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CHARITY: TOWARDS A REDISCOVERY OF WORLD PEACE
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HAIL MARY TRUST LINK LTD.
The giant name in new model Peugeot cars and spare parts
21/22A Onyekwere Zone
Ugwuagba Obosi Anambra
State Nigeria.
64
2013 / 2014 EDITION
Quest for
Marriage
and the Spate
of Divorce:
Canonical
Implications
.
TABLE OF CONTENT
.The Reality of Our Existence ............................03
TABLE OF CONTENT
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|| The Saviourites Magazine
.The Marriage of Charity & Peace ............ 08
.Edeh’s Charity: A Unique Peace Model ............12
.Our Value System: A Case for Attitudinal
Change in Nigeria for Sustainable Development..16
.The Emergence of the National Pilgrimage
Centre Elele, Nigeria......................................... 18
Rev. Dr. Chinedu Odinkemelu Anieke
.An Interview with Bishop Uzoukwu .................24
.Quest for Marriage and the spate of Divorce...26
.Sports as an Instrument of Peace ...................35
Fr. Dr. Donatus Onuigbo
.New Phase of Human Slavery .........................44
.
New Phase
Of Human
Slavery
.Christianity & Corruption in Nigeria:
A Case for practical witnessing .......................39
.Baalism & Christianity: An Anatomy of
Syncretism ..........................................................42
.Prostate Gland & Breast Cancer Disease ...... 50
.Education in Nigeria: Problems & Prospects.. 55
Prostate
Gland
And Breast
Cancer
Disease
EDITORIAL CREW
(MADONNA UNIVERSITY
TEACHING HOSPITAL)
.
Rev. Sr. Dr. Yves
Iwuamadi SJS
Onuh Charles Chika
Editor
Ozioko Tobias
Deputy Editor
Igwe Abraham
Secretary
Onwurah Christopher
Production Manager 1
Odo Peter
Circulation 1
Onyeugba Anthony
Our Value
System:
A Case for Attitudinal Change
in Nigeria for Sustainable
Development Areji Anthony C. Ph. D
.
Production Manager 11
Nweke Festus
Financial Manager
Jetty Joe Odey
Circulation 11
Oru Kingsley
Advert Manager 1
Attah David
Advert Manager 11
Rev. Fr. Oliver Udaya
Moderator
1
2013 / 2014 EDITION
EDITORIAL CREW
The Saviourites Magazine ||
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EDITORIAL SUITE
giving rise to well-being and
progress.
Charity is an indubitable means to
peace for the singular reason that
ends and means must cohere- ends
necessarily is preexistent in the
means. This is the difference this
Magazine is offering in the project of
global peace. Admittedly, a lot has
been written and said on the question
of peace, but how to attain and
maintain peace is discussed here as
never before anywhere. We have
intellectuals and researchers who
have done justice to this topic.
Prominent among them are Rev. Fr.
Dr. Chinedu Anieke, Rev. Fr. Dr.
Donatus Onuigbo, Dr. Anthony
Areji, Rev. Sr. Dr, Yves Nwamadi
(Med.), Rev. M. Melladu, Rev. F.
Nwachukwu, Mbave Joseph, Oruh
Kingsley, Tobias Ozioko and a host
of other contributors.
he term “Peace”,
irrespective of one's
orientation, or from
whatever perspective one tries to
define it is a reality, a universally
acceptable phenomenon that man
and the human society have an
uninterrupted yearning for. It is
undeniable that man has a deep
craving for peaceful existence.
Consequently, the project called
“World Peace” has severally
attracted the intellectual exercise of
many scholars, governments and
organizations, but to say the least,
they have not hit the nail on the head,
and this explains why every effort
and talks have ended up to be illusive
and mere polemics. The much talk on
the question of peace explains how
important peace is to man and the
urgency with which peace is needed
in the contemporary world.
To rediscover peace is
a project in process.
We talk of Peaceprocess because not in
this world would
anybody think of having, or would
there be absolute stable peace; but
peace of man and that of the society
is a possibility. There cannot be
absolute stable peace here because of
inherent tension in every transitory
existence. Tension in itself is good;
and it is there because we have to
choose between opposites: good and
evil, wrong and right etc. Choice is
possible because of God's gift of free
will to man; and it is not
exaggeration to say that free will is
the highest gift of God to man. It is We have other religious, educational,
something without which, man ethical, sports and other related
ceases to be man but brute or robot. articles, cartoons, Poems etc. for
The road to peace is charity. Charity your delight, peace and intellectual
as a concept finds expression in nourishment. Do yourself some
praxis. It is complete only in doing; charity and pick some copies of this
and in its nuances of meaning, it magazine for yourself, families and
includes forgiveness, letting go, friends and join us in this charity
accommodation, tolerance, patience, campaign that we all may have and
self-sacrifice, almsgiving, justice, enjoy peace. Happy reading!!
The SAVIOURITES Magazine,
echoing the voice of truth which is
salvific presents to your intellectual
table a topic of important concern to
you and to the world: Charity:
Towards a Rediscovery of World
Peace. “A rediscovery of world
honesty, hard work and what have
you. Simply put, charity is any
thought and action toward self, and
most importantly towards the other
that is life-giving; that recognizes the
other as mmadi, man, “the good that
is” and that elevates his dignity
T
2
2013 / 2014 EDITION
Charles C. Onuh FJS
Chief Editor
.
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Oru Kingsley
H
umanity has
repeatedly grappled
with the reality of
existence: the origin, goal,
fate, troubles and pains of
human experiences. The
debate whether man is the
master of his own choices, fate
and destiny or just a mere plaything,dancing on the strings of fate
has received several attentions. The
modern man finds himself in a
bemused and quandary situation; a
state, a world bereft of peace,
harmony and security as a result of
incessant cases of wars, killing,
maiming, insecurity, catastrophic
natural disasters, diseases, poverty,
man's inhumanity to man, and other
myriads of atrocities such as
abortion, bribery, corruption,
terrorism and many more.
Confronted with these litanies of
troubles and tension, critical minds
have tried to find their real causes,
the fate of man and the goal of his
endless and unsatisfactory
endeavours here on earth.
It is commonplace to hear our age
referred to as technological age. The
development of supersonic and
sophisticated technologies in our age
has really improved the living
condition of man; but that
notwithstanding, it has rendered
man's existence more precarious,
tilting him towards or abandoned in
the miserable hands of confusion,
anguish and despair. Man is today at
the mercy of what hitherto were for
PREAMBLE
peace” presupposes
that the world had
peace but has lost it;
hence, the need for a
rediscovery.
THE REALITY OF OUR EXISTENCE
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3
Relationship occupies a central place
in God's purpose of creation. God
created man to know and love Him in
this world and to dwell with Him in
fellowship in the hereafter
(Catechism of the Catholic Church
“CCC” No. 1). God is transcendent
and immaterial, a pure spirit such
that in his nature, we that are partly
matter cannot with our senses relate
with him materially. Our relationship
with God is possible and concrete
through our relationship with our
fellow men. Love of God is
anoth
e
r
with
t h e
aim of
attaini
ng our
ultima
te end.
In accord with the divine wisdom,
Aristotle declared that man is a social
being; a relational being. In his
political philosophy, Aristotle
affirms that whoever cannot live in
the community of other humans is
either a superman or a brute. (Samuel
E. Stumpf: Philosophy: History and
problem, 1994) The essence of
interpersonal relationship in human
existence is for a well ordered
society and for man's self
actualisation. In this line, Gabriel
fundamental but concretely
expressed in love of neighbour.
Hence, by extension one can say that
we are also created for one another;
to live in communion with one
Marcel in his “I-thou” theory holds
that relationship, or the life of
communion considers the 'other' first
before the 'self.' In his thinking,
his comfort and under his control.
His own inventions and discoveries
have become his greatest undoing.
Thus, this piece is but a critical
exposition of the awful state of
human existence, particularly in our
own age.
Man in God's Creative Plan
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relationship entails availability;
being open and disposed to serve the
other for his edification.
Unfortunately, this noble and divine
agenda has been corrupted by man's
rebellious attitudes and spirit of
individualism, acute and enduring
selfishness. Consequently, man
draws sword against his fellow,
turning to science and technology for
the mutual love and service he would
have enjoyed from and with his
fellow men. Since man detached
himself from mutual love of God and
that of his fellow, he has remained a
slave to scientific and technological
inventions and discoveries,
scientism and 'technologism' which
keep him farther away from God and
self.The sacredness of life, sense of
honour, dignity and communal ties
have been sacrificed at the altar of
secularism hence, everybody has got
his own right and freedom to
exercise as he likes. The result of all
these has manifested in the overt
misery, pain and ugly experiences
that have characterized human
existence.
The Rots in the Society
Pondering over life, Socrates said,
“man know thyself” also, that
“unexamined life is not worth
living.” (Samuel E. Stumpf:
Philosophy: History and problem,
1994) Humanity has reached a
crescendo that requires profound
sober reflection, to assess and
criticize the past, to conscientiously
tackle the issues of the present and
unanimously work for a better
tomorrow. Man's selfish encounter
with nature, his own self and that of
the other has resulted to countless
number of ruinous social and
4
political wantonness, and nature,
variously has been in the habit of
giving it back to man for its
continued rape. As a result, the ugly
and miserable experiences of man
are lamentable.
