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Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Chairman, Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria and Catholic Bishop of Benin Metropolitan Diocese, Augustine Akubeze, has charged the leadership of the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN), Edo State chapter to study the Holy Quran in order to be abreast with what is written in it to upgrade their knowledge.
He gave the charge in Benin at the inauguration of the new executive of Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) Edo State branch.
Akubeze who was represented by Very Rev. Fr. David Ogun, the Parish Priest of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Benin, said the church respects the tradition and culture of the land and has nothing against it but against any act of fetish practices. He therefore urged Christians to strive to know virtually about everything.
“By the way, some of us who are Christians should also go and study Islam to know what they know; no knowledge is wasted – including knowledge about African Traditional Religion, (TRA) because the church also respects traditions and culture but what the church is against, is the fetish practice.
“The Africans respect lives, the church respect lives, the African respects age, the church respects age, the African celebrates anything that is good and the church does same,” he said.
He said the church must intensify her efforts at empowering the youth economically and also to get them involved in the things of God rather than leaving them out, stressing that if she continues in such manner, in 20 years from now, the church will be left alone for the children and the elderly.
He also warned against the clergymen who are in the habit of blackmailing and destroying homes with their messages of desist.
On the part of the South-South zone Chairman of CAN, His Grace Archbishop Ege Israel, said the unity of the church is not negotiable and that the unity of the church reflects the glory of God in the lives of the Christians.
In his acceptance speech, the newly- elected chairman of CAN, Bishop Oriname Oyonnude Kure, said he was going to serve the body of Christ with uncommon commitment and to lift the body of Christ to a greater height.
