₦airaland Forum

but why are human beings like this? pls nairalanders, d headline is misleading. this must have been written by a non catholic to discrdit d church. indulgence does not mean forgiveness of sin but d forgivenes of d punishment due to sin. confession cannot be done online and will never be. pls read d article carefully and u will notice where it was said dat people will receive a plenary indulgence only when they follow d peogramme prayerfully and must have confessed their since to a priest. tks

he wants to teach by example

Pope Francis has requested that a statue of
himself be removed from the grounds of the
cathedral in Buenos Aires.
The statue, honoring the Pope in the city
where he had been archbishop, was
installed at the cathedral last week. Upon
learning about it, Pope Francis called his
old cathedral to ask that it be "removed
immediately."
www.catholicculture.org

Several players of
Nigeria’s Super
Eagles have declared
that they would not
mind having
controversial West Bromwich
Albion attacker, Peter Odemwingie
back in the team.
Odemwingie last featured for
Nigeria in a 2012 Nations Cup
qualifying game in Kigali, Rwanda
in February 2011.
Head coach of the Nigeria national
team, Stephen Keshi hinted in an
interview this week that
Odemwingie could get an unlikely
recall to the national team.
"For (Odemwingie), he still has a
place in the team. I'm not looking
for an apology from him.
(Odemwingie) is somebody that I
like very well and he knows that.
The thing is, it's about the team
that I'm worried about,” Keshi
said.
Inter Milan midfielder, Obiora
Nwankwo has now praised Keshi
for “this bold step” and believes
Odemwingie’s return will bode
well for the African champions.
“Having Odemwingie back in the
national team will be a big plus.
With all due respect to all the
strikers in the team who have
been working hard, Odemwingie is
a very experienced striker who
knows his way to goal,” said the
21-year-old currently on loan at
Romanian club, CFR Cluj.
Nwankwo added that experience
plays a big role in teams winning
matches when the stakes are high
and insisted that Keshi’s recent
declarations are nothing short of
a masterstroke.
“Talent alone is not just enough to
win games. You need experience
and that's where you need people
like (Vincent) Enyeama, (Joseph)
Yobo, (John) Mikel Obi and
Odemwingie.
“The coach has acted like a father
and we must respect that,” he
said.
Enugu Rangers midfielder, Sunday
Mba also added his voice to the
issue and explained that
Odemwingie’s potential and long
years as a professional footballer
would “help the team.”
“As footballers, our job is to go
out there and play but experience
is important in this game and I
think Odemwingie will help the
team in this regard,” he said.
Meanwhile, former psychologist of
the Super Eagles, Robinson
Okosun has dispelled notions that
Odemwingie could act as a
disruptive influence in the team.
“Odemwingie is not a troublesome
person. I know him better than a
lot of Nigerians do. I have worked
with him for years in the national
team and I can tell you he’s one
of the nicest and friendliest
persons you will ever meet.
“People have been talking about
what happened at West Brom last
season but all human beings pass
through phases in their lives.
“What (Odemwingie) needs now is
support of Nigerians and I
commend Keshi for this bold step
and he has now shown he’s a man
of his words when he declared in
the past that the striker is still
part of his plans,” he said.
Odemwingie made his Nigeria
debut in 2002 and has made 55
appearances scoring nine times
for the Super Eagles.
© supersport.com

mens dept: See, you guys are just very local. My goodness. So clannish and village based. Dayum.

What is Orlu and Okigwe? Glorified villages. Even Owerri, its not a world class place.

Im opposed to wasting that amount of money building what is going to turn out to be another quack school called university when you can revitalize, renovate, and remodel IMSU to World class status. All those Ikoku college and this polytechnic and that are nothing but African standard places that amount to the same local levels our parents parents begun as something revolutionary.

pls stop all these quality and number one and all that. y must people criticise every move by this man. to make a university world standard does not take one or two yrs. every successive govt should invest in all the existing projects and build more. we cant wait until imsu bcoms the best uni to build another. FUTO for instance is not the best uni in nigeria but the fg stil went aheard with plans for 9 new unis. so pls allow this man to do what he thinks is d best for the state

here is an argument against homosexuals:

No, it is a choice. This may not
be a popular opinion but no one is
born gay any more than anyone is
born straight. If homosexuality is
not a choice, than neither is being
born straight. We star out asexual.
As we grow older, our beliefs and
environment shape us. If any
nature is involved, it is a very
small factor or other wise people
would not go back and forth being
gay and straight. Until proven
otherwise, I see it as an excuse to
promote homosexuality.

here is another argument supporting homosexuals:

It is not a choice. I think that
someone is born gay and doesn't
have a choice. I think it is a
biological thing that is developed
and you can't change it even if
you wanted. You can't choose to
be gay or straight you just are and
no matter what you try to do you
can't change it in any way.

dear nairalanders whats ur opinion on this. i believe your opinion will go a long way to help the government of nigeria either to stand firm or not in their zeal to stamp this ugly virus out of our country Nigeria

remember also that jesus said that he who is not against me is with me.
we not only follow jesus with our wrds but deeds dats y we say dat Xtianity is not a religion but a way of life.
some muslims do follow jesus with their way of of life even without knowing it. tks

thanks, am waiting for them

Do Catholics Worship Mary?
Many Evangelicals think the word
"pray" means "worship." So it
makes sense that they think
Catholics who "pray" to Mary
actually "worship" her. Let's look
up the word "pray" in the
dictionary. Here is what Webster's
says about the word pray:
(1) To utter petition to God ... (2)
To make a fervent request: PLEAD
(3) To beseech: implore (4) to make
a devout or earnest request for.
The first thing to notice is that the
word "worship" is not included in
the definition of "pray." It does not
mean "worship." A prayer to Mary
is clearly not a petition to God.
Mary is not God, and there is not
one faithful Catholic since the
apostles who has said she is. So
clearly it is not the first meaning.
The English language is often
limited in that we often have to use
the same word to say different
things. There are several meanings
of the word "pray." When Catholics
pray to God they "utter a petition
to God." When they pray to Mary
and the Saints they are making a
"devout or earnest request for"
prayers from Mary or the saints. In
mediaeval times when a royal court
official was asking something of a
person who outranked him, he
would say "I pray thee your
majesty." You have to say that in an
English accent to get the full effect!
The person was simply making a
request in a polite manner.
Catholics think Mary is a prayer
warrior. That's her job. We think
she was given a full-time 24/7
prayer ministry. She said, "all
generations will call me Blessed"
and "my soul magnifies the
Lord" (Luke 1:46). Catholics think
this is significant.
"The veneration of Mary is
inscribed in the very depths of the
human heart."
(Martin Luther, Sermon -
September 1, 1522)
There is a difference between
veneration of Mary and worship of
Jesus. This was formalized in
writing way back in 757 AD at the
Seventh General Council:
Latria - adoration that is given to
the Trinity alone(col1:15,2:9)
Hyper-dulia - veneration to Mary
(as the mother of God) lk1:41-49)
Dulia - honor paid to saints and
angels(Rev.5:8,mk 12:26-27)
There are plenty of Old Testament
references that distinguish
veneration from worship. "Then
Moses went out to meet his father
in law, and he bowed down and
kissed him.." (Exo 18:7)...(also 1
Chron 29:20, 1 Sam 24:
Some evangelicals say
"consecration" shows that
Catholics worship Mary. The word
"consecrate" means to entrust. I
entrust myself to my closest friends
but only one is my Savior.

