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Tag: Catholic Church

  • Catholic bishop bans priests from conducting crusades

    Catholic bishop bans priests from conducting crusades

    The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, His Lordship, Callistus Onaga on Saturday banned priests from conducting crusades in their parishes.

    Bishop Onaga announced the ban in his homily at the ordination of 26 priests and the celebration of 50 years anniversary of the Sacred Heart Seminary, Nsude (Junior Seminary) in Enugu.

    He charged the priests to organise retreats for their parishioners and pay greater attention to prayers and not hold crusades.

    Onaga who was celebrating his 55th alma mater warned priests against forming prayer groups, but to take their members to approved prayer places like Ugwu Dì Nso, monastery and others.

    “Do not adopt the Pentecostal approach of service, and be careful in forming prayer groups,’’ he charged.

    He admonished the newly-ordained priests to seek spiritual holiness and avoid being dragged into secular affairs.

    Earlier, the rector of the seminary, Rev. Fr. Stanislaus Onodugo said the seminary was the brain-child of Bishop of Enugu, His Lordship Godfrey Okoye of blessed memory, in 1972.

    He stated that since 1972, priests and lay persons that went through the seminary had graduated into reputable personalities.

    “Today, the seminary can boast of at least one bishop who was among the second set to study in this seminary, and that is Bishop Onaga.

    “We are also celebrating the grand finale of our golden jubilee which started since June, 27.

    “Today, our dear bishop raised 26 deacons to the Order of Priesthood and we are happy that such event is happening in our time,’’ Onodugo said.

    Bishop Onaga was among the second set of students to be admitted into the seminary in 1973.

  • If Peter Obi should win – By Evaristus Bassey

    If Peter Obi should win – By Evaristus Bassey

    By Evaristus Bassey

    If Peter Obi becomes president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023, much as some can attribute this to purely social and political dynamics, the man or woman of faith would not fail to see the mysterious hand of God.

    Most times when God does something it does not necessarily appear as an addition to a zero sum. For instance you wouldn’t be lacking money and after praying you go into your bedroom and see a stack of dollar bills on your bed. God would have to lead you to a situation or a person that would be of benefit to you. Sometimes because the hand of God is not empirically visible cynics tend to dismiss any deference to God in terms of any achievements as mere speculation. Secular humanists extol the virtues of man’s intellect and extol its ability to attain knowledge devoid of any divine inspiration. Most masonic societies tend towards a form of secular humanism and it is a principal reason why the Catholic Church does not subscribe to masonry, because it does not admit of divine revelation.

    Sometimes you hear people say, try your best and leave the rest to God, as if divine effect comes only after human effort had exhausted itself. In the proper sense human effort in any endeavour is seen as 100% and divine assistance equally 100%; it is not a 50/50 co-responsibility. This is why faith is a requirement, because it is the virtue that opens the heart and mind to perceive the action of the divine, whereas a mere secularist mindset would attribute things to effort and luck.

    There are many believers who do not understand the principle that reliance on divine assistance does not preclude excellency of effort. Many Nigerians fall into this trap. Instead of the dictum ‘to work is to pray’ being a truism in their lives, it is rather ‘to pray is to work.’ Without the necessary skills nor their due application, they expect the most benign of benefits as a mark of the God who has favoured them. Of course God works in mysterious ways and sometimes chooses the weak over the strong but even those weaklings God chooses, it is because he sees in them what no one else has seen, because their socialization had been preparatory enough. Take David and Goliath. David was a shepherd boy whose entire disposition was in caring and defending his sheep, manifesting such courage as to even fend off and exterminate dangerously wild animals. When David met Goliath, he had already overcome the fear instinct, having faced more daring situations without any expectation of applause. In all the famed cases, we see that God doesn’t just lift up someone from a vacuum and entrust a mission to them, except with people like the prophet Amos who was a tender of sycamore trees and God asked him to go prophesy to the people of Samaria. God working in mysterious ways entails therefore a process which could be long and tortuous, which may not even be obvious to the person initially, until the divine purpose becomes obvious.