A Berlin-based organisation,
Transparency International in her
annual corruption index released in
2012, affirmed that two-third of the
countries of the world are highly
corrupt. According to the report,
Somalia, North Korea and
Afghanistan rank as the most corrupt
countries while USA and Nigeria
occupy the 19 and 35th positions
r e s p e c t i v e l y. ( c f .
http://www.transparency.org/cpi201
2/results) This is as a result of
political ineptitude of those who
have and are occupying positions of
leadership. It is an obvious fact that
things have gone wrong in the
world's polity, especially in Africa;
the orientation and value system are
based on false ideologies. It is
saddening, shameful and worrisome
that those in public offices are not
concerned with the well-being of
those they represent; their concern is
how to divert, with audacity and
impunity, funds meant for the
common good of the people to their
pocket. The result and burden of
i l l e g a l i t y, b a r r e n v i s i o n a r y
leadership, misappropriation and
theft of public fund on the human
family are crying for a saviour.
One of the burdens of continued
failure of public office holders is
abject poverty in many countries of
the world. Poverty is today an
epidemic ravaging humanity in most
parts of the world. Besides the fact
2013 / 2014 EDITION
that it dehumanizes man, it is
responsible for many avoidable
criminalities in the world.
Regrettably, Africa, Asia and Latin
America are the most hit. More than
70 per cent of African families are
living below US $2 (a little above
3 0 0 n a i r a ) a d a y. ( c f .
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hum
an_Poverty_Index) One wonders the
standard of living of such great
percentage of humanity. It is pitiful
and provoking to know that most of
these countries, given their human
and natural endowments ought to be
among the richest in the world. As a
result, insufficiency in basic needs
and rights such as food, clothing,
shelter, even good water is the reason
why the world is annually losing
millions of lives. Which country
should be richer, for instance like
Nigeria where a government agency
is alleged to have not accounted or
remitted to the public treasury oil
revenue worth six trillion naira just
from 2009 to 2012; a country where
public servants loot billions of
dollars indiscriminately without the
country knowing it or having “fiscal
cliff?” Yet, the same country has no
adequate road and those it has are
simply death traps, the same country
has no functional and modern health
facilities for the health of the people,
the education of the same is not
working and men and women are
slaughtered like chickens for the
reason of insecurity. More so,
corollary to the issue of poverty is
fanatics and agitators unleash on helplessly and frustrated as they
people today speak loud how yearn for job for a living.
savagery the human society in 21st Unemployment is today a global
century has become. Ours is a i s s u e . T h e p e r c e n t a g e o f
degenerated society. The endless unemployed is on the increase in
terror and war in the Middle East has Asia, Europe, America and Africa;
remained a thorn on the flesh of yet wealth abounds in the world.
humanity. The increase in the rate of Partly, this is a problem of science
street fighting, assassination, rape and technology divorced of sound
resulting daily to loss of lives and philosophy. When governments
property tell us how insecure and spend billions of dollars developing,
wicked the world has become. The building and stockpiling supersonic
case of Boko Haram insurgence in and nuclear weapons to wage war
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disease resulting high rate of
children and maternal mortality.
There is wide spread of deadly
diseases such as, tuberculosis,
cancer, leukemia, malaria, typhoid,
tapeworm, HIV/AIDS and many
more in poverty stricken countries.
Diseases and sickness are prevalent
in “poor” countries because for one
to stay healthy, one needs money to
feed well and take care of his medical
bills.
Politically, humanity has continued
to battle with countless political
crises across the globe which has
often resulted to wars. Statistically,
the human and material cost of war
is incomputable which is why it is the
greatest crime against humanity. The
vestiges of the first and second world
wars in 1914 and 1939 respectively
are still with us. Countless of lives
were lost during the wars and many
displaced.It was during this ugly
event that Adulphus Hitler
terminated the lives of 6 million Jews
on the ground of race superiority;
while America fed their selfish ego
by testing their Nuclear weapon on
two Japanese cities; Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. By the end of 1945, about
145,000 people had died in
Hiroshima, and some 75,000 people
had died in Nagasaki. (cf.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/worl
d_war) The unhealed pain and hate
caused by 1st and 2nd world wars are
still hunting the world till date, a
reason for the Asia-Western endless
strife.
Due to hate, ideological war, the
human society across the globe has
waken up with sophisticated kinds of
terrorism and violence. The rate of
suicide bombing, violence and terror
5
Since man detached himself
from mutual love of God and
that of his fellow, he has
remained a slave to scientific
and technological inventions
and discoveries, scientism
and 'technologism' which
keep him farther away from
God and self.
Nigeria is our particular experience.
Since the dastardly activities of Boko
Haram started in Nigeria, only God
can tell the number of lives and the
value of property that have been lost.
Northern Nigeria is no longer safe
even for the Northerners; this
explains the mass exodus of people
down the West. Business in the North
is almost collapsing; people no
longer feel free to go to churches to
worship their God and fear is all on
the faces of people as they walk like
fugitives and refugees in the country
they call their own.
It is quite unfortunate that despite the
fate we suffer today, we do not have a
sure hope for a better tomorrow
owing to the plight of our present day
youths. The youths of our societies
are roaming the streets everyday
2013 / 2014 EDITION
they have not seen, what do they
expect; when computer machines
take charge of productions and
services in the industries, what do
they expect; when public fund,
capable of building industries and
creating job is looted with impunity
as is the case in Africa, what do they
expect? There is unemployment
everywhere because the wealth of
the world is misappropriated. Money
is being spent on projects that are not
life-giving. Machine has replaced
the service of men in industries
because the beginning and end of
philosophy of capitalism is money.
In Africa, the problem is not money,
but the fact that public office holders
are looters and not leaders. The
world is watching! As a result, the
youths of the world are into all kinds
of criminality: kidnapping, thuggery,
prostitution, pornography, drugs and
human trafficking. In the Nigerian
parlance, it wears the linguistic gab
of “using what you have to get what
you want.”
Equally, religion which should
suffice as man's last resort has also
come under serious attack. Religion
has turned out to be a veritable means
of oppression and suppression. With
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religion, people are easily
indoctrinated and hoodwinked.
People now hide under the sheep
cloak of religion to scheme and carry
out their evil plans. In Christianity
for instance, the house of God has
become the quickest way of making
money which explains why churches
are springing up like mushrooms to
the extent that it has been reduced to
every home affair. Devotion and
worship have become a matter of
convenience and choice. The
number of faithful in a church is
determined by the number of miracle
and relief which the overseer is able
to give; 'how' he does it and 'where'
he draws his strength and power is
insignificant. This is the beginning
of what someone has called Christian
prostitution: people jumping from
one church and ministry to the other
in search of how and where their
material and most times evil cravings
will be met. Today, many Christians
no longer serve God for who he is,
but for what he can give; and if he
does not respond to their mundane
aspiration as when they want them,
he ceases to be God.
Ethics and Morality are another area
of global interest. We have come to a
stage where we not only discuss
openly but condone and make legal
practices and behaviours that are
anti-human, that are hitherto
intolerable in the human family.
Morality and standards have been
exchanged with “freedom”, have
become matters of choice and
convenience. Secularism and
“freedomism”advocate that each has
and should live his or her life the way
it pleases; people should always
6
obey and satisfy their passions and
emotions without being judgemental
of their feelings. In other words, if
you feel like wedding and having sex
with animal, you have your freedom;
if a man or a woman feels like
marrying fellow man or woman, it is
about how the person feels. These are
attitudes, new trends in social life
that are neither in consonance with
natural law or good reason, not even
to the common sense. The advocates
of these often argue from the point of
“sex orientation”, that they
“naturally feel” that way. Natural
law and good reason cannot justify
such claims; and people should be
able to distinguish between
orientations, “naturallity” from
aberrations. Aberration is what
explains what they do, irregularity,
abnormality, a deviation from what
'is' to what 'is not.'What of the issue
of abortion? The number of countries
legalizing abortion is still increasing.
What of the issue of in-vitro
fertilisation and embryonic stem cell
research? In all these, it is the dignity
of the human person that is at stake,
and whatever undermines the dignity
of human person is destructive and
unacceptable.
In recent time, nature has
increasingly been reactionary to the
wickedness, irrational and selfish
acts of man on it. The ecosystem is
corrupted and man is presently, all
over the globe having a good dose of
its repercussion. The havoc and
threats of natural phenomena like
earthquake, tsunami, flood, draught,
wildfire, hurricane, global warming
etc. leave man at the mercy of nature.
Humanity feels incapacitated in the
2013 / 2014 EDITION
face of calamities caused by these
realities.Thousands of lives and
billions of dollars' worth of property
are being lost here and there. The
experiences have left millions of
people in anguish and helplessness
as they watch their resources and
loved ones perish. For instance, the
international committee of the Red
Cross reports that over 250,000
people lost their lives as a result of
the Dec 2004 tsunami when undersea
earthquake occurred in Indian
Ocean. In 2010, Haiti experienced
one of the worst earthquakes in
history where death toll of 316,000
was reported. More recently is the
case of flood which swept off more
than 50,000 families and many other
casualties in Nigeria.
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Conclusion
From the onset, this paper did not
make any claim, or was it set to
proffer solutions to any of the
problems raised above. However, to
have identified and exposed the
problems is in itself a step to solving
them. The paper is a summon to the
realities of man's existence. It makes
clear how peace has eluded man and
how immediately urgent peace is
needed in the world. Its purpose is to
ignite a conscientious awareness, a
sort of awakening leading man to reexamine himself, his past, present
and then stand for the future. The
project called peace requires
openness and concrete measures.
Struggle for peace is the only battle
worth waging in the world at this
time.
7
2013 / 2014 EDITION
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THE MARRIAGE OF
CHARITY AND.Joseph
PEACE
Mbave
N
INTRODUCTION
a t u r e
a n d
experience have
given evidence to
the dictum: “nothing comes
from nothing”. This is also in
consonance with the
Aristotelian metaphysics
expressed in his famous
cosmological argument which
avers that“everything that
happens is caused by something
else”. Hence every existent comes
into existence by its cause principle.
