Nigeria: Catholics to wear black in Ash Wednesday protest against violence

Nigerian bishops

Source: Fides, NCBC

The Catholic Bishops of Nigeria have asked the faithful to wear black clothing or black armbands on Ash Wednesday, as a symbolic sign of mourning and solidarity with the victims of kidnapping and other violent crimes.

Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) Fr Zacharia Nyantiso Samjumi, said: "I have been directed by the Administrative Board of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) to communicate to you that in the face of the current security situation, the Church needs to speak out in word and action against the level of insecurity in the country."

In their Ash Wednesday message published on February 21, Catholic Bishops in the country ask the universal Church and all Christians to join them in prayers for the "dead brothers and sisters and for peace and security in Nigeria."

The statement decries the public show of impunity by the perpetrators of these crimes on social media, the constant threats to many communities, and the lack of arrests of the criminals by the government.

Emphasizing the importance of peace, the statement reads: "May we, once again, remind all the arms of the government in Nigeria and all whose responsibility it is to protect Nigerians that without security there can be no peace, and without peace, there can be no development or national growth."

The bishops say: "We are sad. We are in sorrow and grief. But we are confident that the light of Christ, which shines in our hearts, will brighten the dark corners of our Nigerian society", said the Bishops. "The level of insecurity in Nigeria today is such that whether at home or on the road, most Nigerians, in all the parts of the country, live in fear", denounces the message that adds "the repeated barbaric executions of Christians by the Boko Haram insurgents and the incessant cases of kidnapping for ransom linked to the same group and other terrorists have traumatized many citizens".

In a separate message to Parish Priests, the Board said: "On Sunday 1st of March, there shall be no evening Mass in our City Parishes. That evening, we shall have a peaceful prayer protest against the incessant killings and insecurity in our country."