The Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Most Reverend Dr. Ignatius Kaigama, has expressed hope and optimism for a prosperous 2025, urging Nigerians to prioritise peace, unity, and inter-religious dialogue.
In his New Year Message, Archbishop Kaigama emphasized the importance of fostering harmony and tolerance, stating, “Let’s live in peace, this is what we want, look at the people struggling for food to eat and in the process they die. If there is peace, there is honesty, everybody is doing his or her work as guided by his or her religion, nobody will die of hunger.”
He urged Nigerians to reflect inwardly, highlighting the abundant resources God has provided for the country.
“Let us use religion as a weapon of building and construction, not destruction. So, the new year is like a new check, handed to you, brand new, nothing on it.
“So, write what you want to write. I hope that Nigerians will write something beautiful. I pray that this new year, 2025, will be another great beginning,” he said.
Kaigama acknowledged that while past challenges have been present, there remains a bright future ahead.
“There is light at the end of the tunnel. We should never give up hope or doing good,” he added.
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The Archbishop also stressed the need to return to the true essence of religion, which he described as a unifying force.
“Religion comes from the Latin word religare, which means to bind. You bind together. You bind human beings together. You bind human beings with God. So, that is the essence of religion.
“But we have politicized religion. We have weaponized religion. And that is why religion is doing us this havoc,” he said.
Kaigama emphasised that no religion advocates violence or discrimination.
“Whether it is Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, nobody tells you to kill another person. Nobody tells you to look down on another person. If you want to convert somebody to your religion, let your light speak. Let your light shine. Allow freedom of religion.
“That means a Muslim girl can marry a Christian boy. A Christian boy can marry a Muslim girl. And they should do so with peace and happiness. And there should be no violations of rights. And this is very important for us to coexist and to have this inter-religious coexistence,” he concluded.
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