We feel together when you’re with us, Catholic Bishops tell Osinbajo
Abuja – The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria ((CBCN) says there is a sense of oneness each time Vice President Yemi Osinbajo identifies with Nigerians, including the church.
Osinbajo attended the Opening Mass of the First 2020 Plenary Meeting of CBCN at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), on Sunday in Abuja.
The theme of the meeting is “The Word of God: A Lamp to my Feet and a Light to my Path.”
In a homily, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama, expressed delight that the vice president attended the Mass.
“I am so happy that our vice president is here.
“It is not just being yet a very profound sacramental blessings that you are here; when you are with us and we are suffering, we are together but when there is a gap with you, there is a feeling of insensitivity.
“We need to have access to our leaders; we need to have access to the president, to the vice president, to the ministers; they need to be closer to the people that elected them; this is very important.’’
Kaigama said there was need for government and CBCN to work jointly in addressing the nation’s challenges from the grassroots.
The bishop expressed concern over the trend of abusing those in authority by the clergy instead of synergising for solutions.
“We must work jointly to eradicate or at least reduce the level of poverty; the level diseases, sickness and ignorance, unnecessary deaths.
“So much is happening and that is why we more good Nigerians; patriotic Nigerians.
“Our primary task as religious leaders us steer the people to conversion and holiness.
“But because of poverty and hardship being suffered by the people, preachers are forced to become miracle workers or political revolutionaries throwing verbal bombs, missiles, grenades, poisonous gas from the pulpit.
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He regretted that most times when a preacher mounted the pulpit anywhere, people expected him to abuse those in authority for causing poverty and social deprivation.
According to him, that is not the message of the gospel.
“Yes, we must denounce evil; we must denounce corruption; we must denounce reckless spending that cost the poor of their dignity; we must do that at all times.
“ But why should churches, the altar, the Mosque become where we antagonise our leaders instead of seeking solutions?” he asked.
Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo, Ministers of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, members of the National Assembly among others attended the Mass.(NAN)
