Catholic spiritual leader in Nigeria’s capital Abuja calls on adherents of various religions to shun violence, pursue mutual respect and embrace brotherhood and solidarity
Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja has made a case for improving interfaith relations in the country through cultural, ecumenical and religious dialogue.
“There can be no good management of diversity without the knowledge of one another, and there can be no knowledge of one another without coming together. The table of dialogue is where peace is shared. It gives opportunity for people to air their grievances and explain the misconceptions about others.
“If this is sincerely done, our diversity will not snowball into crises or conflicts,” said Archbishop Kaigama while delivering a keynote address at the Maiden National Conference on interreligious dialogue held at Veritas University, Abuja, the Catholic University of Nigeria, on May 12.
The conference had in attendance the Vice Chancellor, Father Hyacinth Ichoku, Veritas University management staff, the convener of the conference Father Michael Udoekpo, other guest speakers from different faith traditions, academics, scholars, religious, traditional rulers, university students and mediapersons.
During conference which had the theme, “Rethinking Interfaith, Ecumenical, Cultural and Religious Dialogue in a Pluralistic Nigeria,” the archbishop emphasized that dialogue is a catalyst for conflict resolution and peace.
He observed that major achievements in science and technology which have engendered a global neighborhood making people from different parts of the world to relate with each other through visual and digital communications have moved the world beyond “a global village” to “making this neighborhood a brotherhood.”
Archbishop Kaigama highlighted the purpose of the gathering as an opportunity to “deliberate on fostering brotherhood among different peoples that make up our society” through finding “a way of creating a brotherhood out of our diversity for a harmonious and peaceful co-existence.”
He added that “We are represented here today by speakers from different faith traditions and this is holding in Veritas University whose primary mission includes ‘dialogue and collaboration in human relationships at various levels and among various cultures and religions….’ (Ex corde Ecclesiae, nos. 31-37).”
Need for embracing brotherhood and solidarity
Learning from Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli tutti, he said that the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and the Bishops of the Regional Episcopal Conferences of West Africa (RECOWA) recently re-echoed the need for embracing brotherhood and solidarity across the African continent.
“Merely cohabiting or coexisting or tolerating one another is not enough. We must learn to love genuinely, forgive wholeheartedly and embrace warmly, counting the interests of others higher than ours ” the Archbishop of Abuja said citing the Letter of Paul to the Philippians.
He traced the theological roots of human brotherhood to the creation story of Adam and Eve in the Bible (cf. Gen. 1 and 2 and the Quran (cf. Q. Al-Anʽām 6:98) to emphasize that we are from one stock which implies that “we ought to see ourselves as sisters and brothers.”
Archbishop Kaigama advocated that “The accidental differences that exist among us due to culture, habitat, religion, etc. should not be strong enough as to annul the natural likeness that we have with one another.”
He recalled how in April 1986 John Paul II became the first pope to visit the Jewish Synagogue in Rome and presided over an interfaith prayer for peace in Assisi on October 26 the same year, which made him “a friend to everyone, Jews, non-Jews and many non–Catholics” as well as “a role model for moral leadership in pluralistic world context in searching for a more peaceful and harmonious global village.”
Archbishop Kaigama also lauded Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed Al Tayeb for jointly signing “A Document on Human Fraternity for world Peace and Living Together” on 4 February 2019 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
“We have more in common than where we differ. The Catholic Church teaches that: ‘We cannot truly pray to God the father of all if we treat any people in other than brotherly fashion for all men are created in God’s image’ (Nostra Aetate no. 5)”, he stated.
Archbishop Kaigama, who has been the former CBCN and RECOWA president, said Nigeria would be on the path to greatness if adherents of various religions shun violence and resolve to pursue mutual respect for one another.
