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Tag: Catholic Bishops

  • Why Southern Kaduna killings persist – Catholic bishops

    Why Southern Kaduna killings persist – Catholic bishops

    Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria on Tuesday expressed sadness over the Southern Kaduna killings.

    The Bishop explained that the Southern Kaduna killings persist because perpetrators are not brought to justice.

    They said that there cannot be peace in Southern Kaduna if the Federal and State government deal with the perpetrators.

    The clergy called on Catholics across the country to embark on prayers session to end the killing in Southern Kaduna.

    According to a statement issued in Abuja by the President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Most Rev. Augustine Akubeze, the body warned against politicians politicizing the killings.

    Akubeze said: “We, the members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria have been following the recent events in Nigeria closely. We continue to hear of increasing insecurity and unabated acts of terrorism in Northern Nigeria. We are all tired of this situation. We do not want any politician to politicize the killing of Nigerians. There should be one response from everyone, and that is; the killings must stop.

    “The perpetrators of the killings must be brought to justice. Where there is no justice or justice is not seen to be done, there cannot be peace. Where there is no peace, there cannot be development. Any Government, State or Federal that wants peace must work for justice for everyone.

    “Our hearts are bleeding, and we are more troubled when we hear of the massacre presently going on in Southern Kaduna. We want all the people suffering the incessant attacks in Southern Kaduna to know that all Catholics in Nigeria are praying for them. We call on the Federal and the Government of Kaduna to bring a complete stop to the killing of innocent people. The loss of the life of any Nigerian does not help to further the agenda of any religious ideology or the ambition of any politician.

    “There will never be sustained development built upon the bloodshed of innocent people brutally murdered by religious fundamentalists without any recourse to justice for the victims.

    We need not remind Nigerians that the present Federal Government came to power, promising Nigerians, the eradication of corruption, a guarantee of security to life and property, and rapid growth in the economy. The creation of jobs, and an enabling environment that engenders growth of the private sector; a significant increase in the supply of electricity to Nigerians, affordable and quality health care to Nigerians, and the revamping of the educational sector were the promises the Government continues to make”.

    They appealed to Nigerians to unite together in calling the Federal Government to give priority to these areas of our lives.

    To all Catholics, Akubeze said: “we request that you join in praying, one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be to the Father every day after the Angelus for forty days, starting from 22 August 2020 and ending 30 September 2020, the eve of Nigeria’s Independence Day. On Independence Day, let us join in praying the five decades of the sorrowful mysteries starting from 12.noon. We appeal to each Bishop to encourage the faithful in his Diocese to participate fully in this prayer for God to save Nigeria.”

  • 2019: Catholic Bishops caution members against endorsing politicians, political parties

    2019: Catholic Bishops caution members against endorsing politicians, political parties

    As the 2019 election year approaches, Catholic Bishops in Nigeria under the aegis of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has warned Catholics in Nigeria against supporting any person for a public office.

    This came in a statement by the cleric on Tuesday after where it also cautioned that ecclesiastical properties should not be used as a platform to support any political candidate or party.

    “We, the members of the CBCN, as teachers of the faith and morals do have the serious obligation to educate our faithful on their role in the political life of the country,” the statement read in part.

    “We have observed that the political atmosphere is very tense and also noticed the political realignments that are taking place.

    “Some politicians are changing political parties and urging their supporters to switch over their support to their new parties as well.”

    The statement added that “Given this development, we wish to use this opportunity to make it clear that the Catholic Church remains ever apolitical and does not endorse or subscribe to any political party.

    “Consequently, we hereby declare that no Catholic clergy or laity should publicly endorse any candidate for political office. Liturgical ceremonies must never be used as an opportunity for political campaigns.

    “Similarly, ecclesiastical properties should not be used as places for support for any political candidate or party.

    “All priests and laity should avoid giving the impression that the church favours one candidate over another or one political party over another.

    “These are difficult times in the history of Nigeria. As people of faith, we must work hard and also pray hard for the future of Nigeria.”

  • Catholic bishops elect new president

    The Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, has elected a new president to replace the Archbishop of Jos Catholic Diocese, Ignatius Kaigama.

    The newly elected bishop, Augustine Akubeze, is the current Archbishop of Benin Diocese. He was elected during the first 2018 plenary session of the CBCN this week in Abuja.

    The election results were, however, not announced till Thursday evening at a Holy Mass currently ongoing at Saint Charles Lwanga Parish, Apo, Abuja.

    Akubeze’s predecessor, Mr. Kaigama, served two tenures of three years each, before leaving office.

     

    Details later…

     

  • Catholic bishops deny returning fully to CAN

    Catholic bishops deny returning fully to CAN

    The Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has denied media reports that it returned to the umbrella body of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

    Recall that CAN had earlier informed Nigerians in a statement on Sunday that the CBCN was now back to its fold after five years of withdrawal.

    The statement signed by Adebayo Oladeji, the media assistance to the CAN President, attributed the return to effort made by the CAN leadership to unite the various blocks of the association.

    “Their return was one of the best things that have been happening since I was given the mandate to become the President,” the statement said, quoting CAN’s President, Samson Ayokunle.