    Obi himself had to be prepared. I am not certain that the day Peter Obi decided to contest for the governorship of Anambra he had it as part of his “lifelong ambition” to be the Nigerian president. He saw an opportunity in the political dynamics that played out in Anambra and cashed in. He fought for his mandate and won the victory and was sworn in. An election was conducted despite having assumed office less than a year and his appeal led to the proper interpretation of executive tenure in Nigeria. In the legislature, if it takes one three years and eleven months to claim one’s mandate, they will spend only a month in the chambers, because the legislature serves as an assembly not as individuals, and it is sworn in as an assembly. But an elected executive is sworn in under a tenure with a specific duration; four years for a governor and his deputy, the president and his vice and three years for a local government chairperson and the vice. If an elected executive spends wins after nearly four years of fighting for his mandate, he would do the complete tenure beginning from the day they were sworn in.  It is thanks to Peter Obi that this clarity was established. And as if his travails would never end, he was impeached and yet he won back his seat as governor.

    Before Obi began being invited to the Platform where many Nigerians got to know his ‘antics’ in Anambra, some of us had been wowed already when he was invited to the Education Summit organized by the Education Unit of the Catholic Secretariat. I was then Director of Church and Society and Education was a unit under Church and Society with Fr. Benard Asogo as Secretary. That was when we got to hear from Obi personally how his engagement with the State House of Assembly led to the massive collaboration with the Catholic and Anglican Churches in health and education which spiraled good outcomes for citizens of the state. We heard from Obi how education budget was made based on number of schools and how both Catholic and Anglican Churches received more money for their schools than the state ministry of education because the state ran less schools. Obi’s government had earlier on returned schools to their original owners and was allocating grants-in-aid to these original owners as a form of compensation and a way to ensuring the right of every child to a good education. We heard from him how government contractors quoted humungous amounts for renovation works but the religious institutions quoted far less, and the money was awarded to them to renovate the schools or hospital structures, with a good savings for government. By the time Atiku Abubakar took Obi as his running mate in the 2019 elections, Peter Obi and his ‘antics’ were already known. As Farooq Kperoggi wrote, Atiku and Obi won that election but the late Abba Kyari ensured INEC did his bidding and declared a winner differently from the expected winner. With the indices existing then: the heightened insecurity, the steep economic downturn, the social discontent exacerbated by the brazen nepotism of the Buhari regime, there was no way Buhari would have won a free and fair election except for the abracadabra that INEC displayed.  2019 was Atiku’s best chance of being president and the fact he didn’t emerge would give a person of faith reason to see the hand of God in the matter.

    And now in 2023, events within the Peoples Democratic Party have forced Obi to take a lone path, going to a minority party and becoming its presidential candidate amidst a bloodless socio-political revolution driven largely by youths who see in him a new hope for Nigeria. If Peter Obi becomes president of Nigeria eventually, it wouldn’t be something that just happened; it would be that God heard the cry of his children in Nigeria and initiated the process that brought them a Moses.

     

    Evaristus Bassey is a Catholic priest. 

  • Russia Vs Ukraine War: Pope Francis intervenes, appeals to Putin

    Russia Vs Ukraine War: Pope Francis intervenes, appeals to Putin

    The spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis has appealed to the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin to put an end to “spiral of violence and death” in Ukraine.

    Pope Francis said he is haunted by “rivers of blood and tears” in an address to Putin on Sunday.

    The Pope said “My appeal goes above all to the president of the Russian Federation, begging him to stop this spiral of violence and death, even out of love for his own people,” he said.

    Similarly, Pope Francis called on Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to be open to serious peace proposals to halt the ongoing war.

    He also lamented the annexation of four Ukrainian regions by Russia’s troops, saying it risked nuclear escalation, hence urging Putin to think of his own people.

    Recall that, Putin proclaimed the annexation of four partially occupied Ukrainian regions, calling the residents of Ukraine’s occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions “our citizens forever”.

