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  • Catholic Conference approves communion by hand

    Catholic Conference approves communion by hand

    The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has approved the reception of Holy Communion in the hand as a precautionary measure against the spread of the Ebola virus.

    The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, the Most Rev. Alfred Martins, said yesterday that although the traditional receipt of Holy Communion remains communion on the tongue, “the faithful must prepare for this alternative means of receiving it. Due reverence to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist must be maintained.

    “It is important that when the faithful receive the Eucharistic bread in their hands, they must put it in their mouth, consume the host immediately before returning to their seats”, added the statement.

    It stressed that the traditional formula for receiving communion must be maintained, adding that when the Priest says, “The Body of Christ”; the communicant responds: “Amen.”

    It emphasised that care must be taken not to allow the particles of the host to fall or scatter.

    “The communicant must keep his or her hands clean and maintain a reverential comportment that befits the Body of Christ.

    “The Priest or Eucharistic Minister should give the communion to the faithful themselves. The faithful are not permitted to take the host from the Ciborium or Paten.’’

    The statement said the kneeling down and expressing adoration and reverence before receiving communion must be observed, adding that it was spiritually significant.

    “For in kneeling, a person makes himself/herself small before the presence of God before whom every knee shall bend (Phil. 2:10).

    “As Benedict XVI reminded; here his bodily gesture attains the status of a confession of faith, we must insist on this.’’

    Martins, in the statement, prayed that the Lord Jesus present in the Holy Eucharist should heal Nigeria and protect her in these trying times.

  • Catholic churches stop handshake

    Catholic churches in Lagos have been advised to stop handshakes and hugs during the mass.

    The “sign of peace” is a symbolic gesture of the church, which had thrived for decades to encourage communal living among members.

    During the sign of peace, faithful either offer handshakes to those seated around them or hug those close to them.

    But during mass across Lagos State metropolis, parishioners skipped the tradition, causing drama, murmur and stare among members.

    Most individuals simply waved at those who sat beside them and continued with the rest of the programmes.

    This came as the Catholic archbishop advised members to stop the tradition to curtail the spread of the virus.

    Also, clerics were advised to be cautious when on sick rounds and during the anointing of the sick.

    The use of holy water, wherein parishioners deep their hands into a bowl outside churches, has been discontinued till further notice.

  • Pope Francis: ‘About 2%’ of Catholic clergy paedophiles

    Pope Francis: ‘About 2%’ of Catholic clergy paedophiles

    Pope Francis has been quoted as saying that reliable data indicates that “about 2%” of clergy in the Catholic Church are paedophiles.

    The Pope said that abuse of children was like “leprosy” infecting the Church, according to the Italian La Repubblica newspaper.

    He vowed to “confront it with the severity it demands”.

    But a Vatican spokesman said the quotes in the newspaper did not correspond to Pope Francis’s exact words.

    He wants to show a more compassionate attitude towards Church teaching than his predecessors, but this can sometimes cause consternation among his media advisers, our correspondent adds.

    In the interview, Pope Francis was quoted as saying that the 2% estimate came from advisers. It would represent around 8,000 priests out of a global number of about 414,000.

    While the incidence of paedophilia in the general population is not accurately known, some estimates have put it at less than five percent.

    “Among the 2% who are paedophiles are priests, bishops and cardinals. Others, more numerous, know but keep quiet. They punish without giving the reason,” Pope Francis was quoted as saying.

    Above the interview La Repubblica ran the headline: “Pope says: Like Jesus, I shall use a stick against paedophile priests.”

    Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi denied that Pope Francis had said that there were cardinals who were paedophiles.

    Last year Pope Francis strengthened the Vatican’s laws against child abuse and earlier this month begged forgiveness from the victims of sexual abuse by priests, at his first meeting with victims since his election.

    Many survivors of abuse by priests are angry at what they see as the Vatican’s failure to punish senior officials who have been accused of covering up scandals.

    Asked in the same La Repubblica interview about the celibacy rule for priests, Pope Francis recalled that it was adopted 900 years after the death of Jesus Christ and pointed out that the Eastern Catholic Church allows its priests to marry.

    “The problem certainly exists but it is not on a large scale. It will need time but the solutions are there and I will find them.”

    Father Lombardi also denied that these were the Pope’s exact words.

  • Jonathan vows to boost education standard

    President Goodluck Jonathan has  promised to do everything within his power to increase the standard of education in Nigeria.

    He made the promise while speaking at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) 2014 First Plenary Meeting in Abuja.

    The Conference is themed ‘Church and State Partnership in Providing Quality Education for Nigerian People’.

    Stressing that education is directly linked to national capacity, power, development and progress, he urged state governments to partner with religious bodies in order to improve education system in the country.

    But he noted that Nigeria cannot succeed no matter how innovative the schools  are or how effective teachers are except students imbibe the virtues of good home training.

