Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – Nigeria is a “workshop for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue,” however where the religious differences are used for political purposes. This is what Agenzia Fides learned in an interview with several Nigerian Bishops.
“The Church in Nigeria is experiencing a time of growth: we have a lot of vocations to the diocesan clergy, religious life, and we should mention the great many catechists that help the priests in the work of evangelization. The country is developing, from a political, social, and economic point of view and the Church participates in all this, with her contribution to the promotion of the human person,” said Archbishop Felix Alaba Adeosin Job of Ibadan, President of the Nigerian Bishops' Conference.
In the international media, Nigeria is often reported on in regards to religious violence, often described as “fighting between Muslims and Christians.”
The President of the Bishops' Conference describes a more complex scene, where interreligious violence is an exception and not the norm.
“Nigeria, after Indonesia, is the country with the highest Muslim population. Christians and Muslims live in peace amongst each other. Perhaps a conflict emerges between one group and another. But the interests in this conflict are not so much of a religious nature, but of a political and ethnic nature. Thus, one cannot foresee when violence will explode. For example, last September, the Nigerian Bishops' Conference held a Plenary Meeting in Jos, in northern Nigeria, where there is a Muslim majority, and two months later is when the serious violence broke out in the city. However, the cause of these events is political. The incidents took place right after local government elections, in fact. There are also ethnic tensions. In reporting on the fighting, and according to convenience, the terms 'religious' are used, instead of 'ethnic' or 'political,'” Archbishop Job explained.
In Nigeria, there are various initiatives for promoting ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. The dialogue among the Christian Churches takes place in the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), an association that includes the major Christian denominations of Nigeria,” says the President of the Nigerian Bishops' Conference. “Through CAN, we try to face problems like the challenge presented to Christianity by new religions. We try to educate the people as a Christian community. We have meetings and prayer time together. In this way, we do not judge things in terms of majority or minority in relationship to the other Christian denominations, because we work together so that all Christians may be one,” added Bishop Camillus Archibong Etokudoh of Ikot Ekpene, in southeast Nigeria.
“As for interreligious dialogue,” Archbishop Job said, the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NAIREC) has been created. It is an association formed by Christian and Muslim religious leaders.”
“Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja is Co-President of NAIREC on a national level. This interreligious association is supported by the State, but it was us as Christians and Muslims who founded it, in order to enter into a common forum where we could enter into dialogue on the difficulties of our communities, as well as collaborate with one another. NAIREC hopes to establish local associations in all the 36 states of Nigeria, including the capital of Abuja. Unfortunately, the association is not yet present in all the Nigerian states, but we are working on that,” the President of the Nigerian Bishops' Conference concluded. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 9/3/2009)
