The Archbishop of Abuja Archdiocese, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama appealed to the government, politicians and political office holders in Nigeria to collaborate and work together with the church to bail the country out of her current predicament, economic hardship, employment, insecurity and impending collapse.
The Prelate made the appeal in his homily during the Opening Mass for the first 2024 plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the St. Gabriel Chaplaincy of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Abuja on Sunday, February 18, 2024.
Affirming that the Church is ready to help the government, the homilist further appealed that the government should also help the church and work with her to ameliorate the sufferings of the people, because the situation in the country is biting everyone irrespective of tribe, religion, or political affiliations. He urged that all those in political positions and holders of public offices, like Jesus in the Gospel reading at the Mass, should resist bowing to the devil, but should submit to the authority of God alone.
At the Mass which is liturgically the first Sunday of Lent, Archbishop Kaigama while reflecting on the theme of the Conference – Synod on Synodality: “Areas of concern for the Church in Nigeria,” explained that Jesus is not just calling on all during the Lenten season to pray, fast and give alms, but to walk together as God’s children in Synodality. He disclosed that Synodality resonates with our culture as Africans, because in African sociology, we do things together, and consult the members of the family to take collective decisions together, and added that the Church in Nigeria has what to offer the universal church.
“Synodality resonates with our African culture because we always do things together as a family and consult the members of the family to take collective decisions, based on the African principle that ‘I am because we are.’ We have a duty to listen to the rest of the universal church, just as our African culture, ethics and morality have much to offer to our universal family, the Church.
In his remark at the beginning of the Mass, the Chief Celebrant and CBCN President, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, noted that at a time like this when the nation is passing through increasingly difficult times, the Bishops are gathering to pray and seek the face of God for our country Nigeria.