Viewed from this principle of cause
and effect, it is historically evident,
that the global family attained its
current state of strife, war, terrorism,
international power tussle and sociopolitical unrest, following from its
deification of individualism, ethnic
favouritism and religious
sectarianism, which by their nature
mar every peace project. Conversely,
Charity, by its cohesive and
integrated force as love in praxis,
elevates people beyond the frontiers
of these divides and thus serves as
the antidote to the ravaging problem
of world peace. Hence this
discussion centers on ascertaining
the extent to which Charity can usher
in peace in the world. It is equally a
clarion call for rethinking of the
concept Charity so as to make it the
springboard of human relationship at
various levels.
8
C L A R I F I C A T I O N O F applied
differen
CONCEPTS
In order to avoid misinterpretation
due to different notions and
meanings associated with words and
concepts, extrication from such
variations of meanings becomes
absolutely necessary when
embarking on an academic work
such as this. In this case, definition
and contextualization of the key
concepts of this discourse is of
importance.
CHARITY: Etymologically, the
term “Charity” stems from the
French word charite which has its
root from the Latin caritas.
Originally, in Latin the word caritas
means preciousness, dearness, high
prize.The concept charity however,
is understood diversely. In the
Christian theology, caritas is the
standard Latin translation for the
Greek word agapē, meaning an
unlimited loving-kindness to all
others. In Judaism, charity is referred
to as Tzedakaha Hebrew word
literally meaning righteousness but
commonly used to signify charity. It
is a righteous obligation to do what is
right and just, to do good. In Islam,
charity is called Zakat and is one of
the five pillars of the Islamic
religion.
tly by
various
groups, has something common in
the various understandings. The
meaning of charity which cuts across
all these is nothing other than LOVE.
Thus charity in its widest and highest
sense includes love of God (or Allah
in Islam)as well as love of man and in
like manner, things given in nature.
The love of man and nature is the
love of God, that is,
acknowledgment of God as the
Creator and expression of thanks to
him who has made everything “very
good.” The connection therefore is
that love of God, though primary is
dependent or finds concrete
expression in the love of man made
in the image and likeness of God.
In this context therefore, charity
supposes God the Creator and sees
everything in creation as coming
from Him and in that right, good in
themselves. As a virtue, charity is
that habit or power within man which
disposes him to love and do good to
self, the other and to things in nature.
It acknowledges the other as mma-di
(mmadu) “good that is”, as another
self, imbued with dignity and honour
and deserving love and care. It
Obviously, the term charity though views other creatures with awe;
recognizing in them the Sublime
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Designer of them all and, as made for
the good and comfort of man and for
the beauty and glory of the earth.
Charity supposes man as a caretaker;
and reading from Gen. 1:26, that is
what man is. God after creation
entrusted to man everything he has
created. As a power, charity begins
within, subjectively and then comes
out in visible expression. It begins
with mental apprehension of good in
everything created, and then with
desire to love and among options
choose what is good, what is lifegiving. However, to apprehend a
thing as good and choose options that
are life-enhancing is incomplete at
that level. Such power and
disposition behoove on one, impels
one to action. Charity is therefore
intrinsically bound with action. Love
is truly love when it is concretely
expressed. That God is love could
have been difficult to understand
without the historical event of
incarnation, passion, death and
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In this connection, the bible says,
“For God so loved the world that he
gave his only Son…” (Jn 3:16). And
in another portion, “No one has
greater love than this, to lay down
one's life for one's friends” (Jn
15:13). In our own experience, to
those whom we love, we express our
love to them by doing or giving
something tangible to them. In this
sense, charity includes patience,
forgiveness, almsgiving, tolerance,
justice, honesty, self-sacrifice,
caring, availability and what have
you. Charity should not be confused
w i t h p h i l a n t h r o p y. T h o u g h
grammatically they denote the same
9
thing, the concept of charity is
deeper than philanthropy. A
philanthropist operates on the social
level, for the sake of doing good, or
for some selfish reasons and because
he or she has excess money. Most
philanthropists are often wealthy
people. According to Edeh, charity
bloodshed and a relatively stable
state of harmony and well-being.
Again, others see it as absence of
war, freedom from dispute, the
absence of mental stress/anxiety and
general security of public places. For
Edeh, in Ezechi Chukwu (2013)
peace goes beyond absence of war.
In his view, it involves the
Charity is therefore
availability of the factors, principles
intrinsically bound with
and forces that defuse conflict and
action. Love is truly love when tension. (cf Actualization of the
it is concretely expressed. That Millennium Development Goals: Fr.
God is love could have been Edeh as a Pacesetter. P. 112).
difficult to understand
without the historical event of Theologically, peace implies a right
relationship with God. It entails
incarnation, passion, death
and resurrection of our Lord forgiveness, reconstruction and
union. It is the integrity, harmony,
Jesus Christ.
well-being, and happiness
includes giving unconditionally experienced when the reign of God is
without recompense. Charity is fully acknowledged in human
deeper than philanthropy in that, it affairs. (cf The Modern Catholic
b e g i n s a n d e n d s w i t h t h e Encyclopedia, p.636).The Old
acknowledgment of transcendence. Testament understands peace in the
It is the acknowledgment of, and light of Israel's relation to God, and
worship of God in selfless service therefore as a gift from God and as
given to his creature for their good. the fruit of God's saving activity.
And Christ in this line enjoins us, "as God is the peace of his people (cf The
long as you did it to one of these my New Dictionary of Theology P.748).
least brethren, you did it to me." The scripture also refers to Jesus as
Charity calls all, the rich and the poor the Prince of Peace and in the gospel
for mutual-selfless service to all, for of John 14:27, Jesus bestows peace
the edification of all for the reason on his disciples thus: “Peace I leave
that all is made by the good God, and with you; my peace I give to you.”
by the reason of being made by good
In the contemporary parlance, it is
God, we are all good.
conventional to think of peace as the
tranquility
of the human soul and
PEACE: Peace as an abstract
concept, lacking tangibility is body and by extension, the
difficult to explicate. Peace deals tranquility, a conducive environment
with the totality of man's internal made possible by the aggregate
feelings. Some scholars talk of peace peace of the individual, which in turn
as the absence of conflict, violence, is sustained by the same- a
2013 / 2014 EDITION
God in time, freely came out of
Himself and embarked on the
business of creation. After creation,
he saw all that he made and declared
them “very good.” They cannot be
otherwise because they were made
by Sublime Reason, Sublime Good.
Everything created is purposed and
has law (natural law) guiding it to its
end. After creation, God entrusted
everything to man to take care of and
to feed from, but forbade him not to
eat from one tree, the tree of
knowledge of good and evil. As long
10
relationship is established on the
basis of sacrifice and the ability of
the parties to let go certain egoistic
claims. Thus, we make bold to
establish that to actualize a peaceful
co-existence does not imply the
eradication of physical and
ideological strife, but involves a reorientation of the will to
accommodate and sacrifice one's
right to vengeance for the reasons of
love and comradeship. Hence,
Charity with the weapon of sacrifice
has the ultimate capacity to issue the
2013 / 2014 EDITION
most effective command of ceasefire and sets the table for a fruitful
peace-talk. Consider the efficacy of
extending hands of Charity and love
in response to a violent attack from a
supposed enemy; the enemy is not
only filled with guilt but also with
remorse for his actions. The route to
the attainment of this desired
disposition is not far-fetched; its
possibility is God and His grace. This
is because according to the
scriptures, God is love. God is the
fullness of charity. The origin and
end of the peace that man enjoyed
from the very beginning is God.
Therefore, to know and live in
obedience to God is to have and
enjoy peace. The question is how do
we know and live in obedience to
God? We know and live in God by
loving him; and loving him is to
reverentially, for his glory, love
humans and things he has created.
Love of God is concretely expressed
in thinking, choosing and acting
charitably towards the other. This,
necessarily yields to peace. This all
boils down to the need for a redirection of the world's steps back to
their origin and source which is God
for, according to Augustine, He has
made us and we shall not rest until
we rest in Him.
Earth Pope John XXIII supporting
this claim wrote, “… peace is
possible but neither permanent nor
total in a world marred by presence
of sin within the human heart. A true
peace which is always more than the
absence of war, flourishes in a social
order which is founded on truth, built
on justice, enlivened by love and
refined in freedom.” We cannot have
absolute-stable peace because of
tension created by free will to choose
between or among alternatives. We
are free to choose good or evil,
wrong or right, to love or to hate, to
build or to destroy and what have
you. What is of interest is that any
one chosen goes with consequence:
peace or no peace. The truth
therefore is that for there to be peace,
one should always bring the
“conflict” or tension of choice to the
altar of reason, and apply the
principle of charity. This principle is
the resolution ground of tensionchoice-problem,yielding to peace.
We have relative peace therefore
because as long as man remains here,
he will continue to make choices.
The moment he solves one with
charity, giving rise to peace, he is
summoned by another tensionchoice requiring another resolution
and this dialectical play is an endless
reality as long as one has breath in his
nostrils. We shall have and enjoy
permanent peace not in this existence
but hereafter, at the eschaton when
we shall return eternally to God who
is our Peace.
seen that charity is love and God is
love. We saw also that to love God is
to love what he has made and to love
what God has made is to practice
charity towards them. Charity in this
sense includes thinking, choosing
and acting rightly in our relation to
our fellow to edify him/her and to
make right use of everything in
creation. Thinking, choosing and
acting rightly finds meaning in
wishing the other well, living in
t o l e r a n c e , j u s t i c e , h o n e s t y,
forgiveness, caring, patience, truth,
self-sacrifice, almsgiving, humility
towards self and most importantly,
the other. Conclusively then, it is
obvious from the connections that
CONCLUSION
charity is the only means of
rediscovering
world peace (relative
We have explored the concepts of
charity and peace highlighting their peace) and even permanent peace in
meanings and relationship. We have God after this present life.