corpus et sanguine christi

What Nonsense! This has gat to
stop!
When CL0SE-UP does an advert,
they will show
you someone's teeth and how to
brush properly
When GILETTE Does an advert they
will show
you someone's beards, armpit and
they will show
you how well the shaving stick
works When DETTOL
does an advert they will show you
someone taking his or her bath in
the bathroom
with the soap
But what the hell is wrong with
ALWAYS ULTRA?
When they are doing their advert
they will never
show us anything! All we see is a
girl rolling on her bed
or secondary school girls singing in
the
field... How does that show us
what the pad is
used for? where is the pad going to
now?

Your Eminence, John
Cardinal Onaiyekan, 'the Cardinal Atchbishop of
Abuja,Your Grace, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, the
Archbishop of Jos and President, CBCN ', Your Grace,
Archbishop Anthony J.V Obinna, the Archbishop of
Owerri and Metropolitan of the Owerri Ecclesiastical
Province,Your Grace, Archbishop Augustine Kasujja,
the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria. Your Excellencies, the
Archbishops and Bishops, Superiors Generals and
Provincial Superiors The Secretary General and Staff
of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria .Rt Rev, and
Very Rev. Msgri, Rev. Frs.,Consecrated men and
women of the various orders, Seminarians. His
Excellency, the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas
Okorocha Other governors, Commissioners and
Government Officials Nde ulo anyi, nde Ahiara
Diocese 'Knights of the Church and their ladies,
C.M.O; C.W.O; CYON; HCA. I would have stood before
you with mixed feelings, If anyone were to have
asked me why, that person would have been the only
person in the whole wide world who did not know the
things that had been happening these last months.
The venue of this ordination also confirms that the
dust has not completely settled. I am well aware of
the volatility of the situation and the enormity of the
work ahead in terms of healing of memory and
reconciliation. These notwithstanding, I am at peace.
I am confident and hopeful. I put my faith in God who
knows how to make all things, including our hearts,
new (Rev. 21:5). Providentially, this ordination is
taking place two days after Pentecost and at the Seat
of Wisdom Seminary. I believe that God wants us to
begin our Episcopal ministry 'at a time when we, as
individual Christians and as Church, are experiencing
a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. As my Episcopal
motto "Veni Sancte Spiritus!" shows, I want to carry
out this ministry under the continuous prompting of
the Holy Spirit and see my ministry in terms of
helping my fellow Christians become more available
to the Holy Spirit. The Seat of Wisdom connection
also reminds us of two things: first, the centrality of
our Mother, Mary in the Church and in our ministry.
Providentially still, ours is Maria Mater Ecclesiae
Cathedral. Mary is the Mother of the Church and I
entrust myself and nde ala anyi, nde Ahiara Diocese
niile, to the maternal intercession of Mary, the
Mother of the Church. The second aspect of the Seat
of Wisdom connection is that it is only when we say
Yes to God; when with Mary, we say "let it be done to
me according to your will!" (Lk 1:38) that we will be
overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and that Wisdom,
who is present with God and who understands what
is pleasing in God's sight (Wis 9:9) will take flesh in
our hearts and lives. It is only then that we can also
become seats of wisdom. Here at the Seat of Wisdom
Seminary, my prayer is for the gift of Wisdom for
myself and for nde ebe anyi, nde Ahiara Diocese.
Wisdom is not just native intelligence. Wisdom is also
not got from books. Wisdom is a gift from God and as
Our Mother Mary shows us, we obtain this gift by
saying 'Yes!' unreservedly to God. Saying 'Yes' to God
ordinarily is difficult. Sometimes, God asks things of
us that upturn our expectations. At other times, it is
not the difficulty of what God demands from us that
constitutes the problem but the fact that God has
chosen to speak to us, not directly but through His
Church, which is holy and at the same time clasping
sinners in her bosom. The human element even in
the Church makes people tend to protect themselves
from manipulation by asking the question: how am I
sure that it is God who is asking this or that of me.
This is the challenge of discernment of the Spirit. As
St Paul tells us, we should test and not stifle the
spirit (1 Thess 5: 19). There are canons of
discernment that have been worked out by our
fathers and mothers in the faith. At the centre of
these is obedience of faith. Obedience, Samuel told
Saul, is better than sacrifice and to heed than the fat
of rams (1 Sam 15J2). This does not make obedience
any easier. It involves trust that God is leading the
Church and giving up one's will and preferences after
exercising responsibility by joining in the discernment
process. Obedience invites us to learn to say with
Jesus Christ, "not my will but yours be done" (Lk
22:42). On a personal note, saying 'Yes!' to God as
regards my Episcopal appointment was agonizing.
When the Nuncio informed me some time in
December of the Holy Father's intention to appoint
me Bishop of Ahiara, my immediate impulse was to
say 'thanks but. .. No!' Since that would have been
very impulsive and impolite, I requested to be given
time to pray and think about it. These were some of
the things going on in my mind. First, I have spent
approximately fifteen of the twenty one years of my
priestly life working in the chancery and within this
period I have worked with four bishops. I have
experienced first-hand the agonies and travails of
bishops in spite of the seeming glory. I wanted
something different for myself - the quiet life of a
priest. Second, before my conversation with the
Nuncio, I had asked myself why it was taking so long
to appoint a bishop to the See of Ahiara. News were
flying around and I had heard many stories, founded
or unfounded, about what was going on. My instinct
of self-preservation spontaneously inclined me
towards saying 'No!' The third consideration is what I
call inertia the tendency for objects to remain in a
state of rest or uniform motion unless an external
force is made to act on them. I was happy where I
was and with what I was doing. As these were going
through my mind; it also became clear to me that
without any other reasons to give to the Holy Father,
except these self-serving ones, saying 'No!' would
amount to reneging on my understanding of the core
of my priestly existence as total self-gift to God in the
service of the Church. At my priestly ordination, the
Church confirmed that it was, indeed, the voice of the
Lord that I had been hearing since my childhood,
saying, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" It
was the same Church that authenticated my
response, "here I am, Lord, send me" (Is 6:8-9) and
commissioned me to minister in the name of Jesus
Christ and of the Church. It is in and through the
Church that God speaks to our consciences.
Therefore, without any other reasons except the ones
above, I knew that I could not, not say 'Yes!' to the
Holy Father's request. We are all witnesses to the
torrent unleashed by that response. As the storm
raged, what came to my mind was the interaction
between the Prophet Amos and Amaziah, the priest
of Bethel. Amaziah challenged Amos to take himself
off to Judah, his home country, to earn his living
there and prophesy there. Like Amos, I kept telling
myself that it is the Lord who through the Church, the
Body of Christ, took me and sent me on a mission
(Amos 7:10-15). And I am resolved to give my very
best to make this mission a success and to the glory
of God and building up of God's Kingdom. In a lighter
mood, let me confess that now I know first hand the
emotions women go through when they are getting
married. It is like being transplanted from one
location to another with the uncertainties and
adaptation challenges therefrom. The experience is