    On terrorism, he said: “I urge you to continue to pray for our country to speedily overcome the current challenges it faces, especially insurgency, terrorism and the killings of innocent children in schools. I believe that with your devout prayers and the strategies we have put in place, we shall surely surmount these challenges.”

    “I want to sincerely thank all of you for your spiritual leadership and your efforts in serving as an important bridge between our people, society and government. Your interventions in national issues have always being forthright and your counsel most useful. You have continued to demonstrate the fact that the church cannot afford to stand aloof in the face of changing fortunes of the society. You have shown that indeed the purpose of the congregation is better served from the pulpit when the church takes keen interest in the practical lives of its members.”

    Speaking earlier, the Senate President, Senator David Mark pushed for the return of schools taken over by the government to churches in Nigeria.

    Stressing that the taking over of the schools by the government after the civil war was a mistake as the schools then started breeding armed robbers, kidnappers among other crimes.

    He also maintained that the problem were further compounded when religious studies were made optional in Nigerian schools.

    “What is the way forward? We must go back to the way our schools were run. Education must not be politicized.” He declared

    The Senate President also commended the President for not allowing the pressure from outside the country to prevent him from signing the anti-same sex bill into law.

    In his welcome address, the President of CBCN, Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama urged the government to return seized missions school and provide reasonable funding to enable them educate the children as a matter of justice rather than favour.

    Stressing that schools’ administration should be a shared responsibility, he said that it should be accompanied by enough financial supports from budgetary allocations.

    He commend individuals and groups who genuinely provide education and not for profit reasons.

    Delivering his homily in a message titled ‘The Devil is a Liar,’ for the opening mass of the CBCN Plenary meeting, the Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal Onaiyekan listed the evils in Nigeria to include sociopolitical confusion, corruption in high places, widening economic inequality, insecurity of all kinds, misuse and perversion of religion.

    “More can be listed. But the nation is still in hands of God. The devil and his agents can and will be vanquished, if we join hands in doing good. Let us not be afraid to tackle the evil that overwhelms us.” He stated

  • Okotie destroying Christian unity

    Okotie destroying Christian unity

    SIR: I read my must-read, Hardball of Thursday December 5, and found Rev Okotie’s outbursts on Catholics interesting.  The hardball reported that during his – I would not like to call it preaching of last Sunday, he said Catholics will go to hell, that the Catholic Church is a counterfeit church set up by satan, that Catholics bow to idols and crucify Jesus every Sunday  when they eat bread claiming they are eating Jesus’ body.

    It is amazing that the so-called pastor, who even read law has no sense of history and he has to be educated. Catholicism is the primary christian religious denomination founded by Jesus himself. Before his death he instituted the celebration of what is called the ‘Eucharist’.

    Chris should read the last supper account and appreciate the Eucharist that perpetuates Christ’s mysterious presence with us when it is celebrated. He can read the Lucan version of the last supper account found in Luke 22:7-20.

    The Catholic Church at a certain time, been a human as well as a divine institution, erred along the line and that has brought about Protestantism. Fortunately, many of the orthodox christian denominations are doing all they can to foster christian unity. But it seems some cultist groups that have been using the word ‘church’ wrongly in reference to their church, to conceal their intention of destroying Christendom, are bent on posing a hurdle to this unity. The utterances of the so called man of God, Chris, may be a pointer to this direction.

    In many countries around the globe, the issue of denomination does not surface among religious people. As God is love, Christians of all denominations try to foster that spirit of love to address the problems of the world.

    It is said that when people are throwing stones at a particular orange tree in an orange orchard, it is sweet. The sweetness of Catholicism makes counterfeit Christians to throw stones at it. However, even at the time that Catholics were persecuted and killed, Catholicism continued to grow and it is still growing from strength to strength. He may rather be digging a grave for his gathering mistakenly called church.

     

    • Rev. Fr. Kuha INDYER, CSSp

    Sankera, Benue State.

  • Catholic men plan faith convention

    Catholic men plan faith convention

    The Catholic Men Organisation (CMO) of the Lagos Archdiocese will hold a faith convention aimed at addressing immoralities in the society.

    President of the organisation, Chief Emeka Asoegwu, told newsmen that homosexuality, gay marriages abortion, religious fanaticism and corruption will also be discussed at the conference.

    He assured that other spiritual, family, economic and business issues that will reawaken Catholics in the archdiocese will be at the front burner at the convention.

    It holds 3rd-5th October at St. Leo Catholic Church, Toyin Street, off Allen Avenue Lagos.

    Rev. Fr. Maria Ozele, Rev Fr. Joseph Atado, the host, Monsignor John Aniagwu and the Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev Dr. Martins Adewale will minister at the event.

