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WEEKLY NEWS - SPECIAL ISSUE of: 24-12-2000
Here below is a COMMUNIQUE issued at the end of the First Plenary Meeting
of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) for the Year 2002.
Maybe you are interested in it.
Greeting
Paolo
anb-bia
============================
A COMMUNIQUE
Issued at the end of the First Plenary Meeting of the Catholic Bishops'
Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) for the Year 2002, held at the Pope John Paul
II Catholic Centre, Abuja, from 18th to 22nd February 2002
HEALING THE WOUNDS OF THE NATION
1. PREAMBLE
We, the members of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, held our
First Plenary Meeting for the year 2002 at the Pope John Paul II Catholic
Centre, Abuja, from the 18th to 22nd February, 2002. The theme of our
Conference was Healing the Wounds of the Nation. After prayerful
deliberation on matters affecting the Church and society in our nation, we
issue the following communiqué.
2. OUR BLESSINGS
God has been kind to our nation. He has blessed us with wonderful climate
and abundant natural and human resources. He has blessed our nation with
wonderful people, resilient, hard-working, and joyful. Our people are
deeply religious and God-fearing. Our ethnic and cultural diversity is a
blessing yet to be fully realized. The hunger of our people for true
democracy has never been stronger, as was demonstrated recently in the
opposition to the unfair and unjust provisions of the electoral law. The
Human Rights Violation Investigation Commission (Oputa Panel), the first
such body in the history of Nigeria, has increased the demand for
accountability of public officials past and present. Our role and
responsibility among the nations of Africa have been recognized, and our
image among the nations of the world has improved. We have seen generous
and selfless responses from our citizens to the various national
emergencies and crises. In addition, there has been noticeable progress in
infrastructural development and provision of social services. This can be
seen in the improvement of roads, in more constant supply of fuel, the
granting of radio and television licenses to private owners, and the return
of schools to the Church in some states.
3. OUR WOUNDS
These and other blessings do not, however, prevent us from taking a hard
look at the many wounds - mostly of our own making - that fester in us and
in our nation. These wounds are glaring, and we call attention to some of
them under the following categories: physical, psychological/emotional,
socio-political, economic, and spiritual/moral.
Physical:
Many Nigerians are literally nursing physical wounds as a result of
inter-communal and religious conflicts, bomb explosions in Lagos, armed
robbery, outbreaks of fire, and road accidents. The AIDS pandemic
decimates the Nigerian population and brings untold pain and sorrow to
individuals and families. Some, indeed thousands, are no longer nursing
wounds: they have died and are buried. May the Lord grant them eternal
rest. We share in the agony of those who have suffered, and continue to
extend a hand to those who are most in need of help.
Our fertile land and environment are being severely wounded. Rivers and
streams are polluted, fish die, forests are despoiled, desertification
spreads south. Refuse litters our streets because waste disposal services
are practically non-existent. Oil spills and gas flares pollute and poison
the environment in the Delta Region.
Psychological/emotional:
A pervasive sense of insecurity breeds fear that leads to violent reactions
in place of dialogue and reconciliation. The value of human life has been
eroded and violence is often seen as the solution to problems. For the
majority of our people, unmet needs, broken promises, unfulfilled
expectations, and frustration with the democratic process becloud the
horizon. In this atmosphere, lack of trust and mutual suspicion increase
the credence given to rumours and the polarization of ethnic and religious
groups.
Socio-political:
Religion and ethnicity have been used and abused to achieve selfish,
political ends. The Sharia problems has led in many cases to political,
social, and personal violence. There is not only the temptation, but the
reality of leaders, sometimes with the cooperation of the media, telling
bare-faced lies to the people. The very identity and full citizenship
rights of the Nigerian are denied when there is discrimination based upon
state of origin, notwithstanding long domicile in a particular state.
Vicious infighting within political parties has led to struggles for power
that sometimes result in assassination. Those in power seem to be prepared
to do everything imaginable to hold on to power till death. The situation
is worsened by the recruitment and maintenance of private armies, even by
some political office holders.
Economic:
Corruption and the mismanagement of resources affect everyone in one way
or another, but the poor and weak pay the highest price. We continue to
embark on prestigious projects which make no sense and indeed bring more
poverty to the slum dwellers and the forgotten people in the villages.
Youths are wounded by the reality of massive unemployment and
under-employment. Many workers, including even the Police, rightfully
complain of inadequate salaries, and salaries not paid on time. The gap
between the very poor and the very rich continues to widen, and the middle
class seems to be rapidly wiped out.
Moral/spiritual:
Materialistic and worldly religion, preaching prosperity and promising
healing and miracles, devoid of sacrifice and the cross, damages and even
replaces authentic religion. Some religious leaders control the minds of
their adherents, who are often ignorant and needy, exploiting them for
selfish advantage. The "God" preached by some religious leaders seems not
to be the God of justice and love, but an intolerant "God" who fosters
hatred and division.