ADVERTS
possibility for happiness and as man restrained his will, refused
progress in the community of man, eating from that tree, he knew no
animal and other things in nature. shame, knew not what is good and
THE LOST OF PEACE IN what is evil, knew not wrong and
THE WORLD
right. Man remained in absolute
serenity, peace was his home. Man
Having x-rayed the concepts of suffered no fear or anxiety; he lacked
Charity and Peace, we are left with nothing. The peace of man was the
the task of showing forth their peace of nature. Thus, everything
relationship, how the former gives was working according to the divine
rise to the latter. To show explicitly plan, in obedience to the divine law
how we can rediscover world peace that made it and the natural law that
through Charity. To rediscover inheres in it.
something presupposes that
something is lost. It follows that, The world lost peace the day man ate
“rediscovery of world peace” makes the forbidden fruit. From that
claim that the world enjoyed peace instant, his life has been that of fear,
sometime in the past, has lost it and shame, divide between choosing
now yearns or is in search of it. There good and evil, wrong and right; and
is no agenda so crucial in the global because his fall was as a result of
family as the project of peace. It is so negative choice (disobedient) he has
because across the globe, the rising remained more inclined to evil and
t e n s i o n o f h a t e , c o n f u s i o n , wrong choices and actions. Because
meaninglessness of life to many, peace, from the beginning is intrinsic
intrigues in global, regional and and natural to man he has yearned for
national politics have reached a it more than anything else.
crescendo. For any keen observer,
the world is siting relaxed on a keg of T H E M A R R I A G E O F
gun powder and the minutes of its CHARITY AND PEACE
explosion is tinkling fast.
It is a truism that every genuine
CHARITY:
TOWARDS A REDISCOVERY
OF WORLD PEACE
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However, it is worth noting that the
principle of charity as a ground for,
or a means of rediscovering peace,
does not give rise to absolute and
stable peace. What we can always
have is relative, but the world will
always have and enjoy peace as long
as man lives by the principle of
charity. In his encyclical Peace on
11
2013 / 2014 EDITION
The Saviourites Magazine
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EDEH'S CHARITY:
.
A UNIQUE PEACE MODEL
Rev. Francis Nwachukwu
R
ABSTRACT
e a s o n
i s
a
characteristic of man
that distinguishes him
from brutes. Though all men
reason, the ability to reason
correctly is not equal to all men.
Every human enterprise,
organization and society that must
tread the path of progress and
consequently, be life-enhancing
must be founded or grounded on an
indubitable good reason. This
explains difference in competence,
excellence, progress and greatness
amongst people, organizations and
nations.
Every epoch in human history is
always blessed with deep and
revolutionary thinkers. The biblical
Solomon, the Greek thinkers like
Thales, Heraclitus, Socrates and
Plato, others like Copernicus,
Galileo, St Thomas, St Augustine,
Abraham Lincoln, Martine Luther
King Jnr, M. Ghandi of India and a
host of others readily come to mind.
One thing that characterizes these
men is that in some ways, they
revolutionized, or influenced a
paradigm shift in the trends of their
time.
offering the
world a
rethink on
the question of man and
subsequently establishing realities
that avail the peace and tranquillity
of man. This piece, not only
examines the uniqueness of Edeh's
Charity Peace Model but calls for its
adoption by everybody, groups and
governments of the world concerned
with the peace of man and that of the
world.
Edeh's Philosophy of Mmadi
In our own time, the world, and
In his master piece, Towards an Igbo
INTRODUCTION
Nigeria in particular is blessed with
Metaphysics, the first articulation of
Rev. Fr. Prof. Emmanuel Mathew
African philosophy Edeh espoused
rom antiquity, philosophers Paul Edeh C.S.Sp, a revolutionary
the African notion of man as Mmadi,
are known to be great
'the good that is.' The word for man
thinkers; or thinkers to be
great philosophers. For this, they are ...the world and Nigeria in in Igbo language is madu which is a
often seen as 'radicals'- people who particular is blessed with Rev. Fr. derivative, or a short form of mmadi.
do not live by the popular opinions or Prof. Emmanuel Mathew Paul Mmadi is a combination of two Igbo
common conventions in the society. Edeh C.S.Sp, a revolutionary words: mma meaning good and di
When everybody is going one way, a thinker, a humble man of God and which is the Igbo verb 'to be.' Thus,
philosopher goes the other way. As a an erudite and enviable scholar man in Igbo philosophy of being is
result, they are often misunderstood who, in combining erudition, properly understood as 'good that is'.
and opposed by so many of their religious inclination and what he Man's goodness flows from the fact
contemporaries and established calls 'Practical and Effective that he is created by God who is good
institutions, but because they Charity' is offering the world a in se. Hence, man is ontologically
operates from a deep rooted thought, rethink on the question of man and good. The Igbo believes that
they are always undaunted and s u b s e q u e n t l y e s t a b l i s h i n g Chineke, 'God who creates' created
man, and who is also Osebuluwa,
posterity always vindicate them,
thinker, a humble man of God and an 'One who bears and cares for the
remember them as great men. In their
erudite and enviable scholar who, in world' sustains man in being. Thus,
profound and deep philosophical
combining erudition, religious the dignity of man follows from his
thinking, they offer the world
inclination and what he calls goodness which is a consequence of
alternative thinking- different ways
'Practical and Effective Charity' is his being created by Chineke who is
of doing and living.
F
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OF WORLD PEACE
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good in se, the Absolute Good (cf. philosophy of man as Mmadi, 'good Religious Establishments
E.M.P Edeh; Towards an Igbo that is', and his acknowledgement of
In 1984, Edeh was posted to a remote
Metaphysics, 1985).
the real existential dehumanizing
village called Elele, in Rivers State
E d e h ' s P h i l o s o p h y o f state of man which negates peace and Nigeria to continue his priestly
T h o u g h t a n d A c t i o n the nature of man as good.
ministry. Then Elele was a thick
(EPTAISM)
According to Edeh, 'peace is not just forest, a hiding place for the
The conceptualization of man as absence of war, rather peace that Nigerian-Biafran War refugees and a
'good that is' necessarily impels man lasts is the presence of the factors and dumping site for the abandoned, the
to action, to love and care for man. In forces that eliminate and even maimed and the sickly. Prompted by
his Peace to the Modern World prevent conflicts, and minimize many conflicts and cases brought to
(2006) Edeh maintains, 'In African tensions.' Practical and effective him by people, Edeh established in
Philosophy, we are dealing with a charity gives rise to peace because in 1985 a Centre for Peace, Justice
practical theoretical science in the taking a holistic care of man, it and Reconciliation. In this centre,
sense that by nature African provides justice, honesty, education, t h e r e a r e v a r i o u s u n i t s o r
metaphysics is a lived philosophy morality, health, development, and departments which are poised to
rather than a purely theoretical or respect for the dignity of the human provide both spiritual and material
scientific enterprise.' In the same person irrespective of creed, race needs of man. The spiritual unit
vein, he further argues, 'If you accept and status. As a man who does the before long started attracting people
man as 'good that is', we must go thinking and thinks the doing, Edeh from every walks of life and
ahead and do our best and establish has tirelessly and consistently, close religions that it soon was called
or cause to establish realities that to three decades worked for the Pilgrimage Centre Elele. This centre
depict man as such, realities that are peace of mankind and (peace today is called the Pilgrimage
metaphysically focused towards through practical and effective Centre of Eucharistic Adoration
uplifting man from his low state that charity) God in His infinite goodness and Special Marian Devotion
tends to make man sub-human.' The has used his efforts to effect Elele; and was on November 2013
above principles gave rise to what successfully the coming to be and the elevated by the Nigerian Bishops
Edeh calls '… my mission of
Practical and Effective Charity.'
Edeh's mission of practical and
effective charity begins from his
13
existence of various realities that
have continue to enhance the
wellbeing of man in our society. (cf.
Peace to the Modern World 2006).
2013 / 2014 EDITION
Conference to a National Pilgrimage
Centre. Centre for Peace, Justice and
Reconciliation has a special unit
called Reconciliation Unit. This
unit was established in 1985 to bring
about reconciliation between people
who have different family quarrels,
land disputes and other types of
misunderstanding. The unit has to its
credit, to the glory of God settled
amicably without charge over 15
million cases from 1985 to 2006.
In highlighting the religio-spiritual
establishments of Fr. Edeh, the
Museum of Charms and Fetish
Objects, Elele should not be left out.
In the course of his ministry, Edeh
endowed with exceptional gift of
exorcism has been doing a serious
blow to the phenomena of Ogwu
'Charm', witchcraft and voodoo,
realities that have ravaged many
homes, families and tribes in
Nigeria, making many hopeless, sick
and led to death of many. Through
the exercise of his God-given grace,
Fr. Edeh has continued to liberate so
many people held bound by these
forces of evil. Consequently, there
are today in the Museum of Charms
and Fetish Objects, Elele destroyed
and collected Charms and Fetish
Objects for people to know that there
is no salvation and security in such
things.
More so, and most importantly, Edeh
has established four religious
congregations for men and women
called to serve God in the religious
life. The first to be established is the
Sisters of Jesus the Saviour
founded in 1985. The second is the
Fathers of Jesus the Saviour
founded in 1991. The third is the
Contemplatives of Jesus the
Saviour (men) founded in 1991 and
lastly, the Contemplatives of Jesus
14
Enugu, OSISATECH College of
the Saviour (nuns) founded in 2008.
