Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Sokoto diocese has sent a strong message to churches in the country that are being run with billions of Naira. Premium Times reports that the catholic bishop said on Thursday, December 24 that churches should desist from seeing themselves as business ventures. He said the word of God should be free. Kukah accused the catholic churches of sometimes trying to make profit from religiosity “It was one of the reasons for Fr Martin Luther’s revolt. But, so much has changed now. Prayer for our people is the duty of all ordained ministers, but today, it has become subject to abuse.
“The embarrassing billions being committed to spiritual matters is an act of outright criminality and nothing to do with the Christian faith. This is one of the damning betrayals of Jesus Christ. “Had riches been the essence of the mission of Jesus, He would have handed His ministry to bankers and economists such as Matthew or even Judas, “Had healing been of the greatest importance, perhaps, Luke would have been the head of the Apostles. Rather, he chose Peter who doubted and was rather fickle minded.” He added that Boko Haram was still a menace in the country.
“The excesses of Boko Haram still haunt the landscape. The Chibok girls are still not found and we will still spend another Christmas without any hope that their laughter will soon return to our homes. “The engine of political change has still not gathered the steam we had hoped for. The political calendar continues to shift as we witness a domino effect of overturned elections across the states. “All in all, new anxieties, new battles for power among the elites will likely lead us to loss of more innocent lives and blood. The contest for power continues to take its toll and yet we continue to pray for the stability of the ship of state. We call on our leaders to use the power in their hands for service.”
The Bishop urged Nigerians to take responsibility for their actions as the government could not shoulder all the blame. “How for example is a government responsible for men whose irresponsible lifestyles lead to their children being sick or out of school? “How is government responsible for men who decide to marry and bring children into the world when they have no means of bringing them up? “How is government responsible for domestic violence? How is government responsible for the collapse of family values? How is government responsible for students who decide to cheat in their examinations? “How is government responsible for men who choose armed robbery rather than hard work? How is government responsible for women who decide to choose a life of prostitution? “Government can and must create conditions, but we must all become instruments of change. If we take our responsibilities seriously, we can compel government to serve us better.”
“The embarrassing billions being committed to spiritual matters is an act of outright criminality and nothing to do with the Christian faith. This is one of the damning betrayals of Jesus Christ. “Had riches been the essence of the mission of Jesus, He would have handed His ministry to bankers and economists such as Matthew or even Judas, “Had healing been of the greatest importance, perhaps, Luke would have been the head of the Apostles. Rather, he chose Peter who doubted and was rather fickle minded.” He added that Boko Haram was still a menace in the country.
“The excesses of Boko Haram still haunt the landscape. The Chibok girls are still not found and we will still spend another Christmas without any hope that their laughter will soon return to our homes. “The engine of political change has still not gathered the steam we had hoped for. The political calendar continues to shift as we witness a domino effect of overturned elections across the states. “All in all, new anxieties, new battles for power among the elites will likely lead us to loss of more innocent lives and blood. The contest for power continues to take its toll and yet we continue to pray for the stability of the ship of state. We call on our leaders to use the power in their hands for service.”
The Bishop urged Nigerians to take responsibility for their actions as the government could not shoulder all the blame. “How for example is a government responsible for men whose irresponsible lifestyles lead to their children being sick or out of school? “How is government responsible for men who decide to marry and bring children into the world when they have no means of bringing them up? “How is government responsible for domestic violence? How is government responsible for the collapse of family values? How is government responsible for students who decide to cheat in their examinations? “How is government responsible for men who choose armed robbery rather than hard work? How is government responsible for women who decide to choose a life of prostitution? “Government can and must create conditions, but we must all become instruments of change. If we take our responsibilities seriously, we can compel government to serve us better.”
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