Second CBCN 2022 plenary: Proceedings of Day-Three

– CSN News

Much as it is the third day of the gathering of the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria in Orlu for their plenary, the official opening Mass was held today, September 11, 2022 at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, with the President of the Conference, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, as the Chief Celebrant while the host-Bishop, Most Rev. Augustine Tochukwu Ukwuoma, was the preacher.

Present at the Mass were John Cardinal Onaiyekan and Peter Ebere Cardinal Okpaleke, 10 Archbishops, 47 Bishops, a large number of priests and consecrated persons, the Governor of Imo State, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma and his wife, the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prof. Placid Njoku and his wife, many state dignitaries, Eze Achulonu and many Royal Fathers, and Knights and Ladies of the Church. The massive Cathedral was filled to an overflow by the people of God who had come from all over the parishes in Orlu diocese and even beyond.  

There was a live broadcast of the Holy Mass by the African Independent Television (AIT) and live streaming of same by the CSN Media channel and the media office of Orlu Diocese. These were complemented by a number of print and broadcast media houses and a number of photo journalists and reporters.

In the homily at the Mass, Bishop Augustine Ukwuoma likened Nigeria’s wastefulness to that of the prodigal son in the Gospel reading. “The story of Nigeria is a perfect analogy of a son who has squandered the goods of his father in an unprofitable life.” He lamented that in spite of the fertile soil, the natural resources of the land, the strength of the youth population, Nigeria still languishes in poverty while “bleeding from north to south, east to west, pointing at human tribal and religious sentiments as its worst.” He summed up that “After many years as a nation, we cannot account for the enormous blessings of human resources and natural endowments bestowed freely on the country by God. A country blessed with arable lands and farming potentialities has become a population visibly looking famished due to hunger and high cost of food …. what a prodigal nation ours has been and continues to be! The society is not working. Things have fallen apart, and people are no longer at ease.”

The preacher called on all to seek out for a selfless leader like Moses to intercede on behalf of the people to rescue Nigeria from the quagmire it is in at the moment. “We need leaders like Moses at every stratum who are people oriented.” He therefore advocated that the youth be given a chance to manage the affairs of the nation, noting that “Age has its wisdom, but youth have strength of mind and body. Let the youth be given a chance to govern and to lead our complex society in a modern complex world. Let the older people give young people a chance, provide them with wise advice and counsel.”

After the Holy Mass, the Bishops and dignitaries moved to the Sacred Heart Pastoral and Retreat Centre where the official opening ceremony was held and the plenary officially declared opened by the CBCN President.  

In his opening address, Archbishop Ugorji lamented the worrisome extent of insecurity in the country. He noted that “we are passing through what might be deemed as the darkest chapter of our history as a nation. Extreme poverty, soaring unemployment rate, spiraling inflation, a collapsing economy with ever increasing debt burden and worsening insecurity have combined to complicate the plight of the average Nigerian, who appears condemned to a life of intolerable hardship and undeserved misery.” He decried the unwholesome activities of so many non-state actors and the terrible consequences on the nation. He said, “Nigeria has continued to bleed endlessly as a result of the ungodly activities of insurgents, bandits, militia herdsmen, unknown gunmen, kidnappers and trigger-happy security agents. No where seems safe anymore.”

Proffering a solution to the ugly situation in the country, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri Archdiocese averred that “the best way to guarantee security in a nation is through good governance that aims at common good.” This is because, according to him, “good governance generates peace, which is the bedrock of development.” He therefore reminded the government that its first responsibility to the people is the provision of security of lives and property and that “Nigerians have the right to live in a secure and safe country. This is basic, every other thing flows from it.”

The National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), His Eminence, Archbishop Daniel C. Okoh, in his goodwill message, expressed his condolences to the Catholic Bishops on the numerous attacks on the Church and kidnappings of Catholic priests and nuns in Nigeria which has resulted in the senseless and gruesome murder of many Catholic priests in the country. He said “it is sad to note that those whose duty it is to guarantee the safety of our lives and properties appear to be helpless in the face of real threat and advancing forces of darkness eclipsing the land.” Like the CBCN president, he too lamented the unprecedented level of brain drain in the nation and concluded that the bane of the country over the years “has been lack of patriotic, visionary, and committed leadership.” He appealed to Catholic Bishops of Nigeria to continue to use their “highly-revered positions as Bishops and clergymen to remind … parishioners and indeed all Christians in Nigeria on the dangers of not participating actively in partisan politics as this is where all decisions that affect our life, choice of worship and economy are decided.”

Tomorrow, September 12, 2022, the Bishops will commence their internal sessions while also receiving reports from the heads of their various agencies.