4. THE ROOT CAUSE OF OUR WOUNDS
Our seemingly incurable wounds are symptoms of a deeper and more chronic
sickness, namely sin. This is manifested in our lack of love, lack of
concern, and selfishness at individual and group levels. The pervasive
presence of greed, selfishness, corruption, the culture of impunity, the
politics of power rather than development, all contribute to a nation of
wounded people. These vices prevent us from putting in place structures
that heal and unify. While some have more responsibility than others for
our wounds, no one is totally without blame. "If we say we are free from
the guilt of sin, we deceive ourselves" (1 Jn. 1:8).
5. ACTION TO BE TAKEN
All of us Nigerians need first to admit that all is not well. Government
at all levels should resist the temptation to tell lies to the people. One
cannot deceive all the people all the time. The process of healing of
wounds involves both short-term alleviation of pain, and long-term
preventive steps. The process of healing receives its power and
inspiration from God and then calls forth action and commitment on our part.
On the Part of Government
· We renew our call for a national conference that will examine the
sources of conflict and propose measures to heal the divisions. To say
"no" to dialogue is to say "yes" to violence.
· We call upon government to put in place qualitative and functional
education at all levels, which should include sound moral and religious
instruction. In this connection, we renew our demand for the return of
schools to their legitimate owners.
· We re affirm the secular nature of the Nigerian State as enshrined in
the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
· Government should initiate a frank discussion on the issue of Sharia
rather than continue to wish and hope that it will disappear.
· We request that the report of the Oputa Panel be made public.
· Government should intensify efforts at creating job opportunities for the
unemployed.
· Government should not only allow but foster the creation of more
political parties so that more options are available to the public.
· Insecurity in the land is not solved by the proliferation of dubious
vigilante groups. There is no civilized alternative to a well-trained,
well-equipped, and well-paid Police Force.
· We call upon government to conduct its business in the open, and not as
if it were a secret cult. People have the right to full knowledge of what
programmes and plans are discussed in the halls of government.
· The war against corruption has so far proved ineffectual, partly because
many of the principal actors in government are themselves not free from
corruption. Good intentions are not enough. An independent body should be
given full power and authority to wage an effective war against corruption
at all levels of government and business.
On the Part of the Church
· The Church as family of God not only suffers wounds in its body, but
sometimes its members cause wounds to one another and to the larger
society. And so in the spirit of Lent, we affirm the need for personal
conversion.
· We urge all Christians to that conversion of hearts, minds, and attitudes
to the way of Jesus, to the gospel values that he lived and died for.
Without interior renewal and conversion, nothing can be achieved.
· We call on all Nigerians to shun violence and imbibe a culture of
dialogue and non-violence.
· We reaffirm the indispensable role of the Justice, Development, and Peace
Commissions/Committees (JDPC) at the parish, diocesan, provincial and
national levels. These Commissions/Committees are not simply another group
or society in the Church but are to oversee and take leadership
responsibility in the struggle to heal the wounds of the nation.
· In accord with the Social Teaching of the Church, we encourage Catholics
to enter the difficult world of politics. Through the Justice,
Development and Peace Commissions/Committees and the Catholic Social Forum
(CSF) the Church will provide political education and formation both for
candidates vying for office and the electorate.
· Catechesis in parishes should include the Church's teaching on the
social dimension of sin and grace, and on how Catholics should be agents
of healing and reconciliation, standing for non-violent action for justice
and peace.
· The Church will continue and intensify its efforts to complement the
programmes of government in providing health care, education and other
social services.
· The Church commits itself to establishing centres of vocational,
functional education that will lead to gainful employment.
· Working with government, we will put in place programmes to combat the
HIV/AIDS pandemic. These programmes will aim at creating AIDS awareness,
arresting the spread of the virus, and extending pastoral care to infected
individuals and their families.
· We remind all God's people, and the laity in particular, that they are to
be salt of the earth and light of the world. All Catholics must be seen to
be part and parcel of the healing process of the nation.
· The Church will continue to set an example for the nation by renewed
efforts to follow the example of Jesus by preaching the good news to the
poor (cf. Lk. 4:18), and looking after those who are most neglected. If a
nation cannot truly be great when it neglects the needs of its poorest
members, how much more true is that of the Church, the family of God?
6. CONCLUSION
"By his wounds we are healed" (1 Pet. 2:24). Jesus Christ, the Wounded
Healer, freely took upon himself the sins, the wounds of
humankind. Through his death on the Cross, he gives us the power to be
freed from our sins and wounds. Since many of our wounds are of our own
making, then the solution and way forward are also within our
reach. Empowered by the grace of God and following in the footsteps of
Jesus, the process of healing and reconciliation will demand sacrifice for
the common good and the spirit of forgiveness articulated so clearly by
Pope John Paul II: "No peace without justice, no justice without
forgiveness" (World Day of Peace, 2002). Even as we move through Lent, we
remain an Easter people, a people of hope.
If my people, upon whom my name has been pronounced, humble themselves and
pray, and seek my presence and turn from their evil ways, I will hear them
from heaven and pardon their sins and heal their land (2 Chr. 7:14).
May Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted and Hope of Christians, so close
to the wounded Jesus Christ on the Cross, intercede for us and assist us in
our efforts to heal the wounds of our nation.
+Most Revd John Onaiyekan +Most Revd Joseph Ajomo
President, CBCN Secretary, CBCN
Archbishop of Abuja Bishop of Lokoja