Advertisement

Destroy Structures, Ideologies “that tear people apart”: Catholic Archbishop in Nigeria

By Silas Isenjia

Abuja, 14 March, 2023 / 9:00 pm (ACI Africa).

There is need for the people of God in Nigeria to destroy structures and ideologies that contribute to unhealthy conflicts, tearing “people apart” and making them enemies to each other, the Local Ordinary of Nigeria’s Abuja Archdiocese has said. 

In his Sunday, March 12 homily at St. Peter’s Catholic Church of Abuja Archdiocese, Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama reflected on the Gospel Reading of the Third Sunday of Lent that narrates the encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well.

“Jesus’ action today teaches us that our common humanity supersedes any form of segregation or discrimination,” Archbishop Kaigama said, and decried the fact that there are “many prejudices and social categorizations” in the West African country.

Nigerians can draw lessons from the encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman, he said, adding that the interaction with Jesus weakened “the deep-seated religious and political animosity and social restriction at the time.”

The Nigerian Catholic Archbishop underscored the need for Nigerians to “deemphasize social stratification, ethnic antagonism, religious hostility or preconceived notions.”

Advertisement

Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman “shows us that no matter the hate and animosity in times past, the future can be conquered by love and forgiveness,” Archbishop Kaigama said.

He continued, “Christ broke the barriers of culture, gender, and tradition to make the Samaritan woman partake in His boundless love.”

The Archbishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in April 1995 as Bishop of Nigeria’s Jalingo Diocese said that Jesus used the example of his encounter with the Samaritan woman to call us “to pull down every structure, ideology, philosophy, and lifestyle that tear people apart and make them enemies.”

He went on to urge Nigerians to embrace the change of heart for the better that the Samaritan women demonstrated after had encountered Jesus, leaving behind her “jars of sin”.

“Like the Samaritan woman, we are challenged this Lent to also drop our ‘jars’ of sin: anger, bitterness, hate, immorality, fanaticism, and worldliness, so as to be drawn to Jesus, the Living Water who alone can quench our thirst,” Archbishop Kaigama said.

More in Africa

Nigeria

How Rector at Minor Seminary in Nigeria Offered Himself to Kidnappers to Save Seminarians

Read the article

He further said, “We can become ambassadors of Jesus in our world where prejudice and hate have torn us apart and poisoned our society.”

Making reference to the First Reading of the Third Sunday of Lent in which Moses received uncharitable remarks from the people of Israel, the Archbishop urged Nigerians to always foster optimism, and be grateful to God “rather than complain bitterly against God”.

“We should see the half-full glass instead of the half-empty glass. In our journey of life, we sometimes experience the aridity and fatigue of life, in the form of poverty, hardship, sickness or sorrow,” he said.

At such a time, the 64-year-old Nigerian Archbishop added, “we must learn to trust in the Lord who supplies the living water in order to quench our spiritual thirst, rather than complain bitterly against God who calls us to Himself and leads us to the spring of living water.”

In his homily, Archbishop Kaigama said that apart from thirst for water, Nigerians also thirst for employment, empowerment, education, and food to salvage them from malnutrition. He challenged those in authority to improve the living standards of the people.

Trending

Advertisement

“Those who struggle to rule us must do all in their power as they do even unimaginable things to win elections, to do extraordinary things to improve social services and the living standards of the people amid worsening economy and hardship,” the Local Ordinary of Abuja said March 12.

Silas Isenjia

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.