RESOLUTIONS AT THE FIFTH NATIONAL MISSION CONGRESS (NAMICON V) OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN NIGERIA, HELD AT THE MARIA ASSUMPTA CATHEDRAL, OWERRI, IMO STATE, FROM TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24 TO FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023.

RESOLUTIONS AT THE FIFTH NATIONAL MISSION CONGRESS (NAMICON V) OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN NIGERIA, HELD AT THE MARIA ASSUMPTA CATHEDRAL, OWERRI, IMO STATE, FROM TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24 TO FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023.

THEME: Fear not, for I am with you (Is. 41:10)

1. PREAMBLE

The Fifth National Mission Congress of Nigeria (NAMICON V), was held from 24th to 27th October, 2023, at the Maria Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri, Imo State, with the theme: Fear not for I am with you (Is. 41:10). The last National Mission Congress (NAMICON IV), was held four years ago in Benin City, Edo State in 2019. In this year’s Congress, about 300 participants, among whom were Bishops, Priests, Religious and Lay Faithful, from the nine Ecclesiastical Provinces of the Church in the country were in attendance.

The theme of this year’s Congress is quite apt as it highlights the present condition of our country (Nigeria) where many people are living in fear, especially as a result of socio-economic instability and insecurity. In the midst of the tension, it becomes more assuring to hear the Master of the vineyard encouraging his children not to be afraid for he is always with us (Is. 41:10; Mtt. 28:20).

2. GRATITUDE

We are very grateful to God for his mercy and love, which sustained us throughout the course of the Congress despite all odds. His abiding presence is indeed a reflection of the theme of the Congress. We are equally grateful to His Grace, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, the CBCN President and the Metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province for his invaluable contributions and the wonderful atmosphere he provided for the events in his Archdiocese. We thank the Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Consecrated Men and Women of different Religious Congregations and representatives of the lay faithful from the nine provinces for their active participation for the success of the Congress. We equally thank our paper presenters for enriching us with their knowledge and for bringing to our consciousness, our missionary responsibilities as baptized persons, even in the midst of the numerous challenges facing us.

3. PURPOSE

The Congress has as its aims to inculcate in every Christian, their missionary responsibilities as baptized persons, despite the challenges thereof. It was also an opportunity to do a stock-taking of how we have fared as a Church since the last Congress. It equally provided us an avenue for collective prayers as a Church as we rely on the Lord of the vineyard to keep us faithful to our calling as a missionary Church. Following the security challenges we face daily in the country, which hinder missionary works and dampens missionary enthusiasm, the theme of this year’s congress, ‘Fear not for I am with you’, was indeed a clarion call to remain steadfast, even in the midst of persecutions, threats to life and missionary activities.

4. RESOLUTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

I. The challenges of mission in the face of insecurity

The insecurity situation in the country, which is affecting all human activities is a huge challenge to the Church and has hindered missionary work, and dampened pastoral zeal and enthusiasm. This is obvious in the inability of people to gather in their numbers for religious activities like crusades, camping, retreats, etc. In view of these, we therefore recommend the following:

That every Christian must be proactive and prepare for insecurity since security challenges are inevitable.

That every Christian should take advantage of self-defense, which is enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the face of security threats and provocations.

That the rights to security of Christians shall not be denied.

That rather than shy away from the challenges posed by insecurity, Christians should defend the Church in her existing vulnerability.

That all hands must be on deck to eradicate insecurity in our country Nigeria.

II. Missionary activity: call to authentic witnessing

God is a missionary God. This is obvious in the Trinitarian dimension of mission, demonstrated by God sending his Son to redeem the human race, and the Father and Son sending the Holy Spirit to lead everyone to the fullness of truth. This mission, which has now been handed over to the Church through the Apostles, requires our authentic witnessing. We hereby recommend:

That, as a Church, our missionary efforts will only bear fruit if we remain in communion with Christ, the true vine.

That in the lives of Blessed Cyprian Iwene Tansi and Miss Vivian Ogu, we come to reflect on the fruitfulness of bearing witness to the life that never dies, even in the most difficult situations.