    Ukraine and Western allies condemned the annexation as illegal, and Kyiv said it will continue fighting to recapture all occupied Ukrainian territory.

    The war  between both countries  broke out on September 24, 2022 after Russia accused Ukraine of intention to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

  • Bishops conference lifts suspension on Knights

    Bishops conference lifts suspension on Knights

    The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has lifted the suspension placed on the activities of the Order of the Knights of St John International (KSJI).

    This is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday and jointly signed by the President and Secretary of the conference, Bishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri and Bishop Donatus Ogun of Uromi dioceses.

    It said that the lifting of the suspension was approved during the ongoing second 2022 plenary of the Catholic Bishops, holding in Orlu, Imo, after the Knights complied with all directives.

    “We hereby lift the suspension and beseech you to fully implement the agreements that have facilitated the much desired peace process.”

    The KSJI was suspended as a Catholic organisation on Feb. 16, 2022, due to the Knight’s failure to comply with the 10-point directive meant to resolve the lingering crisis in the Order.

    “Whilst commending you to the Blessed Virgin Mary Queen of Peace, we earnestly urge you to shun the spirit of division and rancour.

    “This will strengthen the bond of love that holds you together as a family and members of the body of Christ,” the statement added.

  • No automatic ticket to heaven – Catholic Priest

    No automatic ticket to heaven – Catholic Priest

    Rev Fr Alfred Azige, Cathedral Administrator of St. William’s Cathedral Lafia, Nasarawa State, has warned Nigerians to be good at all times as nobody would make heaven automatically.

    The cleric stated this during his homily on Sunday at the St. William’s Catholic Cathedral Lafia while stressing that this was irrespective of one’s status in society.

    The priest explained that based on the teachings of the Christian faith, Christians were expected to be God’s representatives on earth by being good to all wherever they found themselves.

    He said one could not be good and participate actively in the Church activities and go outside to behave in an ungodly manner and expect to make heaven.

    The prist added that inheriting God’s kingdom was through hard work, goodness, humility and sincerity and not by one’s position or participation in Church activities.

    He explained that even priests and other clergies would not make heaven automatically, but must work hard to inherit God’s paradise.

    “Being good is difficult, but it is very easy for one to be a bad or corrupt person. There is no corruption, favouritism, elitism or sentiment in the hereafter, but everyone will be judged based on his deeds here on earth,” he said.

    Fr. Azige therefore, advised Nigerians to repent and desist from their bad ways now that they still have the chance before it got too late.

  • How we arrested those behind Owo church attack – General Irabor

    How we arrested those behind Owo church attack – General Irabor

    The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, says the masterminds of the June 5 massacre in Owo, Ondo State have been captured by security operatives.

    Recall that no fewer than 40 worshippers were massacred at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, in an incident that jolted Nigeria and the global community.

    Speaking at a parley with media executives at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Irabo said that the terrorists were captured at different locations across the country.

    He said that the suspects, the majority of whom were arrested in various communities in Kogi, would be paraded before the public in due course.

    “We had wanted to present the suspects to the public immediately but couldn’t because certain investigations are still being carried out,” he said.

    He gave his assurance that in due course, the suspects and others who had been involved in some daring attacks in the past few months would be presented to the public.

    “Starting with the Owo church attack, it is my pleasure to let you know that we have arrested those behind that dastardly act.

    “On Aug. 7, one Idris Ojo (37) was apprehended at Aiyetorosi in Ondo State. He was one of the high-profile Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) members that escaped from Kuje Prison.

    “He was arrested along with one Jimoh Ibrahim, a 39-year-old criminal.

    “Ojo was not done with all the criminal activities which he undertook in the past, he was also planning other deadly attacks and he was perfecting those plans along with his cronies before he was captured,” he said.

    “Again, on Aug. 4,  the military in a combined operation with the Department of State Service (DSS) arrested four terrorists at Eika in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.

    “Others are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, otherwise known as Ibn Malik; Momoh Abubakar, Aliyu Itopa and Auwal Onimisi.