made worse if the woman notices signs of non-
acceptance by some in her place of marriage. But
many women know that in spite of the roughness of
the beginnings, better days could be ahead and that
the best way to ensure better days ahead is by loving
and serving all irrespective of what has transpired at
the beginning. Indeed, if left to choose between two
unpleasant options, many women would choose to
weather the turbulence at the beginning and then
cruise lifelong in a fulfilling relationship than to start
the marriage in high romance and then fly into
persistent turbulence. I pitch my tent with the first
group. My ordination today is a celebration of my
marriage to the Church of God in Ahiara. Just like
wives married into your families, I have left my
people and have become onye Ahiara Diocese. I
remember a piece of music by the monks of Weston
Priory in the State of Vermont USA which I love so
much. The monks set into song Ruth's response to
Naomi: "wherever you go, I shall go, wherever you
live, I shall live. Your people will be my people, and
your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I shall
die and there I shall be buried." (Ruth 1:16). I know,
for certain, that at the end of my earthly life, if it is
God's will, my bones will rest n'ala Mbaise. So, as the
turbulence raged, I used the time to educate myself
more about my people, our great history – pre-
colonial, colonial and post-colonial, the teeming
Catholic population, the enormous manpower
resource in the general populace and among the
clergy - diocesan as well as religious - and the many
consecrated men and women working in many parts
of Nigeria, Africa and the world at large. Our people
are the greatest witnesses to the universality of the
Church. Our sons and daughters are found almost
everywhere working as priests and religious men and
women and our lay faithful carry Catholicism with
them wherever they are. In the light of the above, I
understand the anger and frustration generated by
my appointment in some sections of the Diocesan
family as fueled by the undeniable fact of the
enormous pool and quality of manpower that we
have in Ahiara Diocese and in our sons in the
religious congregations. Other sons of ours,
especially from outside the diocese, however tapped
into this initial and understandable frustration and
went on a rhetorical over-drive. They spread a lot of
stories and negative propaganda to cause confusion
and misunderstanding among our peaceful people.
Be that as it may, we stand to learn from every event.
The greatest lesson for me and the Church is our
understanding and manner of exercise of ministry as
priests and bishops. We have to go back to the
understanding of ministry as service in love and total
self-gift in imitation of Jesus Christ, the good
Shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep. This
has been my understanding and the events of the
past months have sharpened that understanding and
commitment. Our first bishop, our Father in the faith,
late Bishop Victor Adibe Chikwe, according to the
account of many people, lived out this understanding
of ministry simple, humble, approachable and
available to all in love and service and above all,
visionary. With your prayers and support, we shall
uphold his legacy. I will work hard, day and night and
with all my strength, as your Bishop, to make sure
that my people of Ahiara take their rightful place in
all levels of our life in the Church and society. Nde
ebe ke anyi, nde Ahiara Diocese, let me address you
personally. First, ours is the lord of history and He
turns everything to the good of those who love Him
(Rom 8:28). The turbulence of the last months and
even the unsettledness of the situation now should
not leave us gloomy, dejected or fearful. I dare say
that nde Ahiara Diocese anyi love God and God will
surely, through the events of the past months,
strengthen us all in faith, hope and love. I want us to
focus our attention on Jesus. Let us remember that
while walking on the sea, Peter started to sink only
when he took his eyes away from Him and focused on
himself and the roaring waves (Matt 14:27-30). Let us
with courage borne out of faith, entrust ourselves to
Jesus, the Good Shepherd who will, through the
ministry we are beginning today in the power of the
Holy Spirit, gather His sheep put under enormous
stress by the events of the last months. May He
bandage the wounded and lead all to greener pasture
and ultimately back to God the Father, so that God
will be all in all. Second, God, in His inscrutable will,
has given us to each other. As your Bishop, I shall do
my best to be a good shepherd, to respect, love and
serve you in humility. I will do everything within my
means to promote the Gospel and enhance the lives
of our people. Third, may I request your prayers and
your pieces of advice. The Church of God in Ahiara
Diocese is not the bishop's. It is primarily God's and
in the-second place, ours. Let us therefore share the
collective responsibility, each in his or her way, for
building her up and contributing to her mission of
announcing the Good News of salvation. Finally, my
dear people of God, nde ebe ke m, nde Ahiara
Diocese, as St. Paul admonished, let us always be
joyful, pray constantly and give thanks for all things
in the knowledge that this is God's will for us in
Christ Jesus (1 Thess 5:12-18). We can give thanks to
God for events of the last months, painful and
confusing though they may be, by taking seriously the
lessons learnt and keeping ourselves open to the
healing touch of God. After all said and done, we are
brothers and sisters in Christ; sons and daughters of
the same Father; we have one Lord, one faith, one
baptism (Eph 4:5); we are one family - the family of
God. Let us thank all those who were at the centre of
the storm - the Metropolitan and the Bishops of the
Province; the Diocesan Administrator, the priests,
religious and lay faithful of Ahiara Diocese; the
Apostolic Nuncio and the Catholic Bishops'
Conference of Nigeria. You have had sleepless nights,
nerve-wracking and tempestuous sessions in the
effort to address the issues that arose. Many of you
were hit by verbal missiles, had mud slung at them,
were misunderstood, called names and persecuted in
one form or another. Please take it as part of the
difficulties you encountered for the sake of the
Gospel and for which Jesus in the Beatitude promised
eternal recompense. (Matt 5: 10). For those who felt
caught in the eye of the hurricane and are still
overwhelmed by the present challenges to our faith,
we believe that God, in His own time, will give us the
courage to overcome these difficulties. Ours is a
forgiving God. He heals and strengthens us in all
situations. In a special way, I thank the few priests
and the many lay faithful of Ahiara - nde Eze, Knights
of the Church and their Ladies - who have stood with
the Holy Father and the hierarchy of the Church in
Nigeria and had ceaselessly prayed for an end to the
stand-off. Please continue to be shining examples of
discipleship in love. To all the Archbishops and
Bishops, the Rector, staff and seminarians of Seat of
Wisdom Seminary and all who have come here today,
I say, in the name of Ahiara Diocese; a big thank you
and may God lead you back safely to your various
destinations. Please continue to pray for us so that
the Holy Spirit, without whom nothing in the human
being is of any price or of worth and nothing can
harmless be, may, as we pray in the Golden Sequence
of Pentecost Sunday, "Lava quod est sordidum, riga
quod est aridum, sana quod est saucium. Flecte quod
est rigidum, fove quod est frigidum, rege quod est
devium. Da tuis fidelibus, in te confidentibus, sacrum
septenarium" (wash our sinful stains away, refresh
from heaven our barren clay, our wounds and bruises
heal. To Your sweet yoke our stiff necks bow, warm
with your fire our hearts of ice, our wandering feet
recall. Grant to Your faithful, dearest Lord, whose
only hope is your sure word, the sevenfold gifts of
grace). God bless you!
+Peter Ebere Okpaleke
Bishop of Ahiara

