Terrorism, Bloodshed, Banditry Making “God weep for Nigeria”: Catholic Archbishop

He posed, “What makes God weep for Nigeria? Corruption, banditry, terrorism, bloodshed.”

“One can only imagine how many families are left devastated, traumatized, and broken severely,” Archbishop Kaigama lamented, and continued, “By now, one would think that with the combination of modern technology and non-kinetic methods, criminality would have been greatly reduced in Nigeria.”

For him, “The recurring violence in different parts of the nation is a sign of a nation in need of healing. How criminals known as ‘unknown gunmen,’ kidnappers, terrorists, militant herdsmen, are nearly never apprehended and decisively dealt with is puzzling.”

Archbishop Kaigama said he finds it regrettable that the perpetrators of the vices appear, kill, burn houses and farms, injure people, and disappear, only later to stage a comeback, inflicting more damage than previously, causing innumerable losses of human lives.

“It appears that we have yet to get the right technology to hunt these criminals down, or is it the absence of goodwill or political will?” The Catholic Church leader, who started his Episcopal Ministry in April 1995 as Bishop of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Jalingo said.

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In his April 15 homily, Archbishop Kaigama also used the occasion in which Priests renewed their Priestly vows to appeal for spiritual solidarity with the Clergy working in hostile areas.

He entreated the faithful “to continue praying for us, your Priests working in such a society as ours. Support us with your friendship, with your understanding, and above all, with your prayers.”

“Just as we are anointed to serve you, your faith and witness nourish and sustain us. We must walk this journey of faith together; that is what Synodality is all about,” he said referring to the multiyear Synod on Synodality, which concluded with a 52-page final Document.

Addressing the Catholic Priests, he said, “Let us be instruments of healing, reconciliation, and hope in a world that often feels broken. We must not give up on the mission Christ has handed on to us by virtue of our anointing.”

He asked Priests to ask God, daily, for the grace to be faithful, saying, “God calls us to be faithful, not necessarily to be successful; when we are faithful, He will do the rest. Let us recommit ourselves to the service of God's people. Let us embrace with joy and gratitude the mission entrusted to us.” 

In his homily, Archbishop Kaigama further lamented that despite “the strong presence and the external practice of Christianity and Islam” in Nigeria, “many reject the truth of God’s word.”

According to him, some Nigerians choose to conceal the Word of God and not bear witness to it. We put people who speak the truth down; we refuse to be instruments of God’s love and mercy to others,” he lamented.  

In rejecting God’s word, Archbishop Kaigama said, “We choose to live in sin rather than God’s grace and mercy.”

“We place others on the cross by our hatred and rejection of them,” the Nigerian Catholic Archbishop warned in his anticipated Chrism Mass on April 15.

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.