    However, speaking in an interview with Premium Times on Wednesday, the CBCN president, Ignatius Kaigama, said negotiations for the final return of CBCN to the CAN fold was on but the body was yet to return.

    In his words: “We want to dialogue and conclude some issues of the constitution. We are still talking, we are still negotiating. We are still re-examining how things have been, so that when we return, our return will be total and complete. So the statement you saw did not emanate from the Catholic Church. Although we are working with CAN at the state levels.

    “When we are through with our dialogue and negotiations with the Christian Association of Nigeria and we are mutually satisfied, we as the Catholic Bishops Conference will issue a statement to that effect,” said Mr. Kaigama, who is also the Catholic archbishop of Jos.

    The CBCN pulled out of the Christian Association five years ago, citing politicisation of CAN’s leadership as reason for its decision.

    The catholic bishops accused the Ayo Oritsejafor-led former leadership of the Christian association of involvement in partisan politics.

    In a statement signed by Mr. Kaigama, the CBCN said it would only return to CAN’s national body when it believes that the leadership of the association had returned to its original vision.

    “CAN is being dragged into partisan politics thereby compromising the ability to play its true role as conscience of the nation and the voice of the voiceless,” the bishops said.

    The statement further said the CBCN would, however, continue its participation with CAN at state levels.

    Explaining why it earlier informed Nigerians of the Catholic bishops’ return to its fold, CAN President, Samson Ayokunle, explained that his media aide interpreted the decision of the CBCN to attend the constitution review and the Executive Council meetings organised by CAN, to mean that the Catholic Bishops had returned to the association.

    “Well, it’s not a full return. We have been having meetings. They attended our Constitution review meeting and the following day they had a full representation at our Executive Council meeting. That was what my media man interpreted to mean that they had returned.

    “But we have been having improvements in our negotiation. They even invited me last Sunday for a program. Such things were not done before.

    “But I have just received a mail from them saying that they would like the constitution review completed before they return. So their full return depends on when we complete our Constitution review,” Mr. Ayokunle said.

     

  • How FG can stop Nigerians from going to Libya – Catholic Bishops

    Some Catholic Bishops on Sunday condemned the inhuman treatment meted on Nigerians working and living in Libya, describing the act as horrific.

    Joseph Bagobiri of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, Adewale Martins of Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, and Alaba Job of Ibadan condemned the modern slavery in separate telephone interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.

    The clergymen said they were shocked that such act of man’s inhumanity to fellow humans in this age and time was happening in a member- country of the African Union (AU).

    They called on the federal government to initiate and implement measures that would discourage Nigerians from seeking greener pastures in countries where they ended up being sold as slaves.

    NAN recalls that the federal government has repatriated over 6,000 Nigerians from Libya as at end of December 2017.

    Mr. Martins said that such indignity being meted on Africans by fellow Africans was not only repulsive but evil.

    He urged the federal government to declare a state of emergency on the economy so as to rescue the nation and set-up a realistic road map that would stabilise the naira.

    “Our people are going hungry daily, our youths are dying in their quest for better options to life outside our shores and yet our leaders appear more concern with how to clinch to power.

    “I think the time has come for all of us to reason together to resolve and restructure the lopsided political structures we are currently operating and set up realistic goals that would help move us forward,’’ he said.

    Mr. Job, an archbishop emeritus, said that selling of Nigerians into slavery in Libya was “very horrific and really bad’’’ in this age and time.

    He said that there was nothing wrong with people relocating from one country to another but warned such intending emigrants to be sure of happenings where they intended relocating to.

    He decried the ill-treatment meted out to Nigerians that resulted to loss of lives as well as being subjected to slavery in various detention camps in Libya.

    “The Nigerian government should rise up to defend its nationals in Libya not only by repatriating them.

    “The government should make Nigeria conducive to live by providing good job opportunities, security and other necessities of life for its citizens.

    “For Libya to be selling Nigerians as slaves in that country leaves much to be desired,” he said.

    Also speaking on the trend, Julius Adelakun of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo urged the federal government to encourage youth to join in building the Nigeria of their dreams.

    “Many Nigerians are travelling to developed world to enjoy the development put in place by their governments but we have refused to develop our own country.

    “Let us start to develop ours to make it attractive and conducive for living so that foreign nationals will want to come,’’ he said.

    Mr. Adelakun also advised the government to provide job opportunities for the youths, saying that such would discourage them from seeking greener pastures outside Nigeria.

    Mr. Bagobiri condemned the treatments meted on Nigerians in Libya and described the inhuman treatments as “unfortunate’’.

    The cleric wondered why an able-bodied person would waste close to half a million naira in search of elusive greener pastures in Libya.

    “If such individuals had invested these amounts positively and creatively in Nigeria in viable business opportunities, they will have become employers of labour.

    “They would have commanded respect in their father’s land instead of being subjected to slavery and other forms of inhuman treatment by Libyans,’’ he said.

    Mr. Bagobiri said that the federal government should correct the perception being held by intending youths aspiring to travel outside the country in search of the greener pastures.