their priests are even refered to as Rev. Fr.

The Gospel Church of Nigeria also called the Gospel Anglican Church is the Nigerian branch of the
Orthodox Anglican Communion, the largest communion of Anglicans in the world outside Canterbury.
She is part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church, worshipping the One True God, Father, Son
and the Holy Spirit. As an orthodox church she professes the faith uniquely revealed in the Holy
Scriptures and set forth in the catholic creeds, which faith the church is called upon to proclaim afresh
in every generation. Led by the Holy Spirit and committed to the Anglican heritage, the Gospel Anglican
Church bears witness to Christian truth in her historic formularies – The Book of Common Prayer, 1662
edition, the Thirty nine Articles of Religion and the Ordinal (ordering of Bishops, Priests and Deacons).
That witness is borne through the Word of God and the Sacraments.
As a result of the departure from Anglican Biblical Orthodoxy by the Church of Nigeria of the Canterbury
Communion, a departure characterized by cultism, repression, discrimination and intolerance, the Gospel
Anglican Church was raised up to guide the faithful back to the simplicity of the faith and the liberty of
the spirit in the bond peace, a liberty endowed by the Scriptures and guaranteed by the tradition of the
apostolic church, a tradition that sees every man as a unique and eternal soul rather than a dispensable
numeral.
Since September 2001, the Gospel Anglican Church has flown the banner of that liberty in Nigeria and
beyond. The Gospel Anglican Church relishes and reclaims the spiritual equilibrium of the first century church
– pentecostal in power, apostolic in doctrine, charismatic in action and evangelical in practice.
The Gospel Anglican Church presently has several parishes in Nigeria and Cameroon. She is led by
bishops who trace their Apostolic Succession through the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
enjoys the same Episcopal succession as the See of Canterbury, among others.
The Most Rev. Dr. Max Virgin Chukwuereka Iheanachor is the founding Archbishop of the Gospel
Anglican Church, and Prelate of the Orthodox Anglican Communion in Nigeria
BUT WHY DO THEY IMITATE EVERYTHING CATHOLIC...
THEIR MASS IS JUST D SAME FROM BEGINING TO THE END INCLUDING VESTMENTS AND READINGS?

Nigeria’s leading prelate has welcomed a government proposal to explore amnesty negotiations with Boko Haram, but made clear that he supports amnesty only if members of the militant Islamist organization repent and make restitution to their victims.

“To continue on the path of simple repression alone does not solve the problem of Boko Haram,” said Cardinal John Onaiyekan of Abuja. “On the contrary it worsens things. So we have to at least consider the possibility of another way of doing things.”

“The amnesty for Boko Haram must be considered as an option to stop the violence,” he continued. “In any war at some point you have to start talking among the contenders and I think that now is the moment. It is better to talk than shoot.”

“In one of my recent speeches, however, I also made it clear that we cannot talk of granting amnesty to those who do not recognize the evil they have done, by repenting,” he added. “Secondly, they must be ready to pay for the evil done, and reimburse the victims. Without these two conditions, amnesty cannot be offered.”

Cardinal Onaiyekan’s guarded support for amnesty negotiations appeared to be at odds with the blanket opposition expressed by several other prelates.

Archbishop Felix Alaba Job of Ibadan wondered why Nigeria should “grant amnesty to vandals of human souls and bodies,” and retired Bishop Julius Babatunde Adelakun, who governed the Diocese of Oyo from 1973 to 2009, compared the proposal to “granting amnesty to terrorists – it is unthinkable.”

Bishop Felix Ajakaye of Ekiti added that amnesty could be tantamount to supporting injustice. “And when you go on granting amnesty to this sect, what about the victims of the Boko Haram's insurgency?” he asked.

Nigeria’s leading prelate has welcomed a government proposal to explore amnesty negotiations with Boko Haram, but made clear that he supports amnesty only if members of the militant Islamist organization repent and make restitution to their victims.

“To continue on the path of simple repression alone does not solve the problem of Boko Haram,” said Cardinal John Onaiyekan of Abuja. “On the contrary it worsens things. So we have to at least consider the possibility of another way of doing things.”

“The amnesty for Boko Haram must be considered as an option to stop the violence,” he continued. “In any war at some point you have to start talking among the contenders and I think that now is the moment. It is better to talk than shoot.”

“In one of my recent speeches, however, I also made it clear that we cannot talk of granting amnesty to those who do not recognize the evil they have done, by repenting,” he added. “Secondly, they must be ready to pay for the evil done, and reimburse the victims. Without these two conditions, amnesty cannot be offered.”

Cardinal Onaiyekan’s guarded support for amnesty negotiations appeared to be at odds with the blanket opposition expressed by several other prelates.

Archbishop Felix Alaba Job of Ibadan wondered why Nigeria should “grant amnesty to vandals of human souls and bodies,” and retired Bishop Julius Babatunde Adelakun, who governed the Diocese of Oyo from 1973 to 2009, compared the proposal to “granting amnesty to terrorists – it is unthinkable.”

Bishop Felix Ajakaye of Ekiti added that amnesty could be tantamount to supporting injustice. “And when you go on granting amnesty to this sect, what about the victims of the Boko Haram's insurgency?” he asked.

