Objective & Accurate

BY TOPE ABIOLA

The Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan, Most Rev. Gabriel Leke Abegunrin has charged participants at the ongoing Synod of Osogbo Diocese to go and participate in party politics to have a better Nigeria. Just as he charged the delegates to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, reflect together and resolve to work together.

The Metropolitan See of Ibadan Archdiocese stated this on Monday while presenting a keynote address at the the ongoing synod of the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo which started on Sunday at the Pastoral Center, Ede.
The Archbishop said “it is important for Catholics to participate in active politics to renew the face of Nigeria politics and produce good leadership in Nigeria.”
Archbishop Abegunrin noted that the problem in Nigeria is because good christians are running away from politics. He however warned the Catholic faithful to be courteous and just in their participations in politics, so as not to embarrass the church.

The Prelate also urged delegates at the Synod to listen to the Holy spirit in their deliberations at the Synod, so that they chart a new direction for pastoral and social activities of the church in Osogbo Diocese.
According to him “Osogbo Diocese is at a decisive period of her existence, especially with the growth of political Islam. While Christians may be a minority group in the State, Catholic Church has established a cordial relationship with all religions and groups and has always enjoyed the goodwill of all. This must be built upon and enhanced. The Marian Pilgrimage Centre is a national center for renewal that embraces all people of goodwill.”

Earlier in his homily at the opening Mass, the convener of the Synod, Most Rev. John Oyejola said it is important to organize the synod to invite the Holy Spirit to minister to people in the Diocese for a better pastoral administration of the Diocese.
He enjoined participants at the Synod to be free, sincere, objective and open in their deliberations and discussions at the Synod sessions.
Bishop Oyejola who described the Synod “as a journey of sharing and listening, through which the Holy Spirit can speak to the people, stressed that “the Holy Spirit can speak through anyone of us here at the Synod.”

He noted that, the synod was the first one in the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo and it is expected to have impact on the people of God.
The Osogbo Catholic Chief shepherd enthused that “we are all making impacts by participating in the Synod, your coming is an honour to the invitation of the Holy Spirit, therefore, let the Holy Spirit guide your discussions, be free, sincere, honest, open and objective in your discussions. You are free to make your contributions, let us listen carefully, the Holy Spirit should use us as instruments.”

While welcoming the delegates drawn from all parishes in the parish, Vicar-General of the Diocese who doubles as Chairman of the Synod Planning Committee, Very Rev Fr. Thaddeus Ajayi, said representatives of parishes in the diocese had gathered to brainstorm on how the diocese would forge ahead and make more impacts before another synod in the next ten years.

Ajayi said, “What prompted the synod is the need to know where we are, where we are coming from and where we are going. The diocese has been existing for 27 years now and by Church’s recommendation, a synod should happen every ten years. We just gave ourselves sometime to relax, re-adjust and be stable a bit. After having celebrated the silver jubilee of the diocese, we thought it wise to hold our first synod and we hope by this, we will know what’s the desire of the people of God or what what is the direction of the Holy Spirit for the Church, so that listening together, discussing together, and praying together for one week will truly show us where we are coming from, where we are and where we should go in the next ten years because for another synod to hold, it will be after ten years.

At the Opening Ceremony
The expectations are that people will open up, that is very important and that is why the bishop emphasized that the Holy Spirit is ready to speak to everybody. We have carefully selected people who are knowledgeable about what is happening in their parishes and who are ready to share. Of course, before now, we have had series of discussions at the parish and deanery level. We set out certain questions that would enable people to think and to reflect on our past and our future. So, we hope that with the delegates we are having from all the parishes and other selected groups of people in the Church, they would be able to speak out their minds, their desires so that the bishop can be properly informed and he will be able to choose the right path that the Holy Spirit wants him to lead the Church,” he added.