Education, Enugu, Madonna
These have as their apostolate the
University Nigeria and Caritas
holistic care of man especially the
University, Amorji-Nike, Enugu.
sick, the abjectly poor and the
physically challenged according to The vocational establishments are
the spirit and charism of the Founder. under the Rehabilitation Unit of
Centre for Peace, Justice and
Education and Vocational
Reconciliation. In this unit, people
Establishments
who are undergoing medical and
From birth, in fact conception, man psychological rehabilitation and are
needs to be nurtured. Nurturing man poor and helpless are introduced into
i n c l u d e s e d u c a t i o n f o r t h e different self-help projects and are
development of powers and skills taught how to make products like
inherent in man. Worried with the powder, pomade, wine, soap,
state of Nigerian educational system stickers, balm, table water, bread,
on his return from overseas studies, cake etc. Through this unit, many
and with his conviction that people have found meaning in life
education is necessary for the and are gainfully employed, and
development of man, Fr. Edeh faced some have become employers of
head on the system to revolutionize labour themselves.
it. Convinced of his conviction, the
Conclusion
unthinkable, what many then
thought to be impossible was made Good reason is the force that propels
possible. It is in history that Edeh is humans and the human society to
the first individual in the whole West higher heights of development.
Africa sub-region to conceive, build Marriage of good reason and praxis
and manage a private University- the is what makes the difference in
persons and societies- some
Madonna University, Nigeria.
redundant, others stagnant and some
At present, other of his schools
others progressing supersonically.
ranging from Nursery to Tertiary
From the above, we have seen that
Institutions include: Our Saviour
Edeh's philosophy of Mmadi 'man' is
Nursery and Primary school, Elele,
an indubitable philosophy because
Our Saviour International Secondary
of its inclusiveness and intrinsic
School, Elele, Our Saviour Girls
bound with practice. The practicality
Secondary School, Aba,
of it through, Practical and Effective
OSISATECH Girls Secondary
Charity makes peace not only
School, Enugu, OSISATECH Boys
possible but concrete. Edeh's Peace
Secondary School, Enugu, Elizabeth
Model is therefore unique in that it
Model Nursery and Primary School,
conceives and gives peace as peace.
Akpugo, Madonna Nursery/Primary
In its nature, violence of any sort is a
School, Abuja, Madonna
negation of peace; whatever must
International Secondary School,
give peace must necessarily be
Abuja, Caritas Secondary School,
peaceful.
Ibadan, OSISATECH Polytechnic,
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THE CONTEMPLATIVE OF JESUS THE SAVIOUR
P. O. BOX 48 ELELE, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA
2012 / 2013 EDITION
15
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Our Value System:
A Case for Attitudinal Change in Nigeria
for Sustainable Development
.
Areji Anthony C. Ph. D
I
INTRODUCTION
t is the desire of every
individual, society, and
nation to develop. Nature
abhors vacuum and any
individual or nation that is static
and stagnant is disobeying the
law of nature. In every facets of
individual and national life there is
always the need and necessity to
move forward. There will be no
history without development
because history is all about the
progress of humankind which is also
the history of humanity.
However, development does not
come in a vacuum. There are
necessary conditions that will make
the development of individual and
nation possible. These necessary
conditions accounts for the uneven
development of individuals and
nations. Some people and nations are
poor and indigent while others are
rich and affluent. In some situations,
many individuals and nations with
abundant talents and resources
which ought to make them rich are
poor. This paradox and contradiction
often raise the philosophical
question “why”. Why should a
country like Nigeria with abundant
human and natural resources be
regarded as a poorly developed
country? Many commentators and
international diplomats have often
referred to Nigeria as a “failed state”.
The former American secretary of
16
state, Hilary Clinton once referred to
Nigeria as “a very rich nation but
poverty stricken”. Why should there
be lack in midst of plenty?
The place of value in both individual
and national lives cannot be over
emphasized. Any individual or
nation develops depending on its
core value and the nature of such
value. Where there is right value,
there is development and vice versa.
What is Value?
Pepper (1958) defines Values to refer
to interests, pleasures, likes,
preferences, duties, moral
I n a
restrict
ed sense, value deals with what is
desirable. In economics, value
means the worth of a thing.
Philosophically, value refers to such
evaluative terms like good, end,
right, obligation, virtue, moral and
aesthetic judgments. It covers those
things regarded as good or bad,
desirable or undesirable, worthwhile
or worthless, ideal or debased; hence
we have good or bad values. The
good values are those desired and the
bad ones are those undesired. While
good values ensure sustainable
development the bad ones are
inimical to the progress and
development of any individual and
nation.
The thrust of this paper is to highlight
the role of our value system in
achieving sustainable development
through attitudinal change.
Attitudinal change presupposes that
our present value system is faulty
hence the need for attitudinal
change. It is my position that any
individual or nation with bad values
cannot develop positively.
obligations, desires, wants, needs,
aversions and attractions and
orientation. In a broad sense, Value
refers to anything perceived as good
or bad or anything of interest to man.
According to Anyaehie, anything of
interest to man has some values and
its values depend on how it affects
human welfare. It could be positive Value and the Nigerian
or negative value depending on how Experience
it promotes or hinders actualization In Nigeria today, virtue is becoming
vice and vice, virtue. The only
of perceived end of man.
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person who is not a true Nigerian is
the person who insists that virtue
should be virtue and vice should be
vice. Refusing bribe in Nigeria today
seems like an aberration because
such inglorious slogan like the
“Nigerian way or sharp sharp” is the
order of the day. There is need to state
the obvious. Many Nigerians are
monumentally corrupt. There is
corruption in every facet of our
national life. From the recruitment of
workers to admission of candidates
into schools of learning, mediocrity
is enthroned and celebrated.
Meritocracy has been sacrificed on
the altar of “who you know” and how
connected you are. The scam and
shameless cases of looting and
embezzlement of public fund is too
nasty for our national development.
Money which should be used to
develop the nation is being spent in
pursuing and prosecuting thieves
wearing the garb of
distinguished directors and
national figures in the funding
of EFCC and ICPC. The
charade going on at the
national assembly under the
guide of law-making is not
only embarrassing but
laughable. The executive and
the judiciary arms of the government
are not left out in this competition of
who becomes the most corrupt and
most rotten. What of our security
personnel, the officers and men of
the customs and even the messengers
in the office? It is the same story. Rob
my back and I will rob your own.
Today in Nigeria, there is little or no
value for human life. Killers are
daily on campaign. These murderers
are not spirit and their sponsors are
17
not foreigners. For one inordinate
ambition, thousands of precious
human lives are wasted yet the only
thing government does is to send
condolence messages to the families
of the victims and condemn in a
strong term the dastardly act. This is
the only country where corruption is
celebrated and honoured with
national awards, presidential
pardon, chieftaincy title and
political appointment. The
consequence of all these bad values
is the static and stagnant position the
nation has found itself. Nigeria
cannot develop until we make a Uturn. This is the attitudinal change
which is needed for sustainable
development. How can this be
achieved?
One Nigeria, One People
A step towards attitudinal change for
sustainable development begins with
the realization, acceptance of the fact
that Nigeria is the only country we
call our own such that building the
project called Nigeria becomes the
sincere responsibility of every
individual and ethnic group. For
Harold Laski, people that
circumstances brought together have
a cause in sharing and determining
each other's destiny. Whether by
accident or by design, we have been
brought together as a people and as a
nation. It is our collective duty to
2013 / 2014 EDITION
ensure that the wheel of Nigeria is
turning. Aristotle observed long ago
that “man is a social and political
animal”. The social nature of man
makes him to reach out for one
a n o t h e r. T h i s c r e a t e s a
communitarian environment. Any
value that will sustain the society
should be a positive humanistic
value which will recognize the unity
of all humankind. A value centered
on being your brother and your
sister's keeper. This value must be
based on the golden rule “do to
others as you would like them do to
you”.
Conclusion
Attitudinal change can be achieved
in so many ways but one cardinal
way is government determination to
rid itself of corruption. If we should
free ourselves from corruption and
other vices, the sponsors of these
murderers and kidnappers will
be brought to book and
punished accordingly. This will
put a halt to these vices.The
sanitization exercise must start
from the top. This will be aided
by the schools and churches
and more importantly the
determination of the citizens to
change their attitude. It is only on this
basis that we can achieve sustainable
development in Nigeria. History is
full of evidences of nations who
changed their attitude for better and
became great, Ghana is a typical
example. What propelled the Asian
Tigers to development is nothing
other than attitudinal change. We can
achieve this if we are sincerely
determined.
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THE EMERGENCE OF THE NATIONAL
PILGRIMAGE CENTRE ELELE, NIGERIA
.
Rev. Melladu Michael, FJS
Pilgrimage is a journey or are required for a place to be special meaning chosen by God
ABSTRACT
search of moral or spiritual
significance. Typically, it is a
journey to a shrine or other
location of importance to a
person's beliefs and faith;
although sometimes it can be a
metaphorical journey into
someone's own beliefs. Many
religions attach spiritual importance
to particular places: the place of
birth or death of founders or saints,
or to the place of their "calling" or
spiritual awakening, or of their
connection (visual or verbal) with
the divine, to locations where
miracles were performed or
witnessed, or locations favoured by
an apparition of a heavenly body or
any site that is seen to have special
spiritual powers. Such sites may be
commemorated with shrines or
t e m p l e s t h a t d e v o t e e s a re
encouraged to visit for their own
spiritual benefit: In the Roman
Catholic Church, certain procedures
18
recognized and designated as a
pilgrimage Centre. With the recent
elevation of the Pilgrimage Centre of
Eucharistic Adoration and Special
Marian Devotion Elele to the status
of a National Pilgrimage Centre by
the Catholic Bishops Conference of
Nigeria, this article intends to
explore the journey so far and give
some theological implications of
such elevation in the lives of pilgrims
who troop into the Centre in their
hundreds of thousands.
