Imitating Christ’s leadership, he explained, “means treating everyone with dignity, respect, and compassion, regardless of their social status or background; to build bridges instead of walls.”
Reflecting on leadership in Church, the Catholic Archbishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in April 1995 as Bishop of Nigeria’s Jalingo Diocese cautioned against “competition for power or visibility”.
Church leaders “are called to cultivate the inner life of faith, to act in a synodal way, whether as choirmaster, CWO leader, or president of the Lectors,” he said, adding that a Christians true to the name always seeks to speak with “moral authority”, imitating Christ’s humility and servant leadership style.
Archbishop Kaigama went on to emphasize the need to regularly read, listen to, and put into practice the Word of God, which he described as “Vitamins for our souls.”
Addressing himself to the newly commissioned Lectors, Archbishop Kaigama cautioned against “cultural Catholics” who are in the Church because of their parents or other motives.
“As Lectors, you must make a special effort to deepen your knowledge of scripture and allow the Holy Spirit to use you as you read God’s Word without any distractions by how you appear or read,” he said.
The Catholic Church leader continued, “Those for Confirmation like the lectors must also read the Word of God privately. It is fruitful to dedicate some time each day doing at home the Lectio Divina, i.e., the prayerful reading of scripture.”
“Translating what we read into our daily life, makes us become the Gospel that others can easily read and understand,” he emphasized.
Archbishop Kaigama used the second reading in which, writing to the Corinthians, Paul expresses his concern that those the married can face distractions compared to the celibate to fault those see Fiducia Supplicans (FS) as a change of the meaning of marriage.
“Those who claim that the Catholic Church has approved same-sex marriage are mischievous. Marriage remains a permanent bond between a man and a woman, open to the procreation and education of children,” Archbishop Kaigama said in his January 28 homily, referring to the December 18 declaration of the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith (DDF), which has evoked mixed reactions and deep division among Catholic Bishops across the world.
