The Catholic Archbishop Of Ibadan Diocese, Most Reverend, Gabriel Abegunrin has called on Nigerians to shun all forms of anti-life practices and eradicate the culture of death.
The Archbishop who made the call on Tuesday in his 2024 Easter message said nobody should be prevented from enjoying the life of life.
“Easter calls us to a renewed understanding of the sanctity of the human life and to promote it with vigor. No one should be prevented from enjoying the gift of life from God, both natural and supernatural life.
“We must therefore stand together to shun all anti-life practices and eradicate the culture of death among us, ranging from the promotion of abortion to contraceptives.
He also called on Nigerians to desist from corrupt practices and embrace a life of holiness.
“This passage from negative and dark realities to positive realities is another dimension of Easter we need to appropriate in our country Nigeria. We are sent and challenged to pass from our dark corrupt practices to the light of integrity; from tribalism and nepotism to true brotherhood; from hatred to love; from terrorism, kidnapping, and war to peaceful co-existence; from greed to contentment; from injustice to equity and fairness; from hopelessness to joy.
“In Easter, we see how shame, scandal, powerlessness, and weakness were suddenly transformed into glory, honour, pre-eminence, laudation, and applause. We must allow the power of Christ to bring about this transformation in our Country and to permeate every aspect of our lives,” he stated.
The Most Reverend while stressing the importance of peaceful coexistence said, “It is the will of God that we always be at peace. However, it is sad that peace in our time seems totally out of our grasp, especially when we are confronted by aggression in almost every part of the world.
“Notably, it is not only the presence of war that indicates the absence of peace. When we suffer from the abuse of domestic violence, from ethnic prejudice, from the cruelty of gossip or bullying. Whenever individuals or communities are physically, psychologically, or spiritually harmed, peace is polluted.
“The peace of Christ is very essential for the good of humankind. It is the foundation of love, it helps us to create pathways for progress, and it provides opportunities for unity and cooperation among all peoples and nations. The idea of Peace is and must be, central to human life.
“We must have genuine respect for others and their rights in other to achieve peace. Our words, actions, and activities, must be seen to work actively and deliberately towards peace, either individually or collectively, personally or communally,” he added.
