As we gather here for our 5th annual Abuja Archdiocesan General Assembly, I wish to thank God for the many blessings to the Archdiocese of Abuja, and to welcome you all, beginning with those priests and religious who have been missioned to work in the Archdiocese of Abuja since our last Assembly in 2023, as well as the lay men, women and youths who have recently come to settle in Abuja, and are now part of our Archdiocesan family. As is customary, representatives of parishes, pastoral areas, chaplaincies, church societies/pious organizations, heads of commissions, and those nominated by the Archbishop are here. You are also warmly welcome.
We welcome in a particular way the representative of the Holy Father in Nigeria, His Excellency, Most Rev. Michael Francis Crotty, who arrived on 23rd October, 2024.
Since our Archdiocese hosts the Apostolic Nunciature, we hope to have the benefit of regular interactions with you, Your Excellency, when we have events such as this, and we are very pleased that you have obliged us to be present for the opening session of this Assembly. To the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, senior government officials and politicians, senior entrepreneurs, our lay men, women, and youths, I deeply appreciate your presence here.
JOY OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Every year I look forward to this very important gathering, which affords both the Auxiliary Bishop and I, the opportunity to meet with the representatives of the entire faithful of the Archdiocese of Abuja and to see the whole Archdiocesan family sharing and dialoging together. Initially, the 5th General Assembly was scheduled to hold in August 2024, from 8th-10th, but due to the protests and the security challenges in the country, it was postponed to now. I am grateful to God that we are able to hold this event today. This year’s assembly is very unique as we will be concluding it with a series of events: the consecration of our Archdiocese to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the priestly ordination of 14 deacons, and the official closing of the Year of Prayer.
FIDELITY TO OUR CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY
At this period of dramatic, one could even say, “tsunamic” global changes, ideological opinions, and relativism, we owe it a duty to stress the need to return to the roots of our Catholic faith and identity which have served us so well for over 2,000 years. This is why our theme for this year is “Deepening Our Catholic Identity and Spirituality in the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja.” Ephesians 4:14 warns that we should not be disturbed and carried about by every wind of doctrine, and those things that deceive us into error.
ELEMENTS OF OUR CATHOLIC FAITH.
We believe in the Divine origin of the Catholic Church as founded by Jesus Christ. On Pentecost Day, the Church was born through the action of the Holy Spirit. Jesus left us sacraments as efficacious signs of grace for the Church and for our personal sanctification (cf. CCC 1131). The earthly spiritual leader of all Catholics today is Pope Francis, who is the 266th successor of St. Peter the Apostle. The Church has a long history, a long tradition, and well-defined doctrines and dogmas of faith.
We Catholics need to be abreast of all these. Every Catholic should have not only a bible, but also a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Vatican Council II document, Canon Law, and to be current with developments in the Church by reading the Pope’s encyclicals, and exhortations; being attentive to Catholic Church media such as the Vatican Radio, L’Ossetvatore Romano, and following the Holy Father’s pronouncements, travels, on internet, social media, etc. A Catholic should be current in Catholic Church affairs.
DEEPENING OUR CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY
We are called to deepen our personal spiritual life in the light of our Catholic tradition; to move from infantile spirituality to a solid spirituality borne out of personal conviction. It is easy that our spirituality can become skin deep. When the times are rough and tough, or when faced with the challenges of sickness, business failure, womb barrenness, etc., some Catholics return to “the people in the village are after me spiritually,” superstitiously attributing everything to witchcraft and devil attack, but giving the Holy Spirit only a secondary position as a fire brigade fighter, hence the “Holy Ghost – fire” syndrome. No wonder there is such a drift by many to newfound prayer houses, so-called ministries whose operators claim to offer instant miraculous solutions!
PRACTISE AND PASS ON THE FAITH
Various prayers have been formulated to facilitate our spiritual journey: morning prayer, evening/night prayer, the Angelus prayer, the Holy Mass, the liturgy of the Hours, Eucharistic Benediction and adoration, Lectio Divina, Rosary, etc.
We encourage our laity to pass on these practices in the family and places of work, and those who can, to write books or pamphlets explaining clearly our misunderstood doctrines or traditions. Catholics should study basic theology and even advanced theology; volunteer to be Catechists, choir members, church wardens, instructors of the Catholic faith, etc.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR CATHOLIC FAITH
To reinvigorate our Church, every member should strive to be a member of one or several church organizations, not to remain a passive consumer of the sacraments, not to be just an indifferent or seasonal Catholic, lukewarm – neither hot nor cold (Rev 3:16).
