BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The remains of the over forty slain victims of the massacre carried out on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State were on Friday committed to mother earth after a well attended Funeral Mass.
Families, relations of the dead victims, sympathisers, Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu and his wife, among other attendants at the multiple burial, could not hold back tears during the funeral rites.
Recall that some gunmen, had on Sunday, June 5, attacked St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, during Mass and murdered scores of worshippers while leaving many others critically injured.
Delivering his homily entitled: “The Scandal of Nigeria: Salvation in Jesus Crucified,” at the Funeral Mass, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo, Most Rev Emmanuel Badejo, lamented rising insecurity across the country and the failure of government at all levels to tackle it. He prayed God to console the families and relations of the dead victims.
While calling on the perpetrators of the dastardly act to repentance, Bishop Badejo said Christians have the right for self-defence in the face of unprovoked attacks.
He said, “To surrender to faith is not to surrender to bestial brutality. Our Christian faith, strong as it is, is thoroughly tested when we remember that the massacre we have just faced is not an isolated case in our country and that we see little on ground to indicate that it might be the last. It has been a long, bloody list, always growing over the last 30 odd years. Jesus Christ came and died so that we might live. He himself declared: “I have come so that they may have life, and have it to the full” (Jn. 10:10). This is no threat to anybody but rather a guarantee of abundant life for all.
“However, from the victims of the “religious” riots in March 1987 in northern Nigeria, the victims of the bomb blast on Christmas day 2011 in a Catholic Church at Madalla town, near Abuja City, the victims of January 5 and 6, 2012 attacks at Mubi (Adamawa State), to many kidnappings and/or killings of lay faithful, priests, Consecrated men and women, seminarians, some of whose churches and residences were attacked thousands of innocent people, especially Christians have lost their lives. Even as I speak many priests are in the hands of kidnappers. According to SB Morgen Intelligence, a Nigeria-based research firm, almost 900 Nigerians were killed in violent attacks in the first quarter of 2022 alone. We are compelled to ask: Nigeria, our leaders, Are you still our leaders? Are we at war? How many more must die?
“Few indeed, are the courageous leaders who are able to raise their voice against the ongoing persecution and injustice going in may sectors in Nigeria and who act up at times like these to stem the surge of violence and bloodshed that threatens to engulf Nigeria. We pay tribute to the few leaders in some states like Borno and Ondo who have showed uncommon courage in denouncing some of the perpetrators of evil in their areas and taken some action. This murder shows that far more must be done.
“Ritual killings, abductions, murders, lynching, kidnappings, armed robbery still increase the bloody tally of innocent deaths day by day. All this goes on while many of our leaders and people in power tweak their fingers , feign deaf and dumb or worse still continue with their macabre rallies and dance merely grapple for positions and privileges. God is not amused and judgment will come. I call on President Buhari, and our leaders in the Federal Government and State governments to wake up sit up and act up. I ask again: “How many more must die”? “Does life really have any value any more with you”? Are we to believe that insurgents, bandits, Boko Haram, ISWAP and murderous herdsmen are more powerful than the Federal government of Nigeria? Is the glaring weakness and helplessness of all our security agencies real or deliberate?
“So many have cried out in frustration for a review of the security apparatus of our country. I urge leaders at every level to listen to the cry for help of the people they claim to serve, shun discrimination and hypocrisy and do their duty to secure life and property. Why, even God Almighty listens to us in our distress. Death occurs in any organism when the lower order dominates the higher one. One wonders whether the lower order of lawlessness and crime has not already dominated the higher order of the rule of law and governance and begun to strangulate this beloved country of ours. The present situation must not continue that people may not resort to self-help and kill this country entirely.
“In the Catholic Church teaching there exists a moral principle and right to self defense which does not mean aggression and is justly mitigated by public security. Life is God’s most precious gift and by that token it must be defended in the face of unprovoked aggression and imminent danger to life. The authentic Christian is pro-life. Because he chooses and defends life, the Christian knows he/she is called to “love thy neighbor as you love yourself” and so does all in his power to reject violence. Like every citizen, he is called to respect the right to life. In this context, the right to self-defense remains an important Christian value, an integral part of Catholic teachings which in times like this cannot be jettisoned (Catechism of the Catholic Church, nn.2261-2265).
I see as a corollary of the self-defense principle that we Nigerians must take our country back to the path of righteousness. We must agree with George Orwell who once said: “A people that elect corrupt politicians, impostors, thieves and traitors and keep them in power are not victims but accomplices”. Let us all perform our civic duties with honesty and sincerity. In reality we all need two PVCs to be good citizens namely: the Permanent Voters Card for voting during elections and the Positive Verifiable Character that gives you integrity and trustworthiness qualifying you for good citizenship and heaven. Work hard for both and put both to good use.
“Finally, a word to the perpetrators of this massacre and other such crimes in Nigeria. The God of life calls on you to repent. The Church of Christ invites you to a change of heart, to cast away your arms, to repent and embrace peace. Why would you be agents of destruction of life in which you yourself share? Why be an instrument of bloodshed in this beautiful country given to all? Why would you abuse and destroy humanity of which you yourselves are part? You may make us cry and mourn but we shall never stop inviting you to come share in the love and joy of God who loves you as he loves everyone. Fill your heart with love and cast out hatred. Come out of the bush and the shadows. Together let us build a country that once more can be filled with laughter, with peace and prosperity. You too can experience the joy of salvation.
“My Lord Bishop Arogundade, grieving brothers and sisters, may God console you all; as God lives, our sacrifice shall not be in vain. May Mary Mother of Jesus intercede for you all… Amen Peace be with you,” the homilist prayed.
