The Nigerian Catholic Archbishop emphasized that those who commit themselves fully to Christ’s teachings face rejection from family members and even neighbours. He said, “Those who intend to follow Jesus and commit themselves without compromise to the truth, must know that they will encounter opposition; they will become a sign of division between people, even in their own families.”
Archbishop Kaigama urged Nigerians to remain persistence in doing good despite the resistance, saying, “If you refuse bribes, remain faithful in marriage, speak the truth in your dealings, or stand against injustice, you may face resistance, even from family members. But this is the cost of discipleship.”
The Catholic Archbishop encouraged the people of God in Nigeria to focus on impressing God rather than humans, saying, “Love for one’s parents, friends, neighbours, no matter how deep, can come into conflict with what Christ prescribes.”
“When we denounce evil and do good, we are sure to rock the boat, cause division, suffer gossip, hatred, malicious accusations, character assassination, and even endanger our own lives, but we are sure that God will come to our aid, giving us courage,” he added at the Holy Mass in which 32 parishioners received First Holy Communion.
Archbishop Kaigama called on the people of God under his pastoral care to be courageous to “stand up for just principles” in a world he said is full of injustice and oppression.
“We must individually and collectively oppose those who oppress and exploit the poor and the weak. They may triumph for now, but in the long run, they will crumble like high-rise buildings built on the foundations of sand,” he said, and added, “Let us learn to tell the truth, even as our politics seems to be those of sycophancy.”
The Nigerian Catholic Archbishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in April 1995 as Bishop of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Jalingo criticized what he described as “the politics of immorality,” where he said leaders expect praise even when they underperform.
He said that those who criticize politicians for underperformance “immediately become an object of persecution.”
Some politicians, he said, “can go all out and use the powers of government either in the security, judiciary, or institutions set up to sanitize irresponsible behaviour to hunt you down or paralyse your political career or rubbish you in the eyes of people.”
Archbishop Kaigama stressed that the Church cannot remain silent on the evils of the society. “For those who expect the Church to be silent, the Church must be the John the Baptist of our time, a voice crying out in the wilderness, calling church members, political leaders, and citizens to repent and turn to God in holiness,” he said.