    There will also be a business clinic to be handled by Dr. Imo Itsueli, Charles Iluegbunam and other entrepreneurs at the convention.

  • Catholic priest found dead in his apartment

    A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Peter Ayala, was on Sunday morning found dead in his apartment inside the St. Thomas Mores’ Catholic Church, Sobe in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

    A rifle and a spanner were found beside him.

    The priest, who was to conduct the morning mass at 7am, was reportedly cleaning his double-barrelled gun inside his apartment on the church premises, when the gun went off and killed him.

    The Nation learnt that the incident occurred before the priest dressed up for the mass. Worshippers had gathered for the service.

    The early morning service was put on hold following the death of the priest, who was posted to the parish last October. Later, Rev. Fr. Anelu James of the Eme-Ora Parish came in to conduct the holy mass. Also at the mission house was the Bishop of Auchi Diocese, the Most Rev. (Dr.) G.G. Dunia. The remains of the priest were taken to the morgue in Auchi.

    The incident threw the church into confusion.

    Rev. Dunia conducted an investigation with the security agents and confirmed that the priest died when the rifle he was cleaning went off.

    Residents of Sobe were still mourning the priest yesterday.

    Edo State police spokesman Moses Eguavoen said the command was yet to get the details of what transpired before the priest’s death.

    A source said as the police were carrying out preliminary investigations into the circumstances of the death, Rev. Dunia was expected to meet the other priests in the diocese yesterday on the funeral.

    The deceased was ordained a priest in 1997 at the Diocese of Benin City. He moved to the Auchi Diocese 10 years ago.

    The source said the late Rev. Fr. Ayala might have used the rifle for hunting the previous day (Saturday).

  • The Catholicity of mania

    Mania is a catholic
    condition because ev
    erybody goes in and out of it in a continual flux that depends on many factors such as biologic condition, environmental influences, relationships, needs and wants.
    Mania or insanity is difficult to define and as the Yoruba put it: “ori e ko pe”, the mind or brain is not complete or correct. Something missing in the mind makes the mind unable to judge the difference between opposites and opposing factors: right from wrong, good from evil, safety from danger; and to exercise disordered ego.
    Every now and then a judgement component of the mind escapes or is stolen by some force (evil or dominant) and a person exhibits unlimited ego. The catholicity of mania makes it often a folly to preoccupy oneself with another person’s mania or manic episode without moral clinical mandate.
    Psychotherapy, drugs, electroconvulsive shock therapy, and other human devices are often or routinely applied to treat mania and manic episodes. Spiritual healing is often unrecognized but continual connectivity with the awesome source of our brains and minds is a sure source of balance and good judgement. Mania surely is characterized by a lack of reason and wisdom.
    Any passion, emotion, activity, expression of life, and relationship can reach manic level. Thus we can refer to a person as a sex maniac, control freak, workaholic, religious fanatic, kleptomaniac (compulsive thief), etc.
    Every form of mania, can be expressed in diversity. For example kleptomaniacs may include persons who compulsively steal attractive insignificant objects, important public funds, intellectual property; other person’s rights or freedoms; other person’s merits, credits, rewards, or honours; other person’s peace or privacy; etc.
    Modern realities make traditional concepts of mania obsolete. The availability of powerful technologies makes it possible for individuals to be able to experience addictive powers and enlarged egos independently. It is no more necessary to go to an asylum to find a maniac. Everybody in real life can easily go in and out of mania continuously and the greater the possibility of a flattered ego, the greater the possibility of a person manifesting manic episodes in various measures.
    Power is always a double edged sword and most people do not realize this. The ego can be enhanced unto good or evil. The modern man, with increasing advancement of science and technology, is becoming more and more powerful and easily a power-fool when lacking connectivity with the source of humanity’s brain and mind. Break, distortion, or lack of such connectivity is the mother of follies and results in lack of good judgement. In modern societies, mania will abound and medical research or intervention directed at mania would often be futile if humans with physical powers are devoid of spiritual balance. We become dangerous to ourselves and dangerous to other persons when we do not consider how powerful we are and how unnecessary it is to always exercise power.
    The person who drills a pin-hole through the wall to insert a spy ware and listen to all his neighbours’ conversations or watches his neighbours eating and drinking and having sex may think modern technology is wonderful. The serial stalker taking cell phone pictures or sound recordings, the compulsive social media escapist, the quick businessman that floods the market with health hazards for more money – are possibly examples of modern mania. The modern maniac does not belong to the asylum. The world itself has become the asylum where he or she can freely express mania and look normal.
    Mania is also difficult to define because of the concepts of relativity capabilities and relative bests. Every human being with his or her ego is dependent on his or her own biologic make up, mental capacity and mental development, physical capability and physical development, spiritual capacity and spiritual development, experience, environmental connections and influences, relationships, history, geography, and time. Perhaps the most misjudged “mad man” ever was Jesus Christ. It is well recorded he was considered mad. In the same vain, it may be difficult to understand persons and personalities from just a human point of view no matter how great our power of intelligence, information gathering, study, human knowledge, or human understanding.
    Medically, mania can be treated or treatment attempts can be made at the level of psychotherapy, drug therapy, or electroconvulsive therapy. All these procedure are delicate and unpredictable clinical processes. The most important process for each and every one of us is perhaps recognizing how powerful we are as human beings in modern times and how much we need to bring to our best both the spiritual and the physical aspects of our being.

