Scottish Catholic Observer

In a message receieved by Missio Scotland, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos (above) said the recent spate attacks on the churches and upon Catholics were meant to provoke retaliation and create more confusion, chaos and death, but noted that reacting would engineer greater hostility.

“We are not unaware that the motives of the perpetrators of these terrorist acts are to knock our heads and unleash mayhem in order to create religious disaffection, mistrust and intolerance among our people,” he said during a visit to the Governor of Plateau State Da Jonah David Jang. “We, Christians resist this temptation and see these disturbing trends as an opportune moment for dialogue and reconciliation, irrespective of the level of confrontation or provocation.

“Positive little steps and joint actions, on the other hand, can go a long way in unifying both Christians and Muslims in real and non-pretentious love,” he said. “The path may be most difficult and tortuous but let it be the course of the Gospel and the course of our mandate as witnesses to that Gospel. The perpetrators of this evil have no doubt wounded us and grievously too but they can never dispossess us of our faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

Archbishop Kaigama, who is the new president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, pledged the church’s support to the government in its quest for inter-religious and ethnic harmony.

“We are however, more determined than ever before to continue on the path of non violence propelled by our gospel values, difficult as it may be,” he said. “We hope by this that the culture of life will prevail over the culture of death.”