A Season of Hope and Renewal
2024 CHRISTMAS MESSAGE BY HIS GRACE, ARCHBISHOP IGNATIUS A. KAIGAMA, CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF ABUJA NIGERIA.
Christmas: A Season of Hope and Renewal
My dear brothers and sisters and fellow Nigerians,
In the midst of the shadows that loom large over our nation, I extend my heartfelt wishes to you this Christmas season.
Christmas
As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we are reminded of the profound message of hope, love, and peace that His arrival brought to the world over 2,000 years ago. In this season of joy, let us pause to reflect on the significance of Christmas and its relevance to our lives and nation today.
The story of Christmas is one of God’s infinite love for humanity. In sending His Son, Jesus, God offered us a gift of redemption and a pathway to eternal peace. This divine act is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, hope is never lost. As Nigerians, we face numerous challenges, but the light of Christ encourages us to persevere with faith and courage, knowing that God is with us.
This season is also a call to action. The angels announced Christ’s birth as “good news of great joy for all people” (Luke 2:10). This joy becomes real when we share it with others through acts of kindness, generosity, and compassion. Many of our fellow citizens are struggling with poverty, insecurity, and other difficulties. Let us extend the love of Christ by reaching out to the less privileged, offering support to those in need, and fostering unity in our communities.
Christmas also reminds us of the importance of peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and His coming was to reconcile humanity to God and one another. As we celebrate, let us commit to building bridges of understanding and harmony across tribal, religious, and political divides. Together, we can create a nation where peace and justice reign.
Difficulties and Challenges
In the face of our nation’s ongoing challenges, it is essential to remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). This reminder of hope and victory is especially relevant as we navigate the trials of insecurity, economic hardship, corruption, and societal divisions. As Christians, we are called to be salt and light in the world (Matthew 5:13-16). This means that even in the darkest of times, we must shine as beacons of hope and agents of positive change. The current difficulties in Nigeria demand a collective commitment to unity, compassion, and righteous action—values deeply rooted in our faith.
A Call for Unity
The Scriptures remind us of the power of unity: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). Nigeria is a richly diverse nation. This diversity should not be a source of division but a reason to celebrate and collaborate for the common good. Just as the early Church in Acts shared everything and supported one another, we must transcend ethnic and religious divides to work together as one people under God.
The Need for Compassionate Leadership
The Bible warns against leaders who neglect their responsibility to care for their people: “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” (Jeremiah 23:1). True leadership, as demonstrated by Christ, is servant leadership. It prioritizes the welfare of the people, especially the marginalized and vulnerable. Our leaders must embrace this divine standard, ensuring that governance reflects transparency, justice, and compassion. The wealth and resources of our nation should not be hoarded by a few but used to alleviate poverty, improve education, create jobs, and provide affordable healthcare.
The Role of Citizens
As citizens, we are not merely spectators but active participants in the transformation of our society. Paul’s exhortation in Galatians 6:9 encourages us not to grow weary in doing good, for in due time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. We must continue to pray fervently for our nation, hold leaders accountable, and foster a culture of integrity and responsibility in our communities.
Caring for the Poor
The heart of God beats for the poor and needy. Proverbs 19:17 reminds us: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward them for what they have done.” As individuals and as a nation, we must prioritize policies and actions that uplift the poor. Churches, community organizations, and citizens should collaborate to provide food, shelter, education, and skills training to those in need.
Unfortunate Tragedies
Christmas this year has come with a poignant blend of joy and solemn reflection, shadowed by tragedies related to the struggle for what to eat in Ibadan, Abuja, Okija, and Suleja. We in the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja deeply mourn the tragic loss of lives resulting from the unfortunate stampede also in our own Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama. This incident has left the Archdiocese and the parish community in profound grief, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims.
However, it is important to recognize that the Archdiocese prioritizes the safety and spiritual well-being of its faithful. This tragic incident is not a reflection of negligence but rather an unforeseen and regrettable occurrence. Large gatherings often carry inherent risks, especially during moments of heightened emotional intensity such as the one forced on our people by widespread hunger and desperation for survival. The Archdiocese remains steadfast in upholding its mission to serve and protect its congregation while honoring the memory of the departed. We will continuously implement safety protocols to manage those who come to us in large numbers seeking succour for existence. Efforts are ongoing to strengthen these measures. As this large crowd was not foreseen we could not have anticipated that many feeling the pangs of hunger imposed on them by the sad and harsh economic circumstances would have trouped in such numbers to our church premises in search of food.
We remain fully committed to cooperating with authorities to ascertain how to minimize or root out such stampede and so, prevent future occurrences. Apart from our modest efforts, including counseling and any other assistance within our reach, we hope to be close to the affected families as an expression of solidarity and compassion. This tragedy calls for collective action, not blame, to ensure such an event never recurs.
The verbal demonization however, of the Catholic Church by some agents of government responding to the tragedy was needless. They should have been immediately concerned with assisting the Church to explore safety methods to preclude future occurrences in our earnest desire to do good by denying ourselves what we need in order to help others without discrimination. The detention of our priest as well as some officials of our church and the threat to slam us with criminal charges is to say the least, uninspiring, unfriendly and a misplaced zeal, and one wonders what purpose these were meant to serve.
The traumatic experience of our selfless St. Vincent de Paul volunteers who in my eyes and the eyes of people who see objectively are heroes and heroines, were not put into consideration by those who responded to this tragedy. This group has over the years been serving the poor and needy who flock to our food distribution centers. They planned weeks ahead; raised funds through hard labour, and on that day of distribution, they were on ground very early in the morning and up to when and after the unfortunate incident happened, they never left. None of those agents shouting criminal charges at the church cared about the traumatic impact of this tragedy on these volunteers whose only desire was to feed the hungry. No one, up to now, has cared to find out about their emotional and mental disposition after experiencing the devastating impact of people struggling to find food to eat for the day. I consider all those who so far, have suffered in connection with this tragedy because they dared to help, “the 2024 heroes of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja.”
This unfortunate incident, is a moment for collective grief and reflection, not misplaced blame. The authorities concerned should assist the Catholic Church as is done in countries more sensitive to provide for the poor and hungry, rather than trying to give the impression that the Catholic Church is a part of the cause of the tragedy. The Catholic Church has always been a pillar of compassion, community support, and spiritual guidance. In this regard, the government should see us as partners in the building of society and not as an irritating presence to be merely tolerated. Tragedies of this nature, though rare, are not unique to any institution and often stem from unforeseen circumstances. Rather than blaming the Church, we should unite in empathy, support the affected families, and work collaboratively to prevent future occurrences through improved safety measures. Up to this time of writing, no government agent or official has come in the spirit of compassion or empathy to find out first hand from the Church authorities what really happened and what they could offer so that the Church improves subsequent services to the poor. All one hears is that this sort of event must not be organized again without permission!
A Prayer for Nigeria
Let us close with a prayer:
Heavenly Father, we lift Nigeria into Your hands. Heal our land, guide our leaders, and unite us as one people. May Your peace reign in our hearts and across our nation. Equip us to be instruments of Your love and justice. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Fellow Nigerians and dear brothers and sisters, let us arise with faith, hope, and love, knowing that with God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37). Together, we can build a brighter future for our beloved nation.
Merry Christmas and God bless Nigeria!
