Lagos (Fides Service) - The Catholic Church in Nigeria has joined the Christian Association of Nigeria in requesting a change in the date of the next elections, 19 April, because that day is Holy Saturday. "In the Christian calendar", the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria said in a statement after e plenary meeting, "Saturday 19th April 2003 is Holy Saturday, a sacred day of prayer and reflection on the central reality of our faith, namely the passion, death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Having elections that day poses an unnecessary conflict for Christians between their religious and civic duties. For these reasons, the date chosen for the presidential and gubernatorial elections {of governors] is unacceptable to us".
The Bishops suggest an alternative: "Along with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) we ask that the election day be changed to a more suitable date after Easter. We hereby propose Tuesday 22nd April 2003 as a suitable date".
In Nigeria has some 16, 579,000 Catholics out of a population of 115 million. There are 48 dioceses, 1,752 parishes, 26 mission stations with resident priest and 1032 without. There are 51 bishops, 2,995 diocesan priests, 602 religious priests, 501 Brothers, 3,464 Sisters and 26,560 catechists. In Nigeria Muslims are 53 million, there are 6.3 million Anglicans, 18 million Protestant or reform Christians as well as 8.3 million other Christians of various denominations. LM (Fides Service 26/3/2003 EM lines 20 Words: 243)