@alex, i dont like comnenting here because u pentecostals wont like to blive even after seeing d truth. jesus wouldnt have put all authoeity on d bible alone(as we have it today)because in his time they were other sacred writings which were used by d jews since jesus was a jew and d earlly xtians. in mat.28 jesus sent his church to go and preach and dat he will b wit dem till end of d world. so d authority should be on d church not bible. i know dis will b difficult for u since u feal dat d church's teachings are wrong but d truth is dat d church is not wrong because of d promise of christ. if bible alone is d authority st. paul wont have told us to stick to tradition(Gods words and d deeds of d apostles passed down by wors of mouth no written).
DID MARY ASK US TO PRAY THROUGH HER?
most of d teachings in d bible were never direct. for instance, jesus never opened his mouth to say"i am GOD" but we believe he is God since d bible said so using oda things he said, like"i and d father are one" so mary's intersection also come from d bible as well as tradition (d wedding at cana is a good example). u must forget those who say mary is dead like DESIKA because it means dat anybeing not physically alive is dead when d bible says otherwise. pls see d truth and not argue blindly

most people say catholic priests molest kids which is not a lie but y will a pastor who can marry as he wills molest children

Ado-Ekiti – An Ado-Ekiti
Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday
ordered that a pastor, Ilesanmi
Emmauel of Christ Apostolic
Church, be remanded in prison for
alleged rape of a minor.
Magistrate Adefunke Ajibade
ordered that the accused be
remanded in prison custody
pending the advice of the state
Director of Public Prosecution.
Ajibade described the case as a
pathetic one, especially as it
involved a minor and a person that
should be a father and shepherd of
flocks in public church.
Prosecutor Curtis Enabulele told
the court that the accused
committed the offence on July 12
at Ikere-Ekiti.
Enabulele alleged that the accused
unlawfully had sexual intercourse
with a minor, who is a member of
his church which resulted to
pregnancy.
The prosecutor said that the
offence contravened Section 23(d)
of the Child Rights Law of Ekiti
State, 2007.
According to him, the duplicate
case file has been forwarded to
the DPP, Ministry of Justice for
advice.
The Counsel to the accused, Mr
Oluwaseyi Adeniyi, urged the
court to grant his client bail and
assured that he would not jump
bail.
The Counsel to International
Federation of Female lawyers
(FIDA), Ekiti chapter, Mrs Foluke
Dada, opposed the application.
Dada said that bail if granted
would be a threat to other
children in the church and the
society at large.
She told the court that the
accused had threatened that the
victim would die within seven days
if she confessed to anyone that he
raped her.
Ajibade adjourned the case to
April 4, for further hearing. (NAN)

Ado-Ekiti – An Ado-Ekiti
Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday
ordered that a pastor, Ilesanmi
Emmauel of Christ Apostolic
Church, be remanded in prison for
alleged rape of a minor.
Magistrate Adefunke Ajibade
ordered that the accused be
remanded in prison custody
pending the advice of the state
Director of Public Prosecution.
Ajibade described the case as a
pathetic one, especially as it
involved a minor and a person that
should be a father and shepherd of
flocks in public church.
Prosecutor Curtis Enabulele told
the court that the accused
committed the offence on July 12
at Ikere-Ekiti.
Enabulele alleged that the accused
unlawfully had sexual intercourse
with a minor, who is a member of
his church which resulted to
pregnancy.
The prosecutor said that the
offence contravened Section 23(d)
of the Child Rights Law of Ekiti
State, 2007.
According to him, the duplicate
case file has been forwarded to
the DPP, Ministry of Justice for
advice.
The Counsel to the accused, Mr
Oluwaseyi Adeniyi, urged the
court to grant his client bail and
assured that he would not jump
bail.
The Counsel to International
Federation of Female lawyers
(FIDA), Ekiti chapter, Mrs Foluke
Dada, opposed the application.
Dada said that bail if granted
would be a threat to other
children in the church and the
society at large.
She told the court that the
accused had threatened that the
victim would die within seven days
if she confessed to anyone that he
raped her.
Ajibade adjourned the case to
April 4, for further hearing. (NAN)

Pope Francis living simple life in Domus
Santa Marta
(Vatican Radio) Director of the Holy See’s
Press Office Father Lombardi told the
journalists that after his election in the
Sistine Chapel, Pope Francis didn’t sit on
the special throne chair to receive the
oath of obedience and homage from his
brother cardinals but stood instead.
When it came to his attire, Francis wore a
simple white cassock with no red
“mozzetta” (cape) and also chose to wear
his own simple pectoral cross.
Father Lombardi also made clear that the
new Pope should be known as Francis, not
Francis the First, given that he is the first
Pope to choose this name in honor of St
Francis of Assisi.
The Director of the Holy See’s press office
also revealed another incident that made
clear Pope Francis’s desire to avoid pomp
when it came to the ride back to the Santa
Marta Hotel after his election. He said a
“special papal limousine” with the number
plates SCV I had been prepared for the
new Pope but he declined to ride in it back
to the hotel, saying he preferred to go
back in the bus along with all the other
cardinals.
Father Lombardi also revealed how
following his visit to St. Mary Major, Pope
Francis went to the Casa del Clero in
Rome’s Via Della Scrofa, (a guest house for
priests) where he had been staying before
the start of the conclave and collected his
luggage and paid the bill for his room,
saying he wanted “to give a good example
to others.”
He said Pope Francis had spoken by
telephone to Benedict XVI after his
election but there are no immediate plans
for the two men to meet in person.
More details on the way Pope Francis is
living the papacy emerged: At the Domus
Santa Marta, the Pope just sits where
there is a place available in the dining hall.
He concelebrated Mass in the Domus
Santa Marta Friday morning with several of
the Cardinals, and he gave a homily
without a prepared text.
It was confirmed that on Wednesday
evening, Pope Francis called the Apostolic
Nuncio in Argentina to tell him to tell the
people of the country not to come to the
Installation Mass and to use the money to
help the poor. The Nuncio also informed
Father Lombardi that many people of
Argentina are going to confession for the
first time in many years.

2013-03-13 Vatican Radio
Brothers and sisters good evening.
You all know that the duty of the
Conclave was to give a bishop to Rome. It
seems that my brother Cardinals have
come almost to the ends of the earth to
get him… but here we are. I thank you
for the welcome that has come from the
diocesan community of Rome.
First of all I would say a prayer pray for
our Bishop Emeritus Benedict XVI.. Let us
all pray together for him, that the Lord
bless him and Our Lady protect him.
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory to the Father…
And now let us begin this journey, the
Bishop and people, this journey of the
Church of Rome which presides in charity
over all the Churches, a journey of
brotherhood in love, of mutual trust. Let
us always pray for one another. Let us
pray for the whole world that there might
be a great sense of brotherhood . My
hope is that this journey of the Church
that we begin today, together with help
of my Cardinal Vicar, be fruitful for the
evangelization of this beautiful city.
And now I would like to give the blessing,
but first I want to ask you a favour.
Before the bishop blesses the people I
ask that you would pray to the Lord to
bless me – the prayer of the people for
their Bishop. Let us say this prayer – your
prayer for me – in silence.
[The Protodeacon announced that all
those who received the blessing, either in
person or by radio, television or by the
new means of communication receive the
plenary indulgence in the form
established by the Church. He prayed
that Almighty God protect and guard the
Pope so that he may lead the Church for
many years to come, and that he would
grant peace to the Church throughout the
world.]
[Immediately afterwards Pope Francis
gave his first blessing Urbi et Orbi – To
the City and to the World.]
I will now give my blessing to you and to
the whole world, to all men and women
of good will.
Brothers and sisters, I am leaving you.
Thank you for your welcome. Pray for me
and I will be with you again soon.
We will see one another soon.
Tomorrow I want to go to pray the
Madonna, that she may protect Rome.
Good night and sleep well!

my question is: y will their website b gmail
i tot dis is a federal govt agency

ya, dats y its brief or short. i wish u can post d complete one so dat they will know and believe.