Himself. Pilgrimage reminds us that
the journey we take to a place of
special devotion designated as a
shrine mirrors the journey on which
we are embarked as the pilgrim
people of God, for the Church on
earth is a pilgrim Church (Lumen
Gentium VII, 48-51). In his view,
Pope Paul VI said, "pilgrimage is an
expression, an occasion, and, as it
were, the synthesis of all our
penitential practices, which have as
their crown the celebration of the
Eucharist. In the genuine tradition of
Christian asceticism pilgrimages
ilgrimage is an important have always had devotion and
part of spiritual life for all expiation as their motives.
Christians. The Church sees
life itself as a journey, coming from To quench this spiritual thirst of His
God and returning to Him. A pilgrim people, time and again God has
therefore while on pilgrimage seeks chosen to reveal Himself in every
to separate him or herself from the g e n e r a t i o n t h r o u g h t h e
everyday concerns of the world, and instrumentality of some individuals
to spend quality time in the presence whom He Himself prepares for such
of God as he travels to a place of special tasks. In His goodness and
INTRODUCTION
P
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wisdom God chose to do this so as to
make known to us the hidden
purpose of His will (cf. Eph. 1:9) by
which through Christ, the Word
made flesh, man might in the Holy
Spirit have access to the Father and
come to share in the divine nature
(see Eph. 2:18; 2 Peter 1:4). Through
this revelation, therefore, the
invisible God (cf. Col. 1;15, 1 Tim.
1:17) out of the abundance of His
love speaks to men as friends (cf. Ex.
33:11; John 15:14-15) and lives
among them (cf. Bar. 3:38), so that
He may invite and take them into
fellowship with Himself (Dei
Verbum No. 2).
is required in Purgatory while partial was the primary understanding of the
indulgence commutes only a certain term.
portion of the penalty.
On the other hand 'Pilgrim' and
'pilgrimage' are words that have
carried a range of meanings over the
centuries. The English term 'pilgrim'
originally comes from the Latin
word peregrinus (per, through +
ager, field, country, land), which
means a foreigner, a stranger,
Conceptual Illumination
To do proper justice to the subject
matter, some key concepts will be
implored and these I shall elucidate
to discard ambiguities.
someone on a journey, or a
I n d u lg e n c e : T h e w o r d temporary resident. It can describe a
traveller making a brief journey to a
indulgence (Latin indulgentia, from
indulgeo, to be kind or tender) particular place or someone settling
originally meant kindness or favour. for a short or long period in a foreign
In post-classic Latin, it came to mean land. Peregrinatio was the state of
the remission of a tax or debt. In being or living abroad.
Roman law and in the Vulgate of the
Old Testament (Isaiah 61:1), it was Peregrinus was also used in the
used to express release from Vulgate version of the Bible to
captivity or punishment. In translate the Hebrew gur (sojourner)
theological language also, the word and the Greek parepidemos
is sometimes employed in its (temporary resident). These terms
primary sense to signify the kindness undergirded a central image of the
and mercy of God. But in the special Christian life. Christians were
sense in which it is here considered, identified as temporary residents in
an indulgence is a remission of the this world; their true home is in
temporal punishment due to sin, the heaven. They must therefore live and
guilt of which has been forgiven. behave day by day according to the
Plenary indulgence is the remission standards of their homeland as they
of the entire temporal punishment journeyed through life. During the
due to sin so that no further expiation early centuries of the Church this
19
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History of Pilgrimage in
Catholic Church
The Christian pilgrimage has its root
in the Jewish religion. Once the
temple was built at Jerusalem (ca.
957 B.C.), all Jewish men were
obliged to present themselves at it for
the three major feasts: Pesach (the
Feast of Unleavened Bread, or
Passover), Shavu'ot (the Feast of
Weeks, or Pentecost), and Sukkot
(Feast of Tabernacles, or Festival of
Ingathering). On their way to the
Temple, they would sing the
“pilgrim songs” (also called “songs
of assent” or “gradual canticles”),
namely, Psalms 119-133. To this day,
these feasts are called, “Pilgrimage
Festivals” by the Jews.
After the death and resurrection of
the Incarnate God and the spread of
Christianity, adherents felt a longing
to tread in the footsteps of their
Saviour, His Holy Mother, and His
chosen followers, the holy Apostles.
Even in the early centuries, when
millions of Christians were martyred
for their Faith, the faithful flocked to
the tombs of favourite saints to
venerate their remains, sometimes at
the risk of being martyred
themselves. What were their
motives? Basically, they were the
same as that of the pagans (who were
also going on pilgrimage in the
shrines of different deities) but with a
true supernatural insistency,
knowing that in honouring His
saints, they were honouring God
Himself. Some pilgrimages were
done in penance for
sin; some were done
in petition for a
special blessing or
favour; and some
were undertaken
simply out of
devotion.
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Consequently, in Church of Jesus the Saviour under construction
search of this divine
encounter, God's people have all places decided to manifest
continued to flock places where there Himself among His people here
are clear evidences of His presence (Elele) in Africa; a decision which
amongst His people. In our own time God took from of old but as usual
some of these include places like: St. according to His divine plan has
Peter's Basilica, Rome, Italy where revealed in His appointed time.
St. Peter, the head of Apostolic
College was martyred and believed
to be buried. It is the centre of the A Brief History of the
Roman Catholic Church, and home Pilgrimage Centre of
of the Pope. Another place of this
Eucharistic Adoration
rank is Lourdes in France where in
1858, a young girl called Bernadette a n d S p e c i a l M a r i a n
Soubivous had a vision of the Devotion Elele, Nigeria
Blessed Virgin, Mary. The spring
West Africa
waters that flow from the fountains
there are believed to bring The event that marked the actual
miraculous healing from God. beginning of the Pilgrimage centre
th
Again, in May 13 , 1917, Our Lady can be traced to the Novitiate House
appeared to the three children: Lucia, of the Holy Ghost Fathers, AwoFrancisco and Jacinta at Fatima, omama, Imo State, Nigeria where
Portugal in a small town called Cova Rev. Fr. Prof. E. M. P. Edeh C.S.Sp
da Iria. In obedience to Our Lady's stayed and taught for five months on
wish, the Church approved and built his return from studies at De Paul
a cathedral church at the spot where University Chicago, USA. He was
Our Lady stood. Consequently, posted to the Novitiate House to join
Fatima was approved by the Church the team of formators for some
as a pilgrimage centre.
months before going to the
Today in our own age, just as in the
past, God has never ceased to choose
for himself places and persons for
the spiritual edification of His
people. This time around, he has of
20
Philosophy House Isienu, Nsukka to
teach Philosophy.
It is worth mentioning here that Fr.
Edeh returned to Nigeria at a very
horrible period when the untold after
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effect of the
Nigerian Civil
Wa r w h i c h
lasted for
complete
thirty months
was still
written bold
on the faces of
the people.
Thousands of people were rendered
homeless, the sick went unattended
to, many children orphaned, food
could only be accessed by the most
privileged in the society, there was
no functional school, hospital, and
even market. Consequently, death in
interval of hours was taking its toll
on mankind.
During his brief stay in the Holy
Ghost Novitiate, Awo-Omama Fr.
Edeh was faced with the reality of
human suffering. In his usual
empathy and compassion, he
engaged himself in taking care of
those who came to him seeking both
spiritual and material help. God
through his prayers started
manifesting his power to save and
pouring blessings on His people.
This gift of effective intercession
was first noticed in Fr. Edeh by the
Jesuit Fathers at Loyola Medical
Centre, Chicago. There and then,
some doctors began noticing some
unprecedented recoveries on some
of their patients who testified that
they gained their health after they
were prayed for by a black priest (Fr.
Edeh happened to be the only black
priest working in the hospital at that
time). This became obviously clear
when those Fr. Edeh prayed for at
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Awo-Omama also started testifying.
Many people were flocking to AwoOmama to see Fr. Edeh for several
spiritual and material needs. Since
the formation house was not
conducive for such activities, the
then Superior of the Holy Ghost
Fathers very Rev. Fr. James Okoye
C.S.Sp. changed the initial
arrangement and reposted Fr. Edeh
to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Elele
instead of the Philosophy House
Isienu, Nsukka.
The Elele Experience
On arrival at Elele, the people soon
began witnessing the gift of special
and effective intercession in their
parish priest Fr. Edeh. With his
unique apostolate of taking care of
the sick, the rejected, the abandoned
and the homeless; people soon
started trooping to him, first in their
hundreds, then in their thousands,
then in their tens of thousands and
then in their hundreds of thousands.
kept increasing, it became obviously
impossible for the parish premises to
accommodate them and also for Fr.
Edeh to combine attending to their
needs and the running of the parish.
Consequently, according to Fr. Edeh,
he was advised by the then Bishop of
Port-Harcourt diocese, to separate
the activities of the ministry from the
parish. The Bishop also advised Fr.
Edeh to look for a land separate from
the parish in order to accommodate
the teeming population. The advice
he accepted and acquired a land. The
Catholic Prayer Ministry left the
Parish lands of Our Lady of Lourdes,
and moved into the new acquired
land in 1989 when the Bishop of Port
Harcourt blessed and inaugurated
the new site. The Foundation Stone
of the Centre was consequently
blessed by Pope John Paul II on
22March 1998 at Oba in Onitsha
during the beatification of Blessed
Michael Iwene Tansi.
code of Canon which a shrine must
meet before it is recognized and
canonically approved by the Church.
These include the following:
1.
The activities and mission
of national shrines must be
congruent with the tradition and
teaching of the Church. Only shrines
which follow the requirements of
canon 1230 can be approved by the
NCCB as national shrines.
