The Catholic Church has been urged to cooperate more effectively with security agencies to curb the unending spate of kidnappings and criminalities across Nigeria.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty, who was on a 4-day Pastoral visit to the Archdiocese of Calabar, made the call while speaking to some journalists at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, southern Nigeria.
Archbishop Crotty, who was received by the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Calabar, Archbishop Joseph Ekuwem, the Auxiliary Bishop of Calabar, Bishop Christopher Naseri, priests and the Laity, emphasized that the Catholic church was principled in the its security decision.
The Apostolic Nuncio stated, “We need to nip this plague on society in its bud. Unfortunately, the reality is when ransoms are being paid, they only provoke its continuation and the church has said, on numerous occasions, that the church will never pay ransoms.
“So, the church’s position is that we cooperate with the legitimate authorities, who have the primary responsibility for safety and security and for addressing criminality and bringing those responsible for criminalities to justice and keeping people safe.
“The church will continue at its local level to cooperate with all people of goodwill, who will work to make Nigeria a safer place for Nigerians, noting “all Nigerians seek to be safe and secure in their own homes, in their own towns and want to travel to the countryside in safety and security.”
He acknowledged that in the past, people could take their safety and security for granted, describing the current heightened insecurity as “a great tragedy that people do not have that safety” and called on the government is to ensure security of all its citizens including anyone, who may be subject to threats because of who they are or what they are.
Archbishop Crotty reasoned that problems do arise due to a breakdown of security and sometimes authorities allowing criminality to go unchecked, unpunished, insisting “everyone has a part to play and I am sure the Catholic Church leaders in Calabar and across the state would engage at all levels with civil societies, state and federal governments to address this issue.”
On the upholding educational standards across primary and secondary schools established by the Catholic church, the Nuncio maintained that due to the important role of education in the spread of the gospel, insisting on standards remained cardinal.
The Pope’s representative said, “the greatest success of the missionary endeavour in Nigeria has been through its school system, educating people and bringing them to their full potential so they can come to the Knowledge of God. Education is very important for promoting good virtue, moral standards and contributing to society.
“So, Catholic schools are open to people from all backgrounds because education is something that we all share as necessary for the full development of children and helping them grow into young adults, who will contribute to society’s needs in future.”
He commended Archbishop Ekuwem and others for deliberate actions that were building godly faith, expanding the church and promoting peace, harmony and unity with people of other faiths and nationalities.
Meanwhile, the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Michael Crotty met with the governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Peter Odey alongside other members of the state executive council before the end of his four-day pastoral visit.
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