Nigerian Archbishop Condemns “external ritualistic observances”, Calls for True Religion

Religion in Nigeria, the Archbishop said, should not be geared towards certain sects enriching themselves at the expense of others.

“We are enjoined to have a strong desire for interior spiritual growth rather than exterior piety, camouflaged with mere rituals or customs,” he said.

Archbishop Kaigama cautioned, “Our practice of religion should not be geared towards seeking worldly praise, approval, applause or mere geographical expansion of territory or increase in the numbers of adherents, but should spur us towards the path of purity of heart, compassion and genuine human feelings for one another.”

The Nigerian Archbishop made reference to the Letter of James, the Second Reading of Sunday, August 29, in which St. James reinforces the idea of true religion that entails visiting orphans and widows in their sufferings.

Archbishop Kaigama expresses regret that in Nigeria, however, terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminals are making life more difficult for orphans and multiplying the number of widows by killing their men.

He said, “Some anti-social elements go as far as cutting down food crops, while claiming to be observers of religious rules and customs. Such observances are sterile.” 

“There is so much religiosity among practitioners of Christianity and Islam, but little piety with little demonstration of unconditional charity towards fellow human beings, irrespective of religion or ethnicity,” the Nigerian Archbishop said.  

He said he found it unfortunate that some people in the political class have exploited religion for selfish political and economic advantages. 

Even worse, according to Archbishop Kaigama, some religious leaders make inciting comments to keep religious adherents in constant inter-religious hostility. 

“No civilized religion encourages its adherents to fight for God,” Archbishop Kaigama asserted, and added, “When we fight and kill in the name of religion, it is often out of selfish interests.”

“Sponsoring or killing a fellow human being in the name of religion is an evil we must condemn even when the perpetrators are members of our own religious circle. This will improve peaceful coexistence and inter-religious harmony. The blame game must give way to forgiveness, reconciliation, collective witness to social justice, peace and love,” he said. 

The Nigerian Archbishop further said he finds it “unfortunate” that those who boldly speak against the vices in the country experiencing extremism find themselves in conflict with authorities.

“It is unfortunate that well-meaning Nigerians, who boldly speak out in favor of what is right, and make objective diagnosis of burning national issues, are threatened,” the Archbishop said in his August 29 homily.

He made reference to the nine-day second plenary meeting of the Catholic Bishops in Nigeria that ended Friday, August 27, saying, “The Bishops…have spoken again on various issues: the needless killings, deficient security, youth unemployment, poverty, the bastardization of human life, and so on.”

“The Government should interpret our concerns positively as a patriotic contribution to the current national issues to be urgently acted upon rather than see them as a challenge to political authority,” he said in reference to the members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

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According to the Archbishop of Abuja, the world is watching Nigeria “with great bewilderment.”

“The reprehensible killings and related crimes, no matter the perceived grievances, are a call to the Government to act proactively and definitively,” he said.

Making reference to the Gospel Reading of Sunday, August 29, the Archbishop emphasized the need for true religion that embraces the spirit of communicable living saying, “The attitude of the Pharisees and Scribes which earned them the rebuke and denunciation from Jesus is because they honored God with their lips, while their hearts were far from Him. Their worship founded on externalism hardly translated into productive harmony, peace, faithfulness or forgiveness.” 

“What the Lord wants from us today is a genuine life of grace and true holiness,” Archbishop Kaigama said.

He added, “We cannot go on worshipping God with the praises and prayers of our lips when our hearts are far away from Him. We must ‘live in the presence of God’ through a constant conversion of heart.”