    “Now, Omeiza is one of the masterminds of the June 5 Catholic Church attack in Owo as well as the attack on the police station in Adavi also in Kogi State that led to the killing of a policeman as well as weapons being carried away,” the CDS said.

    On the Abuja-Kaduna train attack, Irabor said that although some victims had been released, the military and other security agencies remained committed to ensuring safe rescue of the remaining victims in captivity.

    He said the military had intensified both air and ground operations to deal with criminals in all parts of the country, adding that several successes had been recorded in recent times.

    Irabo disclosed that based on military air operations, the military on Aug. 6, killed one Alhaji Abdulkareen, a bandits’ leader along with his fighters in Nigeria’s North West.

    “By the deeds of the surgical air operations that we have conducted, many of the bandits’ leaders have been killed,” he added.

    The CDS said the essence of the parley was to solicit understanding and support from the media in the fight against the security challenges bedeviling the nation.

    He, however, called for greater cooperation between the military and the media with a view to finding solution to the security challenges and disallow enemies from stoking fears in the minds of the public.

    The defence chief also urged Nigerians and political leaders to understand the distinction between military operations and politics, adding that the military remained undaunted in ensuring a safe and secured nation.

    Earlier, the Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Jimmy Akpor, said the essence of the parley was to build a sustainable trust between the media and members of the armed forces.

    Akpor said the meeting was in line with the leadership focus of Irabor toward fostering professional armed forces capable of meeting constitutional imperatives.

    The Chief Executive Officer of The Media Today, Mr Charles Odenigbo, said the military and media must be frank and open to each other in ensuring peace and security in the country.

    Odenigbo, the facilitator of the event, said that although military operations could not be discussed in the open, there was need to see how the media could fit into the activities of the military.

  • Owo massacre: Gov Akeredolu confirms arrest of attackers

    Owo massacre: Gov Akeredolu confirms arrest of attackers

    Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has confirmed the arrest of the attackers of St Francis Catholic Church, Owo.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Governor Akeredolu confirmed the arrest shortly after the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor made the announcement in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Akeredolu further disclosed that the owner of the house where the attackers stayed before the June 5 attack in Owo has also been arrested

    He noted that government did not spare a moment in trailing the terrorists since the horrendous attacks on innocent worshipers at the St Francis Catholic Church, Owaluwa, Owo.

    The Governor spoke during a courtesy visit to his office by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by the Chairman of the Council, Prince Leke Adegbite.

    “Now that the military has announced it, I can tell you that five of them have been arrested now. They are still on the trail of the rest. The home where they lodged in Owo and the person that accommodated them before the attack, has also been arrested.

    “We did not spare a moment. I am happy that the Chief of Defence Staff has announced it. We have known for a while but we needed not to come out with it because more works are still ongoing.

    “I can confirm that this arrest has been made. And they are still on the trail of some of them,” Akeredolu said.

    “Governor Akeredolu has also called on leaders of the Ebira community in the state to warn their young ones not to copy the bad venture of kidnapping.

    The Governor said recent reports from victims of kidnap in the state have established that some Ebira indigenes are now involved in the unwholesome act.

    He noted that the Ebiras have lived together with the people of the state peacefully for several decades, adding that they have always been supportive and hardworking.

    “I want to use this medium to urge our brothers to concentrate on their farming trade. It will be unfortunate to know that the Ebiras in our midst are now involved in kidnapping.

    “We are appealing to them not to copy bad thing. The traders selling by the road side should not become informants. We are not fighting them.

    “We have seen their numbers, they supported and voted for us during elections. I will call their leaders and talk to them. Our brothers who were kidnapped on their way to Ikare, talk to them. They were taken to Ebira farmsteads.

    “For me, we have lived together for too long for this to happen. I am ready to make any effort to ensure that the conviviality that we have enjoyed continues.

    “But we are begging their leaders to urge them not to copy bad thing. They are in our midst, we are surrounded by them. The issue of security is key and it’s dynamic,” Governor Akeredolu noted.

