By PJ Usanga, CSN
Reacting to the current clamouring for the creation of regional government in some parts of the country, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Ignatius Ayau Kaigama maintained that if Nigerians continue with the prevailing attitude of dishonesty, bribery, and self-centeredness, the creation of regional governments will only multiply corruption, poverty, and injustice in the country.
Alluding to the first reading at the Mass in his homily on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Sabon Lugbe, Abuja, the Prelate reminded all that God did not create death and that death caused by negligence should not be taken as the will of God. He decried that when the government allows doctors and nurses to go on strike, which results in the deaths of citizens, neglects their responsibilities to the people who elected them, and cause untold hardship and death, it should equally not be seen as the will of God.
“The first reading reminds us that God did not create death. But when you allow doctors and nurses to go on strike and people die and you attribute it to God’s will; when you allow roads to be badly built and accidents occur and we blame it on God; when you divert resources to fight crime through corruption and insecurity increase and people are killed, maimed, kidnapped, and their means of livelihood destroyed and you say it is God’s will, please note that God gave us the free will to choose evil or good, but we often choose evil, corruption, and injustice and turn around to blame God!”
Archbishop Kaigama, who also administered the sacrament of confirmation on over 200 catechumens at the Mass, challenged the candidates to be courageous soldiers of Christ and fight not with murderous weapons but with love and prayer. He prayed that the Holy Spirit should strengthen all the catechumens to remain faithful soldiers of Christ even in the face of tribulation, anguish, famine, nakedness, peril, persecution, or the sword.
Consequently, the homilist, while inviting all to embrace the spirit of martyrdom for the sake of Christ, recalled Nigerians who have laid down their lives for the sake of the Christian faith. He, however, urged that while all may not experience “red martyrdom” by torture or violent death, that as good Christians, one may experience “white martyrdom,” which is persecution, denials of fundamental rights, discrimination, and being terrorized and brutalized for simply being Christians.
“Martyrs are people who sacrifice their lives for the faith. In Nigeria, we know people who have died for their faith, such as the seminarian of Kaduna major seminary professing his faith and challenging his kidnappers to believe in Jesus; Miss Vivian in Benin city, resisting being bodily desecrated by murderers; those murdered in church in Ondo at Mass; those killed in St. Finbarr, Rayfield, Jos, at Mass; those killed in Suleja Niger State after Christmas Mass; the many recently killed in Bokkos, Mangu, etc.
“While not all may experience the “red martyrdom” by torture or violent death, we are called to be aware that as good Christians we may experience “white martyrdom,” which is persecution, denials of our fundamental rights, discrimination, being terrorized and brutalized for simply being Christians and denied our due. We are indeed called to white martyrdom by doing good always, even if we have to suffer; sacrificing for the comfort of others; suffering because our rights are denied, our jobs are given to others just because our names sound Christian, and we are denied land for worship because of who we are.”
Despite the current hardship, Archbishop Kaigama appealed to Nigerians to do more than just trusting in God, by engaging themselves in meaningful ways of survival rather than sit and wait on the government, even though it is their responsibility to provide for its citizenry. He emphasized the need for Christians to consciously offer help to the poor and the needy by using their God-given talents and energy, even as they pray and wait for God to bless the works of their hands.
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