2.
A shrine must already have
been designated, implicitly or
explicitly, as a diocesan shrine and
place of pilgrimage by the local
ordinary for at least ten years before
national designation will be
considered unless the competent
authority decides otherwise.
3.
The statutes must be
approved by the diocesan bishop
before submission to the NCCB,
even if the public juridic person who
has established the shrine is of
Processes to and Actual p o n t i f i c a l r i g h t . A l s o , a n y
Elevation
subsequent changes in the statutes
At a time, when the then Bishop of There are conditions set aside by the should be approved by the diocesan
bishop and NCCB.
Port Harcourt Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr.
Fitzgibbon of blessed memory came
4.
The shrine should be easily
visiting, after staying with Fr. Edeh
accessible, with appropriate
and watching what he was doingfacilities for pilgrims.
how many people he is living and
working with, those he feeds by
5.
The shrine must be
himself, many blessings and favour
dedicated to promoting the faith of
of God on the people, he marvelled
the pilgrims by centring on a mystery
and is quoted as saying “all I have
of the Catholic faith, a devotion
seen is Catholic, all the activities are
based on authentic Church tradition,
centred on prayer, in fact, it is a
revelations recognized by the
ministry inspired by the Holy Spirit;
Church, or the lives of those in the
therefore, the place should be called
Church's calendar of saints.
'Catholic Prayer Ministry of the Holy
Having met the requirements and
Spirit” (cf.' As the number of people
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CHARITY:
OF WORLD PEACE
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conditions, and coupled with the two
time Marian apparitions in the
centre, (one at the convent at Old Site
and one at the New Site) the
immediate past Bishop of Port
Harcourt Diocese Rt. Rev. Dr. A.
Makozi on 11th day of February 2009
in accordance with canon 1234
declared the Catholic Prayer
Ministry of the Holy Spirit, Elele a
Diocesan Shrine and expressed his
wish that the Centre would soon be
recognized as a sanctuary by the
Holy See.
There is no one among us who would
claim not to be a sinner, neither is
there anyone who is without need of
forgiveness. Everybody sins and all
our sins have consequences. They
disrupt our relationship with God
and the Church. Thus make us
spiritually unhealthy and even
sometimes physically too. Besides
the sacraments of healing, the
Church has in addition offered
another means of healingConsequently, the Bishops of indulgences, through which perfect
Calabar Ecclesiastical Province healing from the effect of sin is
having been satisfied with the granted to a penitent.
activities of the Centre and all the
The Church's law and the Catechism
divine approvals it witnessed since
of the Catholic Church define an
its inception approached the
indulgence 'as a remission before
Nigerian Bishops' Conference,
God of the temporal punishment due
demanding that the Centre be
to sins whose guilt has already been
recognized as a National Pilgrimage
forgiven, which the faithful
Centre. Subsequently, the National
Christian who is duly disposed gains
Conference of Catholic Bishops' ad
under certain prescribed conditions
hoc Committee on Shrines came in
through the action of the Church
for their own investigation. It was
which, as the minister of redemption,
only after their recommendation that
dispenses and applies with authority
the Catholic Bishop Conference of
the treasury of the satisfactions of
Nigeria gave their approval.
Christ and the saints.” The Church
Consequently, on the day of its
teaches that sins are forgiven through
inauguration (30th November 2012),
the sacrament of Penance but
the Papal Nuncio to Nigeria, in the
temporal punishment due to sins may
person of His Excellency, Most Rev.
still be suffered by the penitent.
Dr. Augustine Kasujja, came as
Thus, when properly received,
Pope's delegate and presided over
indulgence frees us from such
the inaugural ceremony marking the
temporal punishments through the
canonical elevation of the
power of the Church, the Body of
Pilgrimage Centre of the Eucharistic
Christ on earth. The elevation of
Adoration and Special Marian
Elele to the status of a National
Devotion Elele, Nigeria to the status
Pilgrimage Centre by the Nigerian
of a National Pilgrimage Centre, the
B i s h o p s ' C o n f e re n c e ( C B N )
first of its kind not only in Nigeria
henceforth confers on the Elele
but the whole of West Africa.
22
HIGHLIGHTS OF INAUGURAL CEREMONY
OF PILGRIMAGE CENTRE, ELELE
Theological Implications of Pilgrimage church the privilege and
power to grant plenary indulgence to
the Elevation
2013 / 2014 EDITION
pilgrims who worship there and fulfil
the requirements for indulgence.
Conclusion
Since the time of Adam, God has
spoken to His saints and prophets in
various ways. Miraculous events are
common occurrences in the Old and
New Testaments. They signify God's
presence and loving-care among His
people. God's request that His
servants go on pilgrimage is first
implied in Genesis 12:1 when
Abraham left for Canaan under
God's instruction. Jacob received a
similar request and the Jewish
people's exodus from Egypt was
another example. After Solomon
built and dedicated the temple, the
Israelites were required to make a
journey to the temple at least once a
year. Fulfilling the law, the Holy
Family made this annual journey as
well.
Pope’s delegate (Papal Nuncio to Nig.) waving to the Pilgrims
Arch Bishop Alaba Job signs His name
at the Registration Office
Papal Nuncio to Nig. in company of
Arch Bishop Alaba Job in Adoration chapel, Elele
We are favoured to have been
generously blessed with a
pilgrimage centre; kudos to the
Nigerian Bishop's Conference who
officially approved it. Elele which
hitherto was nowhere in Nigeria map
has become the most important
religious centre in Africa. We look
forward for the final elevation of the
centre to an international pilgrimage
centre so that people will come to
worship God in our land just as they
do in other places he has chosen from
of old.
At the blessing of holy water fountain
Pilgrims from Overseas
23
Signing His name at the Registration Office
A Solemn Procession into the church
of Jesus the Saviour, Elele
Pope’s delegate (The Nuncio) in a chat with
International Pilgrims
Foreign Religious Pilgrims
A Cross Section of Bishops & Priests
A Cross Section of Religious Men & Women
in Eucharistic Procession / Adoration
A Cross Section of Soldiers of Jesus the Saviour
During the Inaugural Mass
The Church of Jesus the Saviour in Pilgrimage Centre, Elele
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R
ecently the Church in
Africa, particularly in
Nigeria has been blessed
with so many land marking events.
Among them is the elevation of the
Pilgrimage Center Elele to a
National Pilgrimage Center; the first
of its kind in Africa. The Saviourites
Magazine had the opportunity to
interview one of the bishops present
on the day of the inauguration. In an
interview with the Saviourites led by
the editor-in-chief,Onuh Charles FJS
and the deputy editor Ozioko Tobias
FJS, Most Rt Rev. M. Uzoukwu, the
Catholic bishop of Minna diocese
bares his mind on these momentous
event and its implications for the
Church in Nigeria, Africa and the
whole world.
TSM: Good day my lord
HIS LORDSHIP: Good day my
children. How are you?
TSM: We are fine, my Lord. Thank
you for the love you have for this
pilgrimage center which is
manifested by your presence on this
historic day in the life of this
pilgrimage center.
HIS LORDSHIP: You are
welcome.
TSM: Now that the Pilgrimage
Centre has been elevated to a
National pilgrimage Centre, what is
its implication to the Nigerian
Church, and how will the people of
God benefit from this blessing?
HIS LORDSHIP: It is of
24
Nigeria.
TSM: (intervenes) So many
blessings to Nigeria indeed.
HIS LORDSHIP: (continues)
so while the Boko Haram and the
people manipulating them to cause
havoc in Nigeria, God is blessing us.
I am assure you that He is with us. All
we need to do is to focus on our Lord
Jesus Christ the Divine Mercy
Incarnate, the Saviour of the world.
TSM: Having mentioned some of
the blessings to Nigeria including the
elevation of the Pilgrimage Center to
a national shrine, what challenges do
immense benefit. We need people to they impose on us Catholics?
pray and we are praying asking God's HIS LORDSHIP: They will
intervention in our history. If you come with challenges but as I do
read the reading of yesterday, it was prepare my people because I
talking about different challenges in promote the Divine Mercy, I prepare
the world and our Lady having my people and ask them to take a
appeared here two different times for tablet everyday and it is a divine
the spiritual and material good of tablet. If they take it in their families
human society, shows that Our Lady, every day then what will be
Our Mama, the Mother of Jesus is happening here in Elele will be
with us interceding on our behalf. magnified and we will get more
Only last month, they gave us a blessings. What is this tablet? The
cardinal, Cardinal John Onaiykan spiritual tablet is to spend an hour
and few weeks later, they gave us an with our Lord Jesus every day. Find
A r c h B i s h o p , F o r t u r n a t u s time, one hour is just enough because
Nwachukwu, and made him a he demanded that from Peter when
Nuncio to Nicaragua; and from he said to Peter “Could you not
Nigeria also, bishop Kuka has been watch at least one hour with me?” So
put into one of the commissions in let us watch one hour with our Lord
Rome. In the same way, Fr. Colenius Jesus Christ in our homes. The first
Omolekpe from the Catholic fifteen minutes you read your bible,
Secretariat has been put into another the second fifteen minutes you pray
commission in Rome from the same the Rosary of Mama the Blessed
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Virgin Mary, the third fifteen
minutes you meditate on what you
have read from the scripture and
what you have prayed with the
Rosary, the fourth fifteen minutes to
make it one hour, you take your
Rosary again and pray the chaplet of
mercy “for the sake of his sorrowful
passion have mercy on us and on the
whole world.” So the challenges are
that we must go back to the family
values and deepen our faith from the
family. (asina anaesi n' ulo we di
mma we putairo)
TSM: What advice do you have for
the Father Founder who in his
remarks during the Mass said that he
is not the Founder of the Pilgrimage
Center?
