Bishop Kukah in Liverpool, England, Oct. 10. (Credit: Simon Caldwell/CNS.)
FeaturedHighlight

Bishop Kukah blames U.S, Europe for the decline of Catholic Church in Nigeria

110

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ishop Matthew Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese has accused the United States and Europe of contributing to the  diminishing influence of the Catholic Church in Nigeria.

The Bishop said the Catholic Church in Nigeria is beginning to lose its public influence partly because of the decline of religious faith in the Western countries, especially Europe and the United States.

“The Arab world is pouring money into Nigeria and the Pentecostal pastors in America are doing the same, and the Catholic Church is now becoming the weakest in terms of access to resources,” he said in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

Bishop Matthew Kukah accused European and American politicians and diplomats of publicly “pandering” to Islam at the expense of Christianity.

The result, he said, was the ascendancy of Islam and evangelical Christianity in Nigeria and the decline of Catholicism.

“From my own experience, I find that the British high commissioner, the ambassadors from European countries, the American ambassador – they are pandering more to Islam than to Christianity, because most of them have turned their backs on Christianity,” Kukah said.

“For me, as a bishop of the Catholic Church, I can see very clearly that our influence in the public space is gradually reducing, and that is largely because of our capacity to mobilize resources,” he said.

It had become no longer possible, he said, for the bishops to appeal to historically Catholic nations for financial help with church projects.

“We can’t go to the Irish ambassador or the Spanish ambassador and say, ‘This is (needed) for the Catholic Church,’” Kukah said. “People are not interested.

“In Ramadan, the ambassadors of Islamic countries are very keen to come to the Muslim celebrations in a way and manner that the Irish or any of these ambassadors are not likely to do for (Christmas) midnight Mass or the Easter celebrations.”

He said that, in his experience, most Catholic ambassadors would prefer to be seen publicly at a Muslim celebration than attending a Christian ceremony.

“Before our election, John Kerry came to Nigeria,” he said. “John Kerry, when he was secretary of state, left the U.S. and came straight to see the sultan of Sokoto. It was a visit that nobody could explain.”

“John Kerry claims to be a Catholic. This is the perfect example. He landed in Abuja. The American Embassy is in Abuja. There is a cardinal in Abuja, and a very visible cardinal for that matter, but it doesn’t cross the mind of John Kerry to even see out of courtesy the cardinal. He takes another plane to Sokoto and goes to the palace of the sultan, the head of the Muslims,” he said.

“The reaction of the Nigerian Christian community was very interesting. They thought Kerry was pushing the Islamic agenda,” Kukah said. “This was ahead of the elections, and they thought he was giving the Muslim candidate a leg up.

“In a country like Nigeria, influence is peddled, and we are not there at the table,” the bishop continued, adding: “We have not trained our people for roles in public life … we are still very shy of the public space, and we are not aware of how much things have moved on.”

Kukah, chairman of the interfaith dialogue committees of both the Nigerian bishops’ conference and the regional conference of West African bishops, was in England on a speaking tour.

 

Leave a comment

Related Articles

Breaking: FAAN shuts down KFC outlet at Lagos Airport over discrimination against ex-Gov Daniel’s son

Barely 24 hours after Debola Daniel, son of former Ogun State Governor...

Atiku’s campaign DG switches loyalty, drums support for Tinubu, Fubara

A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, who...

Just in: FCT court discharges, acquits ex-AGF Adoke in OPL 245 fraud charge

The FCT High Court in Jabi, Abuja, on Thursday dismissed the charges...

63-year-old woman, teenage girl, two others killed in U.S. stabbing spree

A man armed with a knife went on a stabbing spree in...

FG to collect only nine types of taxes, says FIRS chairman

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says in line with the presidential...

After 14 days in detention, First News editor, Segun Olatunji, breathes air of freedom

The Editor of FirstNews, a digital newspaper, Segun Olatunji, on Thursday regained...

N3trn budget padding: Sen. Ningi threatens legal action if suspension is not lifted in seven days

Abdul Ningi, the senator representing Bauchi Central, has given Senate President Godswill...

Eniola Ajao apologizes over “AJAKAJU” movie premiere controversy

Actress Eniola Ajao has issued an apology to the public in the...

Ex-Presidential media aide, Akande criticises LP’s leadership, urges party’s alignment with national interest

Mr. Laolu Akande, a former presidential assistant, has expressed dissatisfaction with the...

Economic hardship: Ogun Govt. begins sale of rice at 50 percent price reduction to workers, public

Ogun Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has announced that his administration will start selling...

FG committed to steel industry revitalization to drive infrastructural development, says Industry Minister, Dr Uzoka-Anite

The Federal Government is committed to industry rehabilitation, with a focus on...

Easter: FG declares Friday, March 29, Monday, April 1 public holidays

The Federal Government has declared Friday, March 29, and Monday, April 1,...

Fake, unwholesome products: NAFDAC seals 10 bakeries, 8 table water factories in Rivers

The National Agency for Food and Drug Control (NAFDAC) has shut down...

Climate change, food security: AfDB approves $50 million for Yobe State

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has granted a $50 million loan...

Ex Guinea-Bissau President’s Son Jailed in U.S. for Drug Trafficking

Malam Bacai Sanha Jr, the son of a former president of Guinea-Bissau,...

Few weeks to party primary, leading Ondo APC governorship aspirant, Dr. Paul Akintelure, passes away

Dr. Paul Akintelure, a prominent candidate for governorship in Ondo State who...

IPOB, bandits using betting sites, crowdsourcing to finance terrorism – NFIU

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), bandits, and other terror organizations are...

EU launches €9m energy projects in Nigeria

The European Union (EU) has unveiled two new initiatives worth €9 million...

Don’t sell dollar above N1,269, CBN orders Bureau de Change

As part of measures to strengthen the naira against the dollar, the...

U.S. state bars under-15 children from having social media accounts

Florida State Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill prohibiting children younger...