nigeria – NZ Catholic Newspaper

Bomb attack on military base church worries cardinal

Michael Otto — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:02:48 +0000

LAGOS, Nigeria (CathNews) — Nigeria’s new cardinal has spoken of his dismay following a deadly attack on a church inside a major military establishment, saying that it shows nowhere is safe, reports the Independent Catholic News.
Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja, described as “particularly worrisome” the explosion on Sunday at St Andrew’s Protestant Church, inside the Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Jaji, Kaduna state. At least 11 people are reported dead.
Nigerian military said two suspect vehicles entered the establishment — one a bus that was driven into the wall of the church causing an explosion but no casualties.
When people gathered to see what had happened, a second more serious explosion took place, killing 11 and injuring a further 30 people. This is the third successive Sunday that a church in Kaduna has been attacked. This time, Islamist group Boko Haram denied responsibility.
Speaking from Rome just two days after being made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI, the prelate told Aid to the Church in Need: “Once again, a great tragedy has taken place, but in this case the circumstances are particularly worrisome.”

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Bombings in Nigeria kill Massgoers

Michael Otto — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 23:04:21 +0000

ABUJA, Nigeria (CWN) — Dozens of worshippers were killed in Nigeria as bomb attacks targeted churches in three cities on Christmas Day. The Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram is suspected of carrying out the attacks.
The deadliest of the incidents, which claimed at least 35 lives, took place at St Theresa Catholic Church near Abuja, the nation’s capital, as worshippers were leaving Mass. “Some of the wounded, including one man whose entrails protruded from his body, ran toward a priest for final blessings,” Agence France Press reported.
Another bombing in Jos killed at least four; a third attack in the northeastern part of the country was unsuccessful.
“Regretfully, the attacks at the Church of Saint Theresa in Abuja, timed to coincide with Christmas Day celebrations, are once again the expression of the cruelty of blind and absurd hatred devoid of any respect for human life and represent an attempt to generate and fuel further hatred and confusion,” said Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office.
“We express our closeness to the suffering of the Church and of all the Nigerian people who have been affected by violent terrorism even during these days that should be of joy and peace,” he added. “While we pray for the victims, we also express the hope that this senseless violence will not weaken the will for peaceful cohabitation and dialogue in the nation.”
At a midday public audience on December 26, Pope Benedict XVI decried the “senseless act” and offered his prayers for the countries that are “drenched with innocent blood” because of religious persecutions. Noting that the day was the feast of St Stephen, the first Christian martyr, the Pontiff spoke of all martyrs as being both “living witnesses” and “silent messengers” of the faith.

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Nigerian archbishop says conflict is economic, cultural, not religious

Vatican City (CNS) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0000

VATICAN CITY (CNS) Cultural, economic and tribal differences are feeding the bloody conflict between Nigerian farmers and herders that has left hundreds of people dead, an archbishop from the African country said. The violence is not inspired by religious differences, even though the ethnic Berom farmers are Christian and the ethnic Fulani herders are Muslim,

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African bishops hope papal visit encourages peace, justice in Africa

Vatican City (CNS) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +0000

VATICAN CITY (CNS) A group of Nigerian bishops expressed hope that Pope Benedict XVI’s first visit to Africa will spur the troubled continent on a path toward peace, justice and reconciliation. Three bishops from Nigeria said they are looking at Pope Benedict’s March 17-23 visit to Cameroon and Angola as an opportunity to show that

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