Emeritus Archbishop of Abuja, His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has declared that Nigeria is in a state of spiritual emergency, emphasizing the need for collective action to address the country’s challenges.
In his homily on the second day of the ongoing first 2025 plenary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Cardinal Onaiyekan stressed that the country’s problems cannot be solved by politics alone but require a spiritual revolution.
“We need to recognize that our problems in Nigeria are not just political or economic but deeply spiritual,” Cardinal Onaiyekan said. “We need to come together as a people, regardless of our religious affiliations, to seek divine intervention and guidance.”
The 81-year-old relate emphasized the importance of national repentance and spiritual renewal, citing the need for Nigerians to make right choices before God. “Our final judgment will be based, not on our religious practices or on which religious community we belong to, but on how we treat our neighbor in need, the least in society who represents here on earth the face of the Final Judge,” he cautioned.
Cardinal Onaiyekan also called for interfaith collaboration and national dialogue, stressing that religion should be a force for good in society. “We need to rediscover our one God, if we are to be able to forge a human fraternity, in our contemporary emerging global family,” he said.
The Cardinal’s homily was part of the ongoing CBCN plenary meeting, which is taking place in Abuja from March 8-14, 2025. The meeting brings together Catholic bishops from across Nigeria to discuss issues affecting the Church and the country.
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