Kukah bemoans waning Catholic influence in Nigeria - Punch Newspapers

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, has called on the Catholic Church in Nigeria to renew its values and reclaim its influence in public life, warning that the ethos that once shaped generations of Nigerians is gradually being eroded. Kukah made the call on Friday at St. Finbarr’s College Auditorium, Akoka, Lagos, while delivering a lecture titled, “To Conquer or to Serve? Thoughts on the Contributions of the Catholic Church to Human Development and the Making of a Good Society in Nigeria.” The lecture was organised in commemoration of the late Rev. Fr. Denis Slattery, whom Kukah described as “one of the greatest missionaries of our time” and a representative of the best of the Irish missionary enterprise in Nigeria. Drawing on the concept of “soft power” developed by the late American political scientist, Joseph Nye, Kukah said the missionary approach to evangelisation demonstrated that lasting influence was achieved through service, attraction and the transformation of human lives rather than coercion. He said, “Soft power was the antidote. He argued that raw power was far less effective in creating and sustaining international and bilateral friendships with other peoples and nations. “Soft power was the ability to shape the preferences of others to want what you want, to get what you want through attraction, by co-opting them through the attractiveness of your culture, political values and your policies, rather than coercing them with military force or buying them with money.” Kukah said the principle was reflected in the missionary enterprise that established schools, hospitals and other institutions across Nigeria, adding that the challenge before contemporary Catholics was to determine whether the values acquired through such institutions still influenced their lives. “Today, you address yourselves as conquerors. This is what you were inspired to aim at. In order to be conquerors, you were given codes of conduct that focused on spiritual formation built around a disciplined life,” he said. “The challenge now is, when you look back, how much of these values remained with you and how many of them still impact your life?”See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google The bishop expressed concern that many Catholics appeared to devote more time, resources and energy to social, political, ethnic and fraternity associations than to activities within their parishes and the Church. According to him, repeated commitment to such organisations could gradually shape people’s priorities and public decisions. He said, “Institutions compound loyalty in much the same way that banks compound money. Where we repeatedly invest our time, resources, friendships and ambition eventually forms us. “If the parish receives the remnants of our time while other associations receive our best energy, we should expect those associations to exercise greater influence over our public choices.” Kukah warned that failure to transmit Catholic values to younger generations could have serious consequences for the Church and society. “Once we are unable to hand on to our children a moral banner of Catholic values without stain, the future is in danger because, as we can see, over time, these moral values erode, diminish and finally even vanish from our moral choices,” he said. 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This is why next to education they embarked on building health facilities irrespective of how remote the communities were.” Kukah cited Catholic Church statistics indicating that the Church operates more than 231,000 schools and universities in 171 countries, educating about 72 million students. He also said the Catholic Church had about 5,100 nursery, primary and secondary schools in Nigeria, excluding its universities and other tertiary institutions. According to him, the institutions remain important avenues through which millions of Nigerians encounter the Church, but the values associated with them must extend into society. “These Catholic schools, universities, hospitals and parishes still remain the major portals by which millions still pass through to have the best education. Yet, their values do not travel with the same force into our homes, professions, politics and public choices,” he said. “Renewal requires these schools, hospitals and universities to carry conviction again into the lives of those who pass through them.” The bishop listed several missionary schools that contributed to the development of Nigeria’s elite, including Christ the King College, Onitsha; Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha; Holy Rosary College, Enugu; St. John’s College, Jos; St. Louis College, Jos; St. Louis College, Kano; and St. John’s College, Kaduna. Kukah said the discipline, education and spiritual formation received in such institutions had helped shape generations of Nigerians, urging alumni to reflect on how those values had influenced their subsequent contributions to society. He recalled the strict discipline associated with Catholic schools, including the roles played by priests, religious sisters, teachers and principals in mentoring students. According to him, the memories of school discipline and mentorship should serve as reminders of the values that Catholic education was designed to instil. Kukah concluded by challenging the Catholic community to look beyond preserving its institutions and focus on ensuring that the values that inspired the missionary enterprise continue to influence Nigeria’s homes, professions, politics and public life. Animashaun Salman

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