about this