The Stations of the Cross
As early as the 4th century, Christian
pilgrims to the Holy Land would walk
the route that Our Lord walked as He
made His way to Golgotha for our
salvation.
When Muslims captured Jerusalem and
it became too dangerous to make this
pilgrimage, Christians replicated the
sites back home in Europe, and there
developed the "Stations of the Cross"
devotion, also known as "Way of the
Cross," "Via Dolorosa," or "Via Crucis."
The devotion consists of meditating on
14 events -- that number being fixed in
1731 by Pope Clement XII -- which
took place during Christ's Passion, from
His being condemned to His burial.
Franciscans popularized the devotion,
which was originally made outside,
often along roads to shrines or
churches.
The Way of the Cross can still be made
outside, of course, but is usually made
inside nowadays, especially during the
Season of Lent and most especially on
Good Friday.
If you enter a Catholic Church and look
along the walls of the nave, you should
see 14 representations on the walls
which depict 14 events of Christ's
Passion that have been singled out for
contemplation. It is at these blessed
artistic representations, these
"stations" -- which can be painted,
carved or engraved, topped with a
wooden Cross -- that the Way of the
Cross is made during public liturgy.
The Way of the Cross can also be made
privately, even at home, with or
without "visual aids."
When the Way of the Cross is made in
groups, each person first makes the
Sign of the Cross, makes an Act of
Contrition (i.e., expresses penitence
through prayer) and mentally intends
to gain indulgences, for himself or
another. Then, typically, at each
station:
- the leader will announce the name of
the station
- the leader will lead with a statement
of praise, such as "We adore Thee O
Christ and we bless Thee"
- the people will respond, with, for
example, using the above acclamation,
"Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast
redeemed the world."
- the leader will read a meditative
reading, upon which all should
meditate in penitence, thanking God
for His sacrifice and uniting himself
with that sacrifice (often by identifying
with Mary)
- all pray an Our Father
- all pray a Hail Mary
- all pray a Glory Be
- traditionally, between the stations,
successive stanzas of the hymn called
Stabat Mater are sung -- a hymn known
since at least 1388 A.D. and possibly
written by Pope Innocent III who died
in 1216 A.D.
The most popular way of making the
Stations of the Cross is to use the
meditations written by St. Alphonsus
Liguori (A.D. 1696-1787); that method
(including meditations, prayers and the
Stabat Mater Dolorosa - Sorrows of
Mary - stanzas).
Making the Way of the Cross carries
with it a partial indulgence under the
usual conditions. To gain a plenary
indulgence, the following norms must
be followed, in addition to the usual
conditions:
- The pious exercise must be made
before stations of the Way of the Cross
legitimately erected.
- For the erection of the Way of the
Cross fourteen crosses are required, to
which it is customary to add fourteen
pictures or images, which represent
the stations of Jerusalem.
- According to the more common
practice, the pious exercise consists of
fourteen pious readings, to which some
vocal prayers are added. However,
nothing more is required than a pious
meditation on the Passion and Death of
the Lord, which need not be a
particular consideration of the
individual mysteries of the stations.
- A movement from one station to the
next is required. But if the pious
exercise is made publicly and if it is not
possible for all taking part to go in an
orderly way from station to station, it
suffices if at least the one conducting
the exercise goes from station to
station, the others remaining in their
place.
Those who are "impeded" can gain the
same indulgence if they spend at least
half an hour in pious reading and
meditation on the Passion and Death of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
The 14 Stations of the Cross:
Jesus is Condemned to Die
Jesus is Made to Bear His Cross
Jesus Falls the First Time
Jesus Meets His Mother
Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
Veronica Wipes Jesus' Face
Jesus Falls the Second Time
Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
Jesus Falls the Third Time
Jesus is Stripped
Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
Jesus Dies on the Cross
Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross
Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

what point do u think u made with dis post? everybody wants to write on d sins of anoda while it is clear dat d writer(s) is also a sinner.smh

