Nigerians Must Be Forgiving to Overcome “brewing political tensions”: Catholic Archbishop

He further urged the youth to overlook their challenges and to use their God given gifts and talents to serve by voluntarily offering services not only to the Church but also to the society amid life’s challenges and limitations.

“I commend your great enthusiasm and the use of your different gifts and talents to work for God,” the Nigerian Catholic Archbishop said, and added, “Continue to make yourselves available for voluntary service in the Church and society, despite the numerous challenges of unemployment, poverty, insecurity, and the epileptic educational system that sometimes makes you graduate in seven years instead of four.”

He advised the young people to participate in the country’s politics with honesty and to be courageous in performing their civil responsibilities as a way of refraining from being used to cause violence by political aspirants.

“Dear young people, this is the time when leaders pursuing their selfish political interests use young people negatively. Don’t allow yourselves to be used even in the midst of social lack,” Archbishop Kaigama said.

He added, “Participate actively and honestly in politics and perform your civic responsibility with great courage and conviction in the spirit of patriotism, with the hope that the conscience of political leaders will be touched and they will be able to sacrifice their comfort, and temper their greed with mercy, to provide for you and your future.”

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The Catholic Archbishop underlined the need for peace in Africa's most populous nation saying, “Keep the light of faith aglow and don’t relent in praying and working for peace and progress.”

He cautioned against violence before, during and after elections and said that it dehumanizes people especially when maiming, hunting, capturing and killing of human beings is involved.

He further said that the love of enemies does not denote condoning wrongs and evils, but it is more of what he referred to as “an eloquent moral response that can be given.”

“Jesus calls you to reject any recourse to violence, because violence dehumanizes us, especially when we hunt, maim, capture and kill fellow human beings,” Archbishop Kaigama said February 20, and added, “The call to love our enemies is not a call to passivity in the face of wrongs and evils, but it is the most eloquent moral response that can be given.”

He explained, “Two wrongs never make one right. Reprisal attacks or revenge may hurt one even more than it will hurt one’s offender.”

He made reference to St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and explained that those who have received Christ will be guided by his Spirit to uphold essential virtues as elements of Christian life with a focus on promoting peace.

“While it is quite difficult, to love those who hate us and to pray for those who persecute us, St. Paul reminds us in our second reading that those who have received Christ are guided by His Spirit to live these essential virtues and elements of our Christian life, to become instruments of peace as St. Francis of Assisi prayed,” Archbishop Kaigama said.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.