    Dr. ’Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA. For any comments or questions on this column, please Email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910

  • Catholic women honour Jemibewon’s wife Modupe today

    Mrs Modupe Jemibewon has every cause to be happy. That her graph has been on steady rise is no longer a secret. Apart from establishing an upscale beauty shop in the highbrow Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos, the widely travelled business woman only recently floated a mega school in Kogi State. This woman of substance will today be honoured as the Patroness of Catholic Women Organisation of Ekiti Diocese in recognition of her immense contributions to the growth of the Catholic faith and female members of the church. Gist merchants say she is among the third generation of Catholics in the state. The ceremony, according to highly placed sources, will attract the crème de la crème of the society and public office holders to the state which prides itself as Fountain of Knowledge.

  • Catholic diseases: Depression

    All of us need to be the best we can be in life, to have the best we can have in life, and to do the best we can do in life. This is a universal need. If one does not fulfil this need, it hurts one’s ego terribly.

    For the fallen ego, the disappointed ego, the crushed ego, the misplaced ego, the undermined ego, the deprived ego, the ego gone wrong, it is difficult to rise again or to change. It may just keep the status quo. This is a universal tendency that every human experiences. However, nobody has to stay depressed or live in depression because there are ways out of it.

    For us to wriggle out of this state we need to have some understanding of what we are as humans. Life is essentially social. Nowhere in Kingdom Animalia do we find an animal that is deliberately lonely or independent. Many animals have natural ways (colour, smell, chemicals, behaviour, sounds, trails) that they use to attract their own species. In human life, the interdependency of humans on one another has many facets with reward within one’s body, mind, or spirit. This wholesome expectation is often dashed and the ego becomes broken and is overtaken by genetic, bodily, social, and environmental factors.

    The makers of Cymbalta®, an antidepressant medicine, give us an idea of what we feel like when we are depressed. “Someone with depression might think or say any of the following:”I feel sad all the time and just don’t feel like myself;””Sometimes I feel like my life is not worth living anymore;””I feel like I don’t have any energy;””I’m not really interested in eating;””Even after a long day, I still feel restless;””I feel so indecisive and I can’t make any decisions;””I just feel so worthless;”and “I have trouble sleeping.””

    In established depression as observed clinically,it is known that there is interplay of genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors. WebMD tells us of some of the factors that can play a role in depression, which are the following. Biology: Abnormal function of certain parts of the brain and abnormal levels of some brain chemicals may be involved. Genetics: It seems that people with cases of depression in their family have a higher chance of getting depression.Gender: Women appear to be twice as likely as men to become depressed, possibly due to effects of female hormonal fluxes.Age: People who are elderly are at higher risk of depression especially if lonely and unsupported.Health conditions: Chronic pain and chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, and thyroid problems, increase the risk of developing depression.Trauma and grief: Trauma, violence, physical or emotional abuse, and grief can cause depression. Past physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can cause depression later in life.Changes and stressful events: Loss of a job, divorce, marriage, loss of property, loss of friends or companions, retirement, and transitions can trigger depression.Medications and substances: Many prescription drugs, e.g., some drugs used to treat high blood pressure, such as beta-blockers or reserpine, can increase a person’s risk of depression. Depressed people often consume alcohol.

    WebMD also outlines the major symptoms of depression: “For major depression, you may experience five or more of the following for at least a two-week period:

    •Persistent sadness, pessimism

    •Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, or hopelessness

    •Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, including sex

    •Difficulty concentrating and complaints of poor memory

    •Worsening of co-existing chronic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes

    •Insomnia or oversleeping

    •Weight gain or loss

    •Fatigue, lack of energy

    •Anxiety, agitation, irritability

    •Thoughts of suicide or death

    •Slow speech; slow movements

    •Headache, stomachache, and digestive problems”

    Wikipedia explains: “There are cultural differences in the extent to which serious depression is considered an illness requiring personal professional treatment, or is an indicator of something else, such as the need to address social or moral problems, the result of biological imbalances, or a reflection of individual differences in the understanding of distress that may reinforce feelings of powerlessness, and emotional struggle.” Treatments for depression are psychotherapy, medication, and electroconvulsive therapy.

     

    Dr. ’Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA. For any comments or questions on this column, please Email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910