Rev Fr. John Damian Adizie

The church in Nigeria is currently facing crisis due to inter-religious and inter-tribal clashes. The war between the herdsmen and farmers is gradually creating tensions and even misunderstanding among the political and religious leaders.

Last week we reflected on Nigeria as a land flowing with tears and blood. The most urgent question in the mind of most Nigerians is; What is the way forward? If the government fails to secure the lives of Nigerian citizens should the Church fail?

My mentor, Very Rev. Msgr. Ralph A. Nwosu spent years writing a prophetic book, The Church and Inter-tribal harmony: A Study in the Nigerian perspective, which he wanted to launch it at his 40 years priestly anniversary. Few days before the launch he handed the books to the Catholic Administrator of Aba and pleaded with him to officiate at the launch Mass. Two days before the event he died. The book launch was then suspended. As a spiritual son, I was lucky to have a copy of this treasure which Msgr.  Ralph left behind.

While going through the book I kept saying to myself, Msgr. Ralph Nwosu is indeed a prophe-tic writer? Most of the things he predicted in the book are happen-ing already in our country Nigeria. It takes a prophetic writer not only to predict what was about to happen but to also go a step further to propose a way forward.

The book offers answers to lots of questions in the minds of most Nigerians today. He provides solution to the insecurity challenges and inter-tribal conflicts which we are facing today. I want to sincerely appeal to the Catholic Diocese of Aba to make this book available to Nigerians.

Msgr. Nwosu devoted one chapter of the book on the Role of the Church in creat-ing social peace and harm-ony. For him, the Church has a vital role to play in inter-tribal harmony. Even if the government fails as agent of peace and harmony, the Church should not fail. Worst still, the Church should not allow itself to be used as an agent of war and violence. Two wrongs can-not make a right! Instead, the Church, according to Msgr. Nwosu, should serve as:

The Sacrament of Peace: In the gospel of John 14:27 our Lord Jesus Christ told his followers, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” While the world uses violen-ce, which can never give rise to peace; our Lord Jesus Christ is a non-violent me-ssiah.

According to Msgr. Ralph, “the Church every-where contributes to stren-gthening peace and to placing brotherly relations between individuals and peoples on solid grounds. It is the duty of the Church to stimulate cooperation among men, by making herself present in the midst of the community.”

Through peaceful preaching and peaceful co-existence the Church acts as sacrament of peace. If I may add, where there is Church there is peace!

The sacrament of Unity: The Church, according to Msgr. Ralph, “is the sign of the unity of men with God and of men with one another. This unity is manifested and caus-ed especially by the Euchar-ist… The entire people of God are made one by this full union with Christ.” The unity of the Church is the found-ation of national unity.

The present conflicts in Nigeria portray the disunity of the Church. Directly or indirectly the unity of the Church in-fluences the unity of the society. A united nation is in-deed the fruit of a united Church.

The Sacrament of Harmony in the midst of Conflict: A harmonious society is indeed a peaceful society. Without harmony there will be no peace. The Church, according to Msgr. Nwosu, “brings divided and torn society to the awareness that people should be able to live together, be committed to one another, and that they can only fulfill themselves as individuals in a peaceful and harmonious commu-nity.” The Church, as an agent of harmony, brings people from different cul-tures and even nation-alities together. Without the Church there will be no harmony.

The Sacrament of Solidarity: The Church, according to Msgr. Nwosu, “is a true manifestation of solidarity of men with Christ and men among themselves.”

The Church remains the channel of solidarity. It is only in and within the Church that one can find men and women, young and old, rich and poor, all working and celebrating together for a common good and for the glory of God.

If the Church in Nigeria unites and allow herself to be used by God as an agent of peace and channel of harmony and solidarity, I believe, the conflicts and current insecurity challen-ge in Nigeria will be a thing of the past.