Below is a translation of Pope
Benedict XVI’s final General
Audience address in St. Peter's
Square Wednesday from Vatican
Radio and published on the
church’s news Web site:
Venerable brothers in the
episcopate and in the priesthood!
Distinguished authorities! Dear
brothers and sisters!
Thank you for coming in such large
numbers to this last General
Audience of my pontificate.
Like the Apostle Paul in the biblical
text that we have heard, I feel in
my heart the paramount duty to
thank God, who guides the church
and makes her grow: who sows his
word and thus nourishes the faith
in his people. At this moment my
spirit reaches out to embrace the
whole church throughout the
world, and I thank God for the
“news” that in these years of
Petrine ministry I have been able
to receive regarding the faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ, and the charity
that circulates in the body of the
church – charity that makes the
church to live in love – and of the
hope that opens for us the way
towards the fullness of life, and
directs us towards the heavenly
homeland.
I feel I [ought to] carry everyone in
prayer, in a present that is God’s,
where I recall every meeting, every
voyage, every pastoral visit. I
gather everyone and every thing in
prayerful recollection, in order to
entrust them to the Lord: in order
that we might have full knowledge
of his will, with every wisdom and
spiritual understanding, and in
order that we might comport
ourselves in a manner that is
worthy of him, of his, bearing fruit
in every good work (cf. Col 1:9-10).
At this time, I have within myself a
great trust [in God], because I
know – all of us know – that the
Gospel’s word of truth is the
strength of the church: it is her life.
The Gospel purifies and renews: it
bears fruit wherever the
community of believers hears and
welcomes the grace of God in truth
and lives in charity. This is my
faith, this is my joy.
When, almost eight years ago, on
April 19th, [2005], I agreed to take
on the Petrine ministry, I held
steadfast in this certainty, which
has always accompanied me. In
that moment, as I have already
stated several times, the words that
resounded in my heart were:
“Lord, what do you ask of me? It a
great weight that you place on my
shoulders, but, if you ask me, at
your word I will throw out the nets,
sure that you will guide me” – and
the Lord really has guided me. He
has been close to me: daily could I
feel his presence. [These years]
have been a stretch of the church’s
pilgrim way, which has seen
moments joy and light, but also
difficult moments. I have felt like
St. Peter with the Apostles in the
boat on the Sea of Galilee: the Lord
has given us many days of sunshine
and gentle breeze, days in which
the catch has been abundant;
[then] there have been times when
the seas were rough and the wind
against us, as in the whole history
of the church it has ever been - and
the Lord seemed to sleep.
Nevertheless, I always knew that
the Lord is in the barque, that the
barque of the church is not mine,
not ours, but his - and he shall not
let her sink. It is he, who steers
her: to be sure, he does so also
through men of his choosing, for he
desired that it be so. This was and
is a certainty that nothing can
tarnish. It is for this reason, that
today my heart is filled with
gratitude to God, for never did he
leave me or the church without his
consolation, his light, his love.
We are in the Year of Faith, which I
desired in order to strengthen our
own faith in God in a context that
seems to push faith more and more
toward the margins of life. I would
like to invite everyone to renew
firm trust in the Lord. I would like
that we all, entrust ourselves as
children to the arms of God, and
rest assured that those arms
support us and us to walk every
day, even in times of struggle. I
would like everyone to feel loved
by the God who gave his son for us
and showed us his boundless love. I
want everyone to feel the joy of
being Christian. In a beautiful
prayer to be recited daily in the
morning says, “I adore you, my
God, I love you with all my heart. I
thank you for having created me,
for having made me a Christian.”
Yes, we are happy for the gift of
faith: it is the most precious good,
that no one can take from us! Let
us thank God for this every day,
with prayer and with a coherent
Christian life. God loves us, but He
also expects that we love him!
At this time, however, it is not only
God, whom I desire to thank. A
pope is not alone in guiding St.
Peter’s barque, even if it is his first
responsibility – and I have not ever
felt myself alone in bearing either
the joys or the weight of the
Petrine ministry. The Lord has
placed next to me many people,
who, with generosity and love for
God and the church, have helped
me and been close to me. First of
all you, dear brother cardinals:
your wisdom, your counsels, your
friendship, were all precious to me.
My collaborators, starting with my
secretary of state, who
accompanied me faithfully over the
years, the secretariat of state and
the whole Roman Curia, as well as
all those who, in various areas, give
their service to the Holy See: the
many faces which never emerge,
but remain in the background, in
silence, in their daily commitment,
with a spirit of faith and humility.
They have been for me a sure and
reliable support. A special thought
[goes] to the Church of Rome, my
diocese! I can not forget the
brothers in the episcopate and in
the priesthood, the consecrated
persons and the entire people of
God: in pastoral visits, in public
encounters, at audiences, in
traveling, I have always received
great care and deep affection; I
also loved each and every one,
without exception, with that
pastoral charity which is the heart
of every shepherd, especially the
Bishop of Rome, the Successor of
the Apostle Peter. Every day I
carried each of you in my prayers,
with the father’s heart.
I wish my greetings and my thanks
to reach everyone: the heart of a
pope expands to [embrace] the
whole world. I would like to
express my gratitude to the
diplomatic corps accredited to the
Holy See, which makes present the
great family of nations. Here I also
think of all those who work for
good communication, whom I thank
for their important service.
At this point I would like to offer
heartfelt thanks to all the many
people throughout the whole
world, who, in recent weeks have
sent me moving tokens of concern,
friendship and prayer. Yes, the
pope is never alone: now I
experience this [truth] again in a
way so great as to touch my very
heart. The pope belongs to
everyone, and so many people feel
very close to him. It’s true that I
receive letters from the world’s
greatest figures - from the heads of
state, religious leaders,
representatives of the world of
culture and so on. I also receive
many letters from ordinary people
who write to me simply from their
heart and let me feel their
affection, which is born of our
being together in Christ Jesus, in
the church. These people do not
write me as one might write, for
example, to a prince or a great
figure one does not know. They
write as brothers and sisters, sons
and daughters, with the sense of
very affectionate family ties. Here,
one can touch what the church is –
not an organization, not an
association for religious or
humanitarian purposes, but a living
body, a community of brothers and
sisters in the body of Jesus Christ,
who unites us all. To experience
the church in this way and almost
be able to touch with one’s hands
the power of his truth and his love,
is a source of joy, in a time in which
many speak of its decline.
In recent months, I felt that my
strength had decreased, and I
asked God with insistence in prayer
to enlighten me with his light to
make me take the right decision –
not for my sake, but for the good of
the church. I have taken this step in
full awareness of its severity and
also its novelty, but with a deep
peace of mind. Loving the church
also means having the courage to
make difficult, trying choices,
having ever before oneself the
good of the church and not one’s
own.
Here allow me to return once again
to April 19, 2005. The gravity of the
decision was precisely in the fact
that from that moment on I was
committed always and forever by
the Lord. Always – he, who assumes
the Petrine ministry no longer has
any privacy. He belongs always and
totally to everyone, to the whole
church. His life is, so to speak,
totally deprived of the private
sphere. I have felt, and I feel even
in this very moment, that one
receives one’s life precisely when
he offers it as a gift. I said before
that many people who love the
Lord also love the Successor of
Saint Peter and are fond of him,
that the pope has truly brothers
and sisters, sons and daughters all
over the world, and that he feels
safe in the embrace of their
communion, because he no longer
belongs to himself, but he belongs
to all and all are truly his own.
The “always” is also a “forever” --
there is no returning to private life.
My decision to forgo the exercise of
active ministry, does not revoke
this. I do not return to private life,
to a life of travel, meetings,
receptions, conferences and so on. I
do not abandon the cross, but
remain in a new way near to the
crucified Lord. I no longer wield
the power of the office for the
government of the church, but in
the service of prayer I remain, so to
speak, within St. Peter’s bounds. St.
Benedict, whose name I bear as
pope, shall be a great example in
this for me. He showed us the way
to a life which, active or passive,
belongs wholly to the work of God.
I thank each and every one of you
for the respect and understanding
with which you have welcomed this
important decision. I continue to
accompany the church on her way
through prayer and reflection, with
the dedication to the Lord and to
his bride, which I have hitherto
tried to live daily and that I would
live forever. I ask you to remember
me before God, and above all to
pray for the cardinals, who are
called to so important a task, and
for the new Successor of Peter, that
the Lord might accompany him
with the light and the power of His
Spirit.
Let us invoke the maternal
intercession of Mary, Mother of
God and of the church, that she
might accompany each of us and
the whole ecclesial community: to
her we entrust ourselves, with
deep trust.
Dear friends! God guides his
church, maintains her always, and
especially in difficult times. Let us
never lose this vision of faith, which
is the only true vision of the way of
the church and the world. In our
heart, in the heart of each of you,
let there be always the joyous
certainty that the Lord is near, that
he does not abandon us, that he is
near to us and that he surrounds us
with his love. Thank you!

