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By Philip Nwosu
The 2025 Catholic Men Organisation (CMO) Convention of the Lagos Archdiocese would be spotlighting what it described as confused gender ideology, which it said had become a growing threat to traditional family values and societal stability.
This was revealed during a media interaction ahead of the annual three-day convention, which is expected to draw over 11,000 registered Catholic men, excluding thousands of women and youth invited to participate in the event.
The convention, according to the President of the CMO Lagos Archdiocese, Mr. Kingsley Ekwem, would focus on how distorted concepts of gender and sexuality, especially among young people, were challenging biblical and cultural foundations of the family.
Ekwem described confused gender ideology as a deviation from the natural order of creation. “In the beginning, God created man and woman. Anything outside this is not our value and certainly not a universal value,” he declared.
He warned of increasing acceptance of same-sex marriages, attraction to minors, and even bizarre cases of people claiming romantic attachment to animals or AI bots, all under the guise of personal rights or expanded human freedoms.
He added that the ideology had become more sophisticated by the day and was infiltrating African societies through global media, technology and policy influence. “There is one gender, male and female, as God created them. Every other narrative is an aberration,” he said.
While condemning the ideology, the convention’s approach, he stressed, is not to attack individuals, but to educate and guide them. “We are not here to condemn; we believe that with enlightenment, therapy and spiritual intervention, people can overcome these identity crises,” he said.
The issue is tied directly to the broader themes of the convention, including challenges posed by technology and artificial intelligence (AI). Organisers warned that while AI offers useful tools, it is also being misused, citing instances of AI-generated relationships, identity theft and the psychological impact on children.
“Technology must serve man, not enslave him. We’ve seen cases where young people, influenced by AI companions, spiral into depression or even suicide. That’s a serious threat to the family unit,” another speaker noted.
The CMO urged parents, particularly fathers, to take more responsibility in guiding their children and safeguarding family values at home. “The family is the foundation. If you lose it, you’ve lost everything,” he said.
The convention continues to explore practical ways to combat these challenges, including wellness education, preventive healthcare and responsible parenting. Future conventions, organisers revealed, may also invite participants from other Christian denominations and Muslim communities to build broader unity on shared moral issues.
The event, held at Great College, Lagos, runs for three days and features spiritual sessions, educational lectures, cultural displays and business exhibitions.
“The issues affecting families today are no longer abstract, they are real, personal, and they require deliberate action,” said Vice Chairman and Media Head, Mr. Michael Ogbechie. “This convention is our response; a moral and spiritual intervention in a time of great confusion.”
