Scottish Catholic Observer

Cardinal Keith O’Brien and Archbishop Mario Conti have echoed the Holy Father’s support of Nigerian Catholics after Islamic terrorists killed dozens of people in bomb attacks on Churches and other targets on Christmas day but threats of further violence loom.

This week a spokesman for the terrorist group Boko Haram, which claimed responsibility for the Christmas day bombings, said Christians had three days to leave the north of Nigeria or face further violence. Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathon has declared a state of emergency in the country but Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, is calling on Nigerians to ignore the militant group’s latest threat.

Both Cardinal O’Brien and Archbishop Conti have expressed their concern over the violence and spoke of solidarity, and strong links, between their archdioceses and the Church in Nigeria.

Papal condemnation

Pope Benedict XVI lead condemnation of the Christmas day violence that killed 49 people, most of them in a gruesome blast at St Theresa’s Catholic church in Madalla on Abuja’s outskirt as services were ending.

“I wish to express my sincere and affectionate closeness to the Christian community and to all those who have been affected by this senseless act and invite you to pray to the Lord for the many victims,” Pope Benedict said, speaking from his window overlooking St Peter’s Square on Boxing Day.

“Violence is a path that only leads to pain, destruction and death. Respect, reconciliation and love are the only ways to achieve peace.”

Cardinal’s concerns

Cardinal O’Brien’s message to the bishops of Nigeria echoed the Pope’s concern but also spoke to his own close links to Africa’s most populous nation.

“I am contacting you at this time to express my own personal sympathy and the sympathy of the Catholic people of Scotland at the recent bombings in your country in various places which have caused the deaths of very many people,” the cardinal wrote in a message to Archbishop Augustine Kasujja, Apostolic Nuncio in Nigeria, Archbishop Onaiyekan and the bishops of Nigeria. “Such events would be tragic at any time—but are even more so when we celebrate the great feast of Christmas and recall the coming of Christ, the Prince of Peace, on earth. Along with my own people and many peoples of goodwill in Scotland, we unite in prayer for you and for all of your people in Nigeria that those who are responsible for these killings in recent months and years will be brought to justice, allowing peace and harmony to prevail in your beloved country of Nigeria.”

On a personal note he added: “It is only seven brief months since I was with you in Nigeria for the Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Malachy John Goltok, Bishop of Bauchi.

“As you are aware, my own Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh has been linked with Bauchi for some 50 years now and it was a great privilege for me being asked to be the ordaining bishop of Bishop Malachy John.”

The cardinal said that all Scottish Catholics thoughts and prayers were with their Nigerian brethren in their time of need.

Archbishop’s sorrow

Archbishop Conti has also spoken of his sorrow at the attacks and of the many links between Nigerian and his own archdiocese of Glasgow, adding that he intended to make a contribution from the Archdiocesan Justice and Peace fund ‘to the needs of our Nigerian fellow Catholics.’

“Religiously motivated unrest led to the Christmas Day slaughter of fellow Christians, members of the Diocese of Minna from which in recent years several priests have come to serve in our own Archdiocese,” he said. “Among them Fr Thaddeus Umaru who is based at St Mary’s Calton.

“In 2011 alone, five priests from Minna served here over the summer holidays. From a neighbouring diocese comes Fr Izunna Okonkwo who serves on the staff of St Andrew’s Cathedral and who recently led a group of fellow Nigerian priests as concelebrants with me at St Roch’s.”

The archbishop explained that Glasgow had even more links to this tragedy.

“The Archbishop of the Capital, Abuja, Archbishop John Onaiyekan visited us at the beginning of October 2006 to give the keynote address at our Assembly on Sacred Scripture,” he said. “The atrocity happened in a parish which shares a border with his Diocese: he has visited there along with the local Bishop Martin Igwe Uzoukwu, and the Papal Nuncio in Nigeria, Archbishop Augustine Kasujja, to offer comfort and support to the bereaved and the shocked congregation.

“We have been in touch to offer the solidarity of our prayers and sympathy.”

The archbishop has asked all in his diocese to pray ‘for peace in Nigeria and wherever there is hatred and conflict.’

Worsening conditions

The religious tension in Nigeria appears to be worsening for its 160 million population, which is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south.

President Jonathan, has closed the nations borders in northern areas and said the attacks ‘have threatened our collective security and shaken the foundations of our corporate existence as a nation.’

However the Archbishop of Abuja said that, while Boko Haram might have succeeded so far in instilling fear in Nigerians, especially with the Christmas Day bombings of Christian, the group does not speak for all Nigerian Muslims, nor all Nigerians.

“As for the reported ultimatum that was issued by somebody who is claiming to be speaking on behalf of Boko Haram, most Nigerians are not taking them seriously because, in the first place, it doesn’t seem to make sense,” Archbishop Onaiyekan said. “Where is the north and where is the south? There are Christians all over and there are Muslims all over.”

—ian@sconews.co.uk