By CSN Media
Responding to the socio-economic and political challenges facing the nation, the body of Catholic bishops in Nigeria urged Nigerians not to give up hope, but to put their trust and confidence in God and in their capability as a nation. They appealed to religious leaders to promote sincere and genuine godliness and righteousness in their religious communities, by imbibing the tenets of honesty and hard work in their members.
“We cannot give up hope. All is not lost. We have all it takes to rescue our nation. Our confidence is based on our trust in God and in our capability as a nation, with the grace of God in whom almost all Nigerians believe. Our prayers for Nigeria are not futile and should continue. Nevertheless, our trust in God must go hand in hand with our human efforts. Religious leaders should promote sincere and genuine godliness and righteousness in their religious communities, upholding among their followership honesty and hard work and condemning corruption in all its forms, in both private and public life.”
This was contained in the communiqué issued at the end of the first 2024 plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), held at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), with the theme ‘Synod on Synodality: Areas of Concern for the Church in Nigeria.’
In the communiqué read on behalf of the Conference by the Bishop of Ilorin, Most Rev. Anselm Pendo Lawani, the bishops urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to urgently address the increasing disaffection and restiveness spreading across the nation in order to avoid a descent into chaos and anarchy. They called on policymakers to reconsider some of their policies, which have fallen short of expectations and have caused unintended negative and harsh consequences.
Acknowledging the government’s effort to end insecurity, the bishops recommended that the ongoing discussion about the creation of state police be carefully studied and that further assessment of the impact of all other already existing security outfits be carried out. They equally appealed to the government to create the necessary and conducive environment that would enable the people to return to their farms, due to the place of agriculture as the bedrock of the nation’s survival and the diminishing purchasing power of the Nigerian naira.
Furthermore, the bishops, through the communique, expressed their strong solidarity with the many suffering Nigerians in the face of the seriously deteriorating situation of the nation, especially in the areas of security and economy.
“We express strong solidarity with our people who are suffering in the seriously deteriorating situation of the nation, especially in the areas of security and economy.
“Insecurity has attained yet a higher scale than we had ever seen before in the land. Insurgents, armed herdsmen, bandits, and the so-called unknown gunmen have continued to unleash terror in different parts of the country. Our worsening economy has continued to make living hard and difficult for our people who have been subjected to a life of grinding poverty, continuing hunger and untold hardship.”
The communique further recommended that the fundamental rights of media workers be respected, even as they passionately advocate for the responsible use of the mainstream and social media tools.
“The media play a critical role in nation-building. They have the capacity to inform, enlighten, and guide the government and citizens on important matters of governance, citizenship, and patriotism. They also act as watchdogs for good governance. Rather than seek to repress or intimidate the media, we call on the government and other relevant authorities to help the media perform their role responsibly and optimally. To this end, we recommend that the fundamental rights of media workers be respected. We equally advocate for the responsible use of mainstream and social media by all.”
The communiqué reiterated the bishop’s stance on the Fiducia Supplicans document and affirmed that priests are not to bless same-sex couples in Nigeria. They emphasized that homosexual acts are acts of grave depravity that are intrinsically disordered and, above all, contrary to natural law (Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:31; Matthew 19:5–6; CCC. N. 2357).
