In his Easter 2025 Message, the Local Ordinary of Oyo Diocese, who also serves as member of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication since his appointment in December 2021 reflects on the joy that comes with Easter and challenges “people in positions of influence” to address evil and bring joy to their subjects.
“Easter brings joy, but it thus indicts all leaders and people in positions of influence who refuse to use their position, power, resources and influence to generate joy by prosecuting and stopping evil around them, be it in society, the family or the Church,” he notes.
He says that “we all, especially leaders, are called to deploy everything at our disposal, intelligence, finances, technology, art, creativity and power to create a better world for all.”
“It is evil and malicious hypocrisy for any leader to claim ignorance or helplessness when evil is destroying people and property all around them. On such leaders will God’s judgement fall severely,” Bishop Badejo says.
He notes that Jesus’ ministry was mainly about service. Jesus, he recalls, “applied all he had at his disposal to save his followers. To all our leaders, I ask: What have you sacrificed to merit your status and mandate?”
“Just as Easter crown cannot be authentic or real without the sacrifice and cross of Good Friday, in the same way, your leadership cannot be real if you lay claim to no sacrifice,” Bishop Badejo says in his Easter 2025 Message shared with ACI Africa on April 19.
The Local Ordinary of Oyo Diocese, who doubles as the President of the Pan African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications (CEPACS), an entity of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), goes on to challenge Christians to interrogate their sincerity as Jesus’ disciples and urges them to emulate His holiness and obedience to God.
“We must embrace the total Christ who came to serve not to be served and who laid down his life for the common good,” he says, and adds, “Our Priests, pastors and prophets must shun falsehood, speak the truth and live by works for mercy and compassion at all times.”
He cautiones against “sweet prosperity gospel by means of smart language and wise sounding words which make the cross of Christ pointless and give people false hopes of success without hard work.”
In his Easter 2025 Message, Bishop Badejo encourages Nigerians to be custodians of joy even in the face of challenges, based on their close relationship with the person of Jesus Christ.
