“Persecuted and thriving”: Catholic Priest on Resilience of Christians in Nigeria

Abuja, 09 December, 2025 / 7:48 PM

Christians in Nigeria continue to demonstrate resilience and vitality amid violent assaults by extremist groups such as Boko Haram, a Priest from the West African country has said.

In a recent interview with Christian Peschken of EWTN, ACI Africa’s news partner, Fr. Dr.  Maurice Emelu, now a U.S. citizen and founder of Gratia Vobis Ministries describes the extraordinary ability of faith in Nigeria to blossom “in harsh soil.” 

“In Nigeria, faith grows in the very places where life tries to break it. Our people are not romanticizing pain; they are discovering Christ in it. The Church thrives not because our challenges are small but because grace is stubborn. Grace has a way of blooming in harsh soil,” Fr. Emelu says.

In an attempt to describe the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, he says, “Suffering here has a face… Violence and killings happen with such astonishing frequency that one feels it isn’t real. People tell me many killings never even reach the media. The pain is simply unbearable.” 

Despite the suffering, hope burns even brighter. “These believers literally walk courageously to church … daring fiery bullets in the face,” the Nigerian theologian and professor says, and explains, “They are real heroes and witnesses of the crucified Lord.” 

Fr. Emelu stresses that Priests and religious serving in Nigeria, live under extreme pressure:  sleepless nights, constant threats, and enormous parish populations. 

He identifies four essential virtues for ministry in such an environment: interior resilience, humility of presence, uncompromising integrity, and what he calls “infectious love.” 

“A Nigerian priest must learn to stand in the storm and still speak peace,” says Fr. Emelu who serves as Director of the  graduate programs in Digital Marketing and Communication Strategy and as an Assistant  Professor of Communication at John Carroll University. 

Needs among Nigerian Christians are many, the Priest says, adding that organizations like his, as well as groups such as Catholic Charities, are already engaged. He however observes that the scale of the crisis demands far more. 

The Clergy of the Catholic Diocese of Orlu in  Nigeria believes the global Church can help by offering spiritual accompaniment, formation, mental-health support, and the gift of simple recognition. 

“Sometimes the greatest support is to be seen, truly seen, for the sacrifices we make,” he says, adding that on the ground, financial help is urgently needed to rebuild homes, churches, and schools.

Young Nigerians, he observes, are among the most vibrant in the Church, yet they are “stretched thin by the demands of survival.” 

The Church, he believes, must speak to their souls and their social reality. That means first rooting them in Christ. “A young person anchored in Christ can stand even when the world around them shakes,” he says.

The Catholic Priest who consults for Pax Press Agency Geneva on the Holy See’s engagement at the UN in Geneva says that spiritual formation alone is not enough.

The Church, he says, must also invest in conscience formation, imagination, critical digital literacy, and ethical guidance, including on emerging technologies like AI, a topic the Holy Father has elevated globally. 

“When people are properly formed,” he says, “they can act more ethically.” 

Despite the violence in northern Nigeria, Fr. Emelu insists that many Muslims do not support extremism, and that meaningful interreligious collaboration already exists and  must continue. 

Within this fragile environment, he says, Catholic spirituality carries tremendous power. 

“The Eucharist, Marian devotion, and forgiveness are not soft virtues; they are transformative forces,” he says, and added, “The Eucharist teaches us that communion is stronger than conflict.  Mary shows us how to stand at the foot of the Cross without letting hatred take root.” 

He says that forgiveness, too, is radical realism, and explains, “It is spiritual courage. It protects the heart while truth guides the voice. Peace does not come from avoiding truth, but from speaking truth with a heart purified by love.” 

Fr. Emelu agrees that Nigeria’s Church is a missionary engine of the Catholic world. He highlights three gifts Nigeria offers to the universal Church. He points out “our suffering, our joy, and our missionary zeal,” adding, “You see this in thousands of Nigerian priests revitalizing parishes around the world.” 

For Fr. Emelu, Nigeria’s witness is simple and sacramental: “Hope is not an idea. It is something you can touch — in a meal, a gesture, a word.” 

“Nigeria has taught me,” he concludes, “that holiness hides in the ordinary — if you have the eyes to see. The resilience of our people is a living catechism.”