    The Governor, who thanked the NUJ in the state for the cooperation extended to his administration, assured them of sustained efforts at developing the state.

    On the issue of Security, Governor Akeredolu disclosed that aside the recent recruitment and training of new Amotekun personnel, 20 hunters and local vigilantes will be trained by the Amotekun corps in each of the eighteen local government areas in the state.

    Earlier, the Chairman of the NUJ, Ondo State Council thanked the Governor for his support for the management of OSRC and Owena Press PLC, adding that the upgrade of facilities in the two state-owned media outfits is commendable.

    He equally appreciated the Governor for the approval of the Weigh-in allowance for journalists and information officers working in the State and Local government service.

  • BREAKING: Terrorists behind Owo church terror attack arrested

    BREAKING: Terrorists behind Owo church terror attack arrested

    The terrorists behind the terror attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo in Ondo State have been arrested.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor confirmed the arrest on Tuesday at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.

    “We have arrested those behind the dastardly act in Owo. The criminals were arrested in collaboration with other security agencies.

    “It was my intention to present them to the public, but because of the investigation still going on, I had to change my mind.

    “I will like to say that in due course, the world will see them and others who are behind other daring attacks in the country,” General Irabor said.

    Recall that worshippers at the St. Francis Catholic Church were attacked and killed by gunmen during Sunday church service in June.

    No fewer than 40 persons out of the 127 involved in the attack were killed, leaving 61 survivors, who were admitted to different hospitals in the State.

     

    Details shortly…

  • INEC debunks carting away of PVC machines in Catholic church by thugs

    INEC debunks carting away of PVC machines in Catholic church by thugs

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State, said that thugs did not cart away its voter enrollment machines in Surulere as being reported in some sections of the media.

    It was reported earlier on Friday, that thugs invaded INEC Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) centre, situated at St. Bridget Catholic Church ljesha, in Surulere, and catered away INEC enrollment machines.

    Reacting to the development, INEC’s Public Relations Officer in Lagos state, Mrs Adenike Oriowo said that though the exercise was distrupted because of the surge, no machine was stolen.

    “There were issues in the said CVR centre but orderliness was restored and the exercise continued smoothly.

    “We have moved the registration in that centre to another polling unit in the area, and our officials have continued with the registration.

    “People should be patient. We shall register as many people as possible. If people continue to disrupt the process, the opportunity to register more people before the deadline will be interrupted.

    “Our commitment is to register as many people as possible and we will try to do so within the limited time,” the INEC spokesperson said.

    Oriowo, who frowned at the last minute rush by many applicants, said the exercise had been on since June 2021 and many people did not take the advantage but waited till the deadline.

    “As it is, INEC started this process over a year ago. The surge we are experiencing in the last few weeks is expected, but people should as well be patient.

    “The commission will do everything possible to register as many people as possible. We will try as much as possible to capture everybody,” she added.

    Oriowo said that INEC had also been monitoring the CVR processes in the state.

     

  • Police confirm kidnap of 2 catholic Reverend fathers in Edo

    Police confirm kidnap of 2 catholic Reverend fathers in Edo

    Edo State Police Command has confirmed the kidnap of two Catholic Reverend fathers from Central Senatorial District on Benin-Auchi Expressway between Ehor and Iruekpen areas.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) SP Chidi Nwabuzor, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Benin.

    The Catholic priests  are Rev. Fr. Udo Peter and Rev. Fr. Philemon Oboh.

    “This is to confirm the kidnap of two Catholic Reverend Fathers, Rev. Fr. Udo Peter of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Uromi and Rev. Fr. Philemon Oboh of St. Joseph Retreat Centre, Ugboha, in Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State.

    He said that Edo Commissioner of Police, Mr Abutu Yaro,  dispatched police operatives to the area.

    He said the police would carry out aggressive and well-coordinated manhunt in arresting the kidnappers and rescuing of the Rev. Fathers unhurt.

    He solicited for the cooperation of the public by giving information to the Police and other sister security agencies in policing the state.