The Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, Ignatius Kaigamadeclared that the Catholic Church would resist any attempt by any of its priests to engage in a personality cult in the name of worship.
by Kaigama comment could probably be related to the recent blast of a Catholic priest from Enugu State, Ejike Mbaka, in which he (Mbaka) accused Labor Party presidential candidate Peter Obi of being “stingy”, hence he will not win the 2023 presidential election.
Kaigama, in his homily at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Mpape, Abuja, urged Catholic priests to take advantage of the loyalty and respect they command among the faithful to build unity, peace and love among people and communities rather than others.
He said: “Priests must not allow Mass to become an occasion for drama, exaggerated inculturation or purely political or banal talk. People come to Jesus at Mass to be nourished spiritually with the word and the bread of life, and to be refreshed for the long, rough and difficult journey to heaven.
“To this end, the approved Catholic ‘centers of worship’ in Nigeria should really be to worship Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, not where to bully, manipulate and extort people or where a priest tries to create a personality cult by insensitive and insensitive utterances and dramas.
“The Eucharist is a sacrament of healing. We are expected to pray and wait patiently and hopefully, but do not time God or expect instant, dramatic results. Besides physical healing, there is also a very great need for inner healing.
“A sad chapter in our history as a nation that calls for the healing of memory is the unfortunate civil war which still fills many with very sad memories that pose a challenge to social cohesion in the country. After more than 55 years, the Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and others need healing and purification of memory.
“We must all admit that the war was wrong and immoral and should never have been fought. We must transcend prejudices, stereotypes and barriers to build bridges of love and peace. Our main concern during this political season should be to seek out and elect only credible and capable political leaders who can unite us across the narrow confines of tribe and religion.
“By believing in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, our pathological fear of witches and evil spirits should diminish. When faced with sickness, worry or material deprivation, we must not rush to glimpses or even some so-called men of God who may be no different from deceptive fetish agents . »