Pope Benedict’s
renouncement of the
papal office this week has
spurred a rash of
questions about the
purported prophecies of
St. Malachy. “Will
Benedict’s successor be
the last pope?” “Are we
headed into a period of
great tribulation?” “Will
the world end soon?”
The last time we fielded
so many such questions at
Catholic Answers was
about eight years ago
shortly after the death of
Blessed John Paul II. This
makes sense because the prophecies in
question concern the identities of popes
from the twelfth century to the end of
time. This time around it is a little
different though because there is only
one more pope identified after Benedict
XVI: “Petrus Romanus” (Latin for “Peter
the Roman”).
St. Malachy was an Irish bishop who lived
in the twelfth century. He died in 1148
and his close friend St. Bernard of
Clairvaux wrote his biography shortly
afterward. St. Malachy was canonized in
1190 by Pope Clement III. Throughout
this entire period there was never any
mention of St. Malachy’s prophecies
concerning the identities of future popes.
In fact, not until the year 1590–four
hundred years after St. Malachy’s
canonization–did his prophecies surface.
Interestingly, 1590 was the same year
Pope Sixtus V died and his successor was
elected. At the time, every pope who had
reigned during the prior four hundred
forty seven years had been correctly
identified by St. Malachy. Sixtus V’s
successor, Urban VII, ended that. There
was another candidate for the papacy that
year who did fit St. Malachy’s prophetic
identification but he was not elected.
Since that time, interpreters have had to
perform contorted acrobatics with St.
Malachy’s cryptic prophetic phrases in
order to somehow vaguely relate them to
the identities of the successive popes. In
many cases it just cannot be done. In
other cases, doing so is a stretch, at best.
For example, the Latin phrase identifying
our current pope is “Gloria
olivioe” (“Glory of olives”). To make this
fit Pope Benedict, many interpreters
follow a train of thought something like
this: Joseph Ratzinger chose the name
Benedict; St. Benedict founded the
Benedictines; formally affiliated with the
Benedictines since 1960 is the Order of
Our Lady of Mt. Olivet (the Olivetans);
thus Pope Benedict XVI is the “Glory of
the olives”. It’s something akin to Kevin
Bacon’s “six degrees of separation”.
Considering all these facts, most
historians have concluded that the
purported prophecies were a sixteenth
century forgery that failed to sway the
electorate of 1590. Nevertheless, the
prophecies were published in 1595 and
they have continued to be an item of
curiosity and speculation ever since,
especially whenever a new pope is
elected.
In regard to people who still choose to
believe in the authenticity of the
prophecies today, it is important to note
that the prophecies do not actually
predict the timing of tribulation or of the
end of the world. The Catholic
Encyclopedia, published over 100 years
ago, explains:
It has been noticed concerning Petrus
Romanus, who according to St. Malachy's
list is to be the last pope, that the
prophecy does not say that no popes shall
intervene between him and his
predecessor designated Gloria olivioe. It
merely says that he is to be the last, so
that we may suppose as many popes as
we please before "Peter the Roman".
St. Malachy, pray for us.

February 1, 2013 | 8:00 pm
afcon 2013
There was a big relief and cheery
news for the Super Eagles of
Nigeria when Confederation of
African Football, CAF, confirmed
Chelsea’s Mikel Obi eligible to play
against Cote d’Ivoire on Sunday in
the quarter finals of the Nations
Cup.
There has been so much
apprehension in the Nigerian
team that Mikel had gotten two
yellow cards and stands suspended
in the crucial game against Cote
d’Ivoire.
Super Eagles midfielder, Mikel
Obi cleared to play against Cote
D’Ivoire
CAF co-ordinator, Emmanuel
Maradas cleared the air Friday
when he said that only Fegor
Ogude from the Nigerian team
would miss the quarter final match
due to two yellow cards he got
during the preliminaries.
Speaking on Ogude’suspension,
Keshi said that it was a shame that
he would not be on duty but
quickly added that he had enough
fire power that would make up for
his absence.
“We would have been happy for
him to play but we have good
players, 23 of them registered to
be on duty on situations like this”.

By Emeka Mamah
Facts are now emerging that the
Catholic Church actually withdrew
from the Christain Association of
Nigeria, CAN, with effect from
September last year.
Sources told Saturday Vanguard
that the Catholic Bishops
Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, had
in a letter announced the church’s
withdrawal to the Pastor Ayo
Oritsejafor- led national leadership
of CAN on September 24, last year
on the complain that it was being
sidelined in some of the major
decisions of the association.
The letter entitled, ‘’Our Concern
for Christian Unity,’’ and signed on
behalf of the CBCN by the
Catholic Archbishop of Jos, Most.
Rev. Ignatius Kaigama was
addressed to the President of
CAN, Pastor Oritsejafor.
The letter reads, “We wish to bring
to your notice the concern of the
Catholic bloc of the association
over some recent attitudes,
utterances and actions of the
national leadership of CAN, which
in our opinion negate the concept
of the foundation of the
association and the desire of Our
Lord Jesus Christ ‘That they All
May Be One.’
’’The CBCN bloc hereby suspends
participation in CAN meetings at
the national level until such a time
the leadership of CAN reverse to
the original vision, mission and
objectives of CAN. We have been
compelled to take this painful
decision because of the following
reasons:
’’That the present state of CAN
has departed from the original
concept of her founding fathers of
which our bloc is a prominent
stakeholder.
’’That the motto of CAN ‘That they
All may be one’ is not taken as a
priority. We note a total neglect of
Ecumenism and unwillingness to
learn the theological foundations
of Christian unity.
The Directorate of Ecumenism and
interfaith which is one of the
missions of CAN is not given a
priority attention to promote
peace and unity in the nation
which is the mandate of Christ to
all Christians.
That CAN is being dragged into
partisan politics, thereby
compromising its ability to play its
true role as conscience of the
nation and the voice of the
voiceless.
’’That there is not enough respect
for and involvement of all the
blocs of CAN in major decisions
and activities. That CAN is no
longer acting on consensus on
major issues.
CAN is not a mega church but an
association of different churches.
Therefore any claims by the
President to be the leader of
Christians in Nigeria must take this
into account.
We remain committed to the
promotion of Christian unity in the
country. We recall our major
contributions at the foundation
and growth of the association.
That is why we are compelled to
call your attention to the
anomalies we see now.
We remain open to further
discussions and dialogue while we
pray for the light of the Holy Spirit
to guide us all to a better future.’’

and we will want to see
that what we pay should not be
different from any other African
country.” eheee, so u mean dat we pay higher?

aglomar: All these peanut jobs. Anyway it's better than nothing.

must u say rubish?