While relishing the growth of the population of Christians in Nigeria, which is a big plus to the missio ad gentes, it is also timely to take note of the rate of internalization of the Christian values, which the gospel message demands of us.

III. Church’s mission and communication strategies in troubled times: lessons in COVID-19 experiences

The covid-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to the world and the Church in Nigeria took her fair share in the attendant difficulties occasioned by the pandemic. The challenges notwithstanding, the pandemic opened up new possibilities for evangelization, especially through digital technology. We therefore recommend the following:

That the Church should leverage online platforms, social media, email newsletters and video conferences, which will help bridge physical distances and also offer spiritual support.

That collaborating with other Churches, community organizations and government entities would go a long way to meet the needs of vulnerable population and also promote collective resilience.

That the Church should reposition herself in the face of unpredictable crises by getting a Crisis Communication Plan (CCP).

IV. Digital mission: a contemporary approach to evangelization in the face of media toxicity

The great command “to go into the whole world and make disciples of all nations” is one that necessarily entails communication. As such, the Church cannot exist without communicating. Communication remains a matter of great concern to the Church, especially in this era of media revolution and digital technology. However, the World Wide Web (www) is a huge space and a wider audience that the Church in Nigeria has yet to fully explore. We therefore resolve as follows:

That communication must be a key element included in all pastoral plans of the Church.

That the annual Communications Week initiative of the CBCN coordinated by the Catholic Secretariat Communications Directorate be taken serious and given adequate support.

That the Church must pay attention to the training and retraining of the clergy and other pastoral agents on the use of the new media.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) should form part of the curriculum for formation in seminaries and other formation houses.

That a good basic public address system should be provided as a necessity in parishes.

That all parishes and institutions should endeavour to own a dedicated phone.

V. Harnessing the potential of Nigerian Youths for mission

Young people are an integral part of the social, economic, political and spiritual dimensions of every nation. Their participation is critical to the actualization, effectiveness and continuity of mission and the propagation of the reign of Christ in human communities. Their potential is enormous and cannot be overlooked. To this effect, we resolve:

That the Church should encourage and engage the youths in all aspects of the Church’s mission.

That the Church should develop a coherent digital Catholic mission culture that appeals to young people.

That the Church in Nigeria should develop institutional capacity to engage in the digital space effectively.

The Church should create and support youth missionary movement.

That the Church should create healthy avenues for youths to interact and exert physical energy through camping, music festivals, retreats and sports.

VI. The blood of Martyrs is the seed of the Church

Persecution, which is a form of violence, discrimination, torture and death, has been a phenomenon in Christendom. Painful though it may be, persecution has been a paradoxical instrument for the spread of the faith. We therefore resolve:

That the Church should commence the process of canonization for those killed for being Christians and for hatred of the Church by Boko Haram and bandits.

That the Church should re-strategize on strengthening her members in the face of persecution.

CONCLUSION

The Fifth National Mission Congress, with the theme: ‘Fear not for I am with you’ (Is. 41:10) is timely, especially in a nation filled with a myriad of socio-economic and security challenges. We resolve within ourselves to work in collaboration with each other to keep the flame of the mission burning in our hearts despite the trials militating against it.

We commend our endeavours into the hands of the Lord of the Vineyard for guidance and effective implementation of our resolutions. May the Holy Spirit the comforter, empower us to embrace the mission entrusted to us by our Lord Jesus Christ. And may our Mother Mary, the Star of Evangelization intercede for us, that we may put into practice all we have learned as we journey together in faith towards the Parousia.

Rev. Fr. Joseph Tile Nomhwange, SMA                  Rev. Fr. Solomon Patrick Zaku

National Director, Mission & Dialogue                   National Director, PMS

Most Rev. Stephen Dami Mamza                               Most Rev. John Oyejola

CBCN Episcopal Chairman                                          CBCN Episcopal Chairman

Mission & Dialogue                                                       Pontifical Mission Societies