1Pt 3:15 says, “Always be ready to give an explanation to all who ask you the reason for that hope which is in you.” This must have been one of the reasons why the Holy Father, Pope Francis, chose the theme of the last Synod: “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.” From the Synodal conclusions, we learn that evangelization is a baptismal duty, an imperative. The synod in which I was privileged to participate, discussed, among other important things, the participation religious and lay women, lay men, youth, and children in evangelization and in fostering the growth of the Church. Such very important topics as transparency, accountability and evaluation; digital culture, formation of the laity, formation for the ministerial priesthood, greater commitment to ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue, justice and peace issues, care for the poor, especially the internally displaced people, migrants; care for the environment, upholding and promoting the sanctity of life, etc., were discussed at length, and it is expected that all Catholics will dig deep into these matters and make the teachings part of their faith journey.
SACRAMENTAL LIFE AND PIOUS DEVOTIONS
Our Catholic life is shaped by the sacraments, with the Eucharist, being the source and summit of our faith. Apart from the regular participation in the Eucharistic celebration, a Catholic should be known by his or her devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints.
There should be a difference between being merely baptized and living a practical Christian life. Let our acts of devotion be visible, such as when you pass the front of a Church you make a sign of the cross; go to confession regularly; fast at least for one hour before receiving Holy Communion; kneel at consecration during Mass (if not sick); wed in church; baptize your kids early; pay tithes; attend Mass on a Sunday and if possible daily. Have a small prayer space at home.
BEYOND NOMINAL CATHOLICISM
As Catholics we are called not only to practice a theoretical or barren spirituality, but to concretely practice our spirituality in a way that we can have a transformative impact on our society, and indeed, the world.
There are practical things Catholics should do:
When you go to a new parish/town or country, introduce yourself to the priest, bring your baptism card; if you are to wed, wed in the church; preferably a catholic or if a mixed marriage, obtain a dispensation in good time. Take the corporal works of mercy seriously. Be conversant with the Social teachings of the Church.
If you are a political leader, do not be comfortable that you go to Church on Sundays. In the face of harsh economic reality; hunger, poverty, insecurity (one of us has just been released from captivity) all over Nigeria, engage in only those things that can bring genuine development and socio-economic improvement to the lives of Nigerians. Worry about the very high cost of things, the deteriorating roads, the nefarious activities of kidnappers, militant herdsmen, armed bandits and terrorists who seem to sometimes outsmart the security agents.
Those Catholics who are successful in politics or business or other endeavours, are kindly requested to join in the missionary drive to expand the Archdiocese. In less than five years, by the grace of God, we have created 66 new quasi parishes (pastoral areas) bringing evangelization to the margins and peripheries. Some of these pastoral areas have no land, no church, no fathers’ house, etc.
These struggling catholic communities need the support of individuals, who have been blessed materially to take a project either of buying land for them, building a church, or a Rev. Father’s house as a few persons have done or are doing now. Church societies can also take up similar projects, this will give concrete expression to your sharing in the ongoing evangelization effort.
There is a false narrative that money is flowing like a river in Abuja. Perhaps that flow is in political or government circles, but certainly not in the Church. There is the perception that being the capital of the biggest black nation on earth where the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja is situated, the Archdiocese is superabundantly rich. Nothing could be further from the truth.
GRATITUDE
I extend my heartfelt thanks to all who have contributed to the preparation of this assembly, ably led by Fr. Celestine Eze.
I thank in advance our keynote speaker, Amb. Dr. Martin Uhomoibhi, Special thanks to Sir Egnr. Andrew Ojogbo who has stood firmly in working with his dynamic team to see that our many archdiocesan projects assigned to parishes will take off, and for ensuring that this venue is in good shape following the vandalization by some hooligans which cost us tens of millions. We thank Bishop Oliver Doeme of Maiduguri Diocese for accepting to share his experience to help us as we consecrate our Archdiocese to the immaculate Heart of Mary.
I wish to specifically thank you the entire Archdiocesan family for your cooperation, support, and selfless service to the Archdiocese. The Church has grown past the era where the Church was seen as “uka father” – father’s church. It is our Church and we are all co-responsible for her.
CONCLUSION
Our Catholic spirituality calls us to a deeper relationship with God and a more profound commitment to living out our faith, allowing it to shape every aspect of our lives and to shine as a beacon of hope and love in the world.
As we gather here, let us be mindful of the words of Saint Paul, that we are one body in Christ, each of us gifted with unique talents and called to work together for the greater glory of God. May our discussions be guided by the Holy Spirit, and may our decisions be rooted in prayer and discernment. Let us listen attentively to one another with open hearts and minds, seeking always to build up the Church and to proclaim the love and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the name of Jesus Christ, the King who reigns over all, I now have the distinguished honour and pleasure of declaring the proceedings of this 5th General Assembly of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja open.
