Catholic Church rejoins Christian Association of Nigeria after five year absence

NIGERIA'S Catholic Church has announced that it will be returning to the Christian Association of Nigeria (Can) after over five years of dissociating itself from the body following disagreements about its direction.

On  September 24 2012, the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) announced that it was withdrawing from Can which it helped found in 1976. One of the issues the Catholic Church had with Can was the increasing way in which its then president Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor was politicising the organisation, turning it into a government mouthpiece.

Over the weekend, however, a CSN delegation led by  Reverend Cornelius Omonokhua, attended the expanded national executive committee (Nec) and quarterly Can meeting in Abuja over a two day period. Can president Dr Samson Ayokunle, expressed his delight at the new development.

He said: “Their return is one of the best things that have happened since I was given the mandate to become the president of Can. One of my visions for Can is to bring our Catholic brothers and sisters back to the fold and I must acknowledge the support and understanding of my brother in Christ, Most Reverend Ignatius Kaigama, the president of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and his team.

“I give kudos to all the principal officers, the directors and some Christian leaders in the country for their support and understanding while the dialogue lasted. My joy knows no bounds with the presence of the CSN at the constitutional amendment meeting of Can held on Thursday and at the Nec meeting on Friday and it is our prayers that the body of Christ in the country will remain one forever in Jesus’ name."

Can was formed in 1976 by the five Christian blocs in the country. They included the Christian Council of Nigeria, the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria/Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, the Organisation of African Instituted Churches and The Fellowship of the Churches of Christ in Nigeria/Evangelical Church of Winning All.

Dr Ayokunle added: “At a time like this when Christians are almost becoming endangered species in Nigeria, when churches are being denied Certificates of Occupancy, especially in the core north, when Christians are being denied key public offices and when the church is expected to speak for the voiceless, especially over the economic and social hardship in our country, we cannot afford to be at war with ourselves.”

Reverend Evaristus Bassey, the director of Caritas Nigeria and executive secretary of Justice Development and Peace Commission, two agencies of the Catholic Church, added: “Yes, I can confirm that Father. Cornelius Omonokhua led the CSN team to the Can Nec meeting. Catholic bishops had demanded that Can should make some adjustments to its constitution and they have satisfied those things that the bishops wanted.

“It is not that the Catholic Church totally left Can, the bishops just said they were suspending their activities. Satisfying those conditions would mean that the Catholic church is fully back to Can and Father Cornelius just went to the Nec meeting preparatory to a full lifting of the suspension.”