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Same-sex marriage: Nigerian Catholic bishops tackle Pope
Same-sex marriage: Nigerian Catholic bishops tackle Pope
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has said blessing same-sex marriage is against God’s law, the teachings of the Church, the laws of the country, and the cultural sensibilities of Nigerians.
The CBCN, in a joint statement by its President and Secretary, Lucius Ugorji and Donatus Ogun, respectively, and a few other executive members, assured the ‘people of God’ that the teachings of the Catholic Church on marriage remained the same.
“There is, therefore, no possibility of blessing same-sex unions and activities in the church; that will go against God’s law, the teachings of the church, the laws of our nation, and the cultural sensibilities of our people.
“We thank all the priests for their accompaniment of married couples, asking them to continue in all they do to sustain the sacrament of holy matrimony, and never to do anything that will detract from the sacredness of this sacrament,” CBCN said.
The bishops said following the issuance of the declaration on the pastoral meaning of blessings, “Fiducia Supplicans” (pleading with courage) by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the CBCN members recognised their duties as pastors to clarify the content of the document.
They emphasised that the declaration sought to clarify the different forms of blessings that could be given to persons and objects within the Catholic Church, including the possibility of blessing persons in irregular unions.
Such unions, the clerics said, could include, but not limited to, divorced and remarried couples whose previous marriages had not been annulled, those living in same-sex unions, those in polygamous unions and concubinage, among others.
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“The declaration acknowledges and carefully distinguishes between ritual, liturgical and informal blessings.
“While ritual or liturgical blessings are imparted according to the established norms of the church, informal blessings refer to prayers over people who ask for them outside the liturgy or any formal celebration in the church.
“The declaration offers a consideration of the possibility of extending the informal blessings to all God’s children, irrespective of their moral condition, when they ask to be blessed.
“Nevertheless, the declaration insists that the blessings of persons in irregular unions, and never the union itself, can only take a non-liturgical form to avoid confusion.
“It should not be imparted during or in connection with a civil wedding ceremony or with clothing, words and signs, associated with a wedding.”
According to the bishops, the declaration also reiterates the Catholic Church’s perennial teaching on marriage as an “exclusive, stable and indissoluble union of a man and woman, naturally open to the generation of children.”
While stating that the church did not have the power to impart a blessing on irregular unions, they maintained that the declaration also reinforced the truth about God’s mercy.
“For one to willingly ask for a blessing demonstrates one’s trust in God and the desire to live according to God’s commandments.
“Asking for God’s blessing is not dependent on how good one is. Imperfection is the reason for seeking God’s grace.
“Therefore, those in irregular unions are invited never to lose hope, but rather to ask for God’s grace and mercy, while remaining open to conversion,” the bishops said.
Same-sex marriage: Nigerian Catholic bishops tackle Pope
News
Edo Gov Okpebholo freezes govt accounts, reverses ministry’s name
Edo Gov Okpebholo freezes govt accounts, reverses ministry’s name
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has directed the immediate freezing of all state-owned bank accounts.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, the governor stated that the accounts would remain frozen until further notice.
He instructed commercial banks, ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to comply with the order immediately or face severe consequences.
The statement reads: “All state bank accounts with commercial banks have been frozen. Commercial banks must comply with this order and ensure that not a single naira is withdrawn from government coffers until further notice.
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“Heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies must ensure full compliance without delay.
“Following necessary investigations and reconciliations, the governor will take appropriate action and decide on the way forward. For now, this order remains in effect.”
Okpebholo also directed relevant agencies to revert the name of the Ministry of Roads and Bridges to its previous title, the Ministry of Works, a change made during the Godwin Obaseki administration.
“It is odd to name a government institution the Ministry of Roads and Bridges, especially when not a single bridge was built by the previous administration — not even a pedestrian bridge.
“In the coming days, we will examine further actions taken by the previous administration and make decisions that serve the best interests of the state,” the statement added.
Edo Gov Okpebholo freezes govt accounts, reverses ministry’s name
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Israel-Palestinian conflict: Two-state solution is a deception, says Gumi
Israel-Palestinian conflict: Two-state solution is a deception, says Gumi
Prominent Islamic scholar Dr. Ahmad Mahmud Gumi has criticized the widely discussed two-state solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict, calling it a “deception.”
His remarks followed a recent summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Riyadh, where President Bola Tinubu and other leaders condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and urged an end to hostilities.
In an interview with Daily Trust at his Kaduna residence, Gumi argued, “This Two-State Solution is a deception. No Israeli will allow a Palestinian to survive, and Palestinians will never allow Israel to survive.
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The only solution is to dissolve the two states and create a democratically electable region.”
Gumi commended the OIC’s support for Palestine, noting that Muslims and Arabs worldwide increasingly see the treatment of Palestinians as “genocide” and accuse Israel of human rights abuses.
He also called for a return to the pre-1948 structure, where Palestinians, Jews, and Christians lived together, suggesting a single, inclusive state that allows peaceful coexistence.
“When I hear people talking about Two-State Solutions, I know they are just deceiving themselves,” Gumi added, advocating for a unified region where people of all faiths can live together, similar to the multi-faith coexistence seen in countries like the United States.
Israel-Palestinian conflict: Two-state solution is a deception, says Gumi
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Court sacks Ondo LP candidate, two days to governorship poll
Court sacks Ondo LP candidate, two days to governorship poll
The Labour Party candidature of Olusola Ebiseni for the upcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo State has been nullified.
The nullification follows the sacking of Ebiseni by the Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday.
The governorship election of the southwest State will hold on Saturday, 16 November 2024.
The judgement disqualifying Ebiseni was unanimously delivered by the three members of the panel and read out by the chairman of the panel, Justice Adebukola Banjoko.
The judgment granted the prayer of the Labour Party who preferred the case against Ebiseni.
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Justice Banjoko held that, “the appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 brought by the Labour Party against Chief Olusola Ebiseni and two others is allowed.”
Justice Banjoko further stated that the Certified True Copy of the judgment would be provided to the parties involved in the appeal as soon as possible for their review.
Recall that Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to accept and recognize Olusola Ebiseni and Ezekiel Awude as the Labour Party’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the November 16 Ondo State governorship elections.
Justice Nwite confirmed that the second primary election conducted by the Labour Party, which resulted in Ebiseni and Awude being selected as candidates, was valid and should be upheld by INEC.
However, the appellate court has now overturned the judgment of the trial court’s judgment.
Court sacks Ondo LP candidate, two days to governorship poll
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