Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese on Wednesday has condemned Israel’s bombing of Gaza killing Palestinians in the process.
Kukah, in his message to Christians on the occasion of Christmas celebration, asserted that the world lost its moral compass over the ongoing killings in Gaza by the Israeli army.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, including women and children were massacred by the Zionist army in the last one year.
The Bishop said “Today, our world is ravaged by the effects of the seven deadly sins, Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth. The world has lost its moral compass and violence has engulfed our world.
“The drums of war and death now threaten to drown the good news of the joy that Jesus brought into the world. Nowhere is this tragedy better expressed than in the place where Jesus was born.
“Today, the baby Jesus lies not in the innocence of swaddling clothes in Bethlehem but in the pool of blood that has now engulfed Gaza and its surrounding communities,” he said
The Bishop regretted that, the forces of secularism were determined to empty Christmas of its core essence which was the good news of joy and light to the world.
“Christmas is increasingly being seen as another holiday or at best, one of the greatest opportunities for smart business returns. We have refused to accept the warning of Jesus that we cannot serve two masters (Matt. 6:2),” he stated
The Bishop however, appealed to Christians not to allow the structural weaknesses, the foibles and failures of the Nigerian state, to become an excuse for doing wrong.
“We cannot continue to blame the Constitution, the Judiciary, the Police, or other public servants for the corruption in our society. Corruption is another word for our not keeping the words and promises we made at baptism as Christians.
“We swore to be faithful to Christ at baptism before we encountered the Constitution. The Constitution is a human instrument with limitations and flaws. However, the Word of God is a divine command and inerrant. Good Christians have the laws of God written in their hearts (2 Cor. 3:3) They need no other law.
“Let us therefore now open out hearts and renew our commitment to living the ideal for which Jesus came into the world. My wishes for a blessed Christmas. May the new year bring us blessings and peace,” he admonished.
Bishop Kukah has noted with dismay that Nigeria was still walking in darkness.
“Imagine if we let the light shine on our public service, on our politics, on our individual, community and national life, on our public institutions. Imagine what Nigeria would be like if we chose light instead of darkness.
“Our journey to greatness is still severely constrained by the forces of ethnicity, nepotism, and greed. There is still the lingering anxiety that ethnicity and religion trump common citizenship in terms of access to opportunities. Feelings of exclusion drive citizens to the fringes of violence and frustration.
“We are still unable to come to terms with the ideals of our national anthem that says: though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand. Diversity is a gift of God. Let us use it effectively as a tool for national mobilization and cohesion,” he said
The Bishop identified the costs of running for public office as the major obstacle for youth participation in politics.
“In 2018, the passage of the Not Too Young to Run Bill was widely greeted by young people who believed that the doors had now opened for their active engagement in politics. After a few elections, many young people have been elected at various levels. This is commendable.
” However, problems of internal democracy, the costs of running for public office, still remain major obstacles for youth participation in politics,” he reiterated.
He commended the federal government for the students loan schemes, advising that, the Act should not limit access only to university students but to those also seeking vocational or technical skills.
Kukah further advised that, the scheme should be free of the usual bureaucratic bottlenecks and favouritism so as to expand the scope of opportunities for our youth and their parents.
“Hopefully, in future, poverty should not exclude anyone from a good education. We encourage the youth to seize this opportunity with both hands,” he said
On the recent stampedes in some parts of the country, he blamed it on the failure of the government to respond concretely toward ending the horrible crisis of hunger and desperation in the country.
“The tragedies that occurred in Okija, Ibadan, and Abuja where innocent people lost their lives in stampedes at food distribution points are a metaphor for the situation of desperation that citizens have been thrown into.
“The failures of government to respond concretely toward ending the horrible crisis of hunger and desperation has created the conditions for these avoidable tragedies.
“Citizens are lapsing into despair. The Catholic Church is not new to providing succour for the needy and vulnerable. Under the auspices of St. Vincent de Paul, the Church continues to provide succour to the poor across the wider society. These tragedies were avoidable.