ON Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014 history was made under the new Pope as a Nigerian family, Chief & Mrs Tony Chukwu was chosen to present the Resurrection Service Oblata on behalf of the 1.2 billion Catholic faithful at the St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.

Easter is the most important date in the Christian calendar as it is the triumphant morning of Christianity. The message of Easter is contained in the declaration: “Christ is Risen” The Easter Mass is celebrated to reconcile mankind with the Risen Christ.

That the family of Chief Tony Chukwu was chosen to present the Easter Oblata to the Pope is very significant as the center of Christ’s work which He admonished us to always remember is His last and greatest work: the work of redemption. The Oblata is a memorial in remem-brance of the finished work of Christ.

Chief Chukwu, a dev-out Catholic and an outstanding philanthro-pist, seeks the return of peace and harmony to our country and the worship of God in truth and spirit. He is building what is considered the most modern cathedral in his hometown in Imo State and devotes his time and resources to the pursuit of general good for mankind.

Presiding over the Easter Mass attended by more than 150,000 faith-ful, televised by all the major international tele-vision networks and watched by more than one billion people, the Pope prayed for peace and stability in Nigeria.

He advised Boko Haram to shun violence, embrace dialogue with the government and seek reconciliation with the citizens of Nigeria. The Pope also prayed for peace in Syria and Ukraine.

Pope Francis, who was elected Pope on March 13, 2013 is known as the people’s Pope. He seeks the eradication of poverty, diseases, starvation, wars and conflicts in the world especially in Africa.

It would be recalled that on January 1, 2013, also at St. Peter’s Basilica, Chief & Mrs. Chukwu carried the Oblata to Pope Benedict XV1, in the new year mass.

That the Chukwu family was once again chosen to carry the Redemption Oblata is of great signifi-cance to Nigeria and Africa.

The Easter Oblata is not ordinary as it is meant to reconcile mankind with the finished work of the Cross and those carrying it represent the whole of God’s people.

Through the Chukwu family, God has accepted the reconciliation of the faithful in Nigeria and indeed the world with the Risen Christ.