HIS LORDSHIP: I agree with
him. He is not the Founder. He is only
a minister of God. God is using him
and he should continue tobe humble.
He has been a humble man. He
should continue to deepen his faith in
our Lord Jesus Christ in the Blessed
Sacrament. He knows it already but
we have to encourage him. We need
to pray for him too. Let him hold on
to Mama the Blessed Virgin Mary
with his Rosary. He has always done
it and we pray that he will continue to
do it.
the year of faith to deepen our faith in how to…..
the Eucharist, deepen our faith in the
TSM: With what we are witnessing
devotion to our mother the Blessed
today in Elele, Nigeria in West
Virgin Mary
Africa, what do you say of the
TSM: With the number of crowds opinion of many that Africa is the
gathered here today, do you see this hope of the universal Church?
place becoming an international
HIS LORDSHIP: We are hope,
pilgrimage center?
not only of the future; but even of the
HIS LORDSHIP: What are you present. I just told you that the Holy
saying? It is already a national Father just gave us a cardinal out of
pilgrimage center and the bishops the six selected newly in the whole
have given it three years to prove world. Two weeks after, they gave us
this. Do you not see the number of an arch bishop and appointed him a
people who have come here? Do you nuncio to Nicaragua. Is that not
not see the different banners of carrying the faith from Nigeria
international pilgrims, national which is part of Africa to the whole
pilgrims, Nsukka diocese, Minna world? So this is it my brothers; this
diocese, Lagos diocese and so on is it. All you have to do is to open your
and so forth. What universality are eyes to the realities of the time. I have
you asking for again? “ndi ocha just come back from Poland where
noebea ndi oji noebea, ichoro ndi we went on Pilgrimage to the Divine
tere mmanu n’iru?” What is it?
Mercy. There I told a cardinal about
TSM: What is your evaluation of the young people, some of my
Christianity and faith considering seminarians who would be ordained
the level of corruption in Nigeria?
deacons in December just in two
weeks.
All these are parts and parcel
HIS LORDSHIP: When you
talk of human beings you talk of of the new evangelization that the
corruption. Go back to Genesis, God synod has……,carrying the gospel
created and blessed Adam and Eve to the different parts of the world.
and put them in a garden. Did the This question you are asking is
devil not come to corrupt them? He already fulfilled and we pray that
did. Having corrupted them, what more will be done.
did God do? God gave his own
TSM: What words do you have for judgment,“I will create enemity
TSM: Thank you so much my
the faithful and the people of Nigeria
in this special inauguration today?
HIS LORDSHIP: Well, as we
have always said, to whom much is
given much is expected. We should
refocus our attention on our Lord
Jesus Christ and Mama the Blessed
Virgin Mary. The Holy Mother
Church have told us that this year is
25
between you serpent and the woman,
between her offspring and your own
offspring (Satan) and the woman's
heel shall crush your head.”From
then, corruption has continued. That
is why our Lady said that at the end of
it all, her immaculate heart will
triumph. So you do your best and
leave the rest for God. He Knows
2013 / 2014 EDITION
Lord. We are very much grateful for
the time you have generously spent
with us.
HIS LORDSHIP: (cut in) well,
we give thanks to God; and may the
almighty God bless all of us in the
name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Quest for Marriage
and the Spate of Divorce:
.
Canonical Implications
Rev. Dr. Chinedu Odinkemelu Anieke
F
INTRODUCTION
inding a marriage
partner or as some
people may put it 'my
missing rib' is one of the most
discussed topics among single
people and specifically among
our Christian youths today
since marital relationships are not
considered right except after a
validly celebrated sacrament of
matrimony. For those who
have chosen to abide with
the doctrines and
t e a c h i n g s o f
Christianity and hold
on to chastity and
patience, marriage
discussions are so
fascinating, promising
and one of the best
outlets of relief. Young
people who are dreaming
or even fantasizing about a
potential spouse often do so
because the romantic possibilities
seem endless; they hope with
abandon and trust in God to help
them find that person. An unmarried
man or woman would say: I want to
get married in order to settle down or
I want to settle down, so I must get
married. The reason for this may be
because marriage is a quest for peace
and tranquillity. But this is not the
only reason for the quest for
marriage. There are many reasons
26
raised
b
y
Christ
the lord to the dignity of sacrament.
(The Code of canon law, can. 1055
§1). Consequently, a valid marriage
contract cannot exist between
baptized persons without it's being
by that very fact a sacrament,
(can.1055§2; cf. Eph. 5: 22-25,32).
Quare inter baptizatos nequit
matrimonialis contractus
validus consistere, quin sit eo
ipso sacramentum),”.
Etymologically, the Latin
word 'matrimonium' is
derived from its root
'mater' and from the suffix
'monium', put together
'matrimonium' refers to the
natural inclination of male
and female to unite together
sexually; and through this union
their arises the consequent
generation of offspring and the duty
of motherhood. This etymological
explanation portrays the idea of
What is Marriage?
matrimony as corresponding to the
A descriptive definition of marriage
purpose of marriage and family.
is given by the Code of Canon law:
Marriage is divinely ordained and
The marriage covenant, by which a
naturally attractive.
man and a woman establish between
themselves a partnership of their Sacred scripture contains extensive
whole life, and which of its own texts that speak about marriage. It
nature is ordered to the well-being of begins with the creation of man and
the spouses and to the procreation woman in the image and likeness of
and upbringing of children, has been God and concludes with a vision of
why people long to get married.
There are some theological reasons
which can be traced in the definitions
and etymology of the word marriage.
But before we go further let us pause
to ask ourselves this pertinent
question: How can people after
tasting this sweet apple called
marriage still divorce?
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texts that speak about marriage. It
begins with the creation of man and
woman in the image and likeness of
God and concludes with a vision of
“the wedding feast of the lamb”( Gen
1, 26-28; 2,18,23-24; Rev 19,7-9).
The root of marriage institution is
found in the book of Genesis. “And
the Lord God said, It is not good that
the man should be alone, I will give
him a helpmate fit for him”(Gen
2,18) “Therefore shall a man leave
his father and mother, and shall
cleave unto his wife and they shall be
one flesh”(Gen 2,24). Marriage is
therefore a natural and divine
institution. Thus when the man says
of the woman that she is “bone of my
bone and flesh of my flesh”(Gen
2,23), he means that she shares his
strength and his weakness and all
that lies between them. She is his
partner in every contingency of life.
It is, therefore, a companionship that
is not sundered by changing
circumstances. It is one of constancy,
of abiding loyalty. This is strongly
emphasized in the verse “that is why
a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife, and the two
become one”.
When one makes an insight into the
physiology and psychology of
human nature, it can be obvious that
marriage is more suitable between
man and woman who are divided
into two different but
complementary sexes. Apart from
the anatomical differences, we
notice that man is physically stronger
and adapted to the task of
fatherhood, instead the woman is
physically weaker and adapted to the
task of motherhood. Man is more
27
realistic, instead the woman is more
idealistic. Man is intellectual, the
woman is more industrious. Man is
logical, the woman is intuitive. Man
is emotionally more stable than the
woman, he is more objective, more
factual and slow in judgement,
instead the woman is more
subjective, more fanciful and
quicker at judgement. Man is less
adaptable, the woman is more
adaptable. All these differences are
certainly not the result of chance.
Man and woman complement each
other. Marriage is the completion of
both the man and the woman. In
marriages, the personalities merge
and become one. Man's strength is
complemented by the woman's
beauty, man's aggressiveness, by
woman's passivity etc. Woman is
enriched by man's sense of
objectivity, his strength, his courage,
and the protection and security
which he gives. (Cf. A. O. GBUJI,
The Pastoral Care Of Marriage And
Family Life In Nigeria, p. 18-19)
Marriage and Family
A well constituted marriage
naturally gives rise to a family.
Etymologically, the word “family”
comes from the Latin 'familia' that
means a household establishment,
which in its simplest composition
comprises the father, mother, sons
and daughters of the family. In its
2013 / 2014 EDITION
expanded definition, the family
includes the entire household living
together and sharing things in
common. The term 'family'
designates a special kind of basic
societal structure, this is because it is
not a human made structure, it is
natural and independent of any civil
or ecclesiastical foundation, yet it
must be guided by both civil and
ecclesiastical legislations. The
family is generally understood as the
original cell of the social life and the
first society to appear on earth. It is
the basic social unit and the
foundation from which human life is
propagated and multiplied.
Spate of Divorce
Pope John Paul II said that we live in
a day and age where the Biblical
vision of marriage and family is
under severe and sustained attack
“cf. Familiaris Consortio, 3”.
Divorce (or the dissolution of
marriage) is the final termination of a
marital union, canceling the legal
duties, responsibilities and
obligations of those married and
dissolving the bonds of matrimony
between the parties (unlike
annulment, which declares the
marriage null and void).
Divorce is not permitted within the
Catholic Church (cf. Vatican council
II, GS.no. 48; Can. 1141) Formal
separation of the spouses (Judicial
separation, i.e. the discontinuation of
the common life, while the bond of
matrimony remains) whether
temporal or permanent may be
granted by a legitimate authority of
the Catholic Church (Cf. Can. 1151
no. 5; cf. 1.Cor 7:10f). However, not
all those who are married did so
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28
Man and woman complement each
other. Marriage is the completion
of both the man and the woman.
In marriages, the personalities
merge and become one. Man's
strength is complemented by the
woman's beauty, man's
aggressiveness, by woman's
which the author argued that the
growing influence of Western values
has made divorce "the in-thing" in
northern Nigeria, where one in three
marriages fail. Divorce rates there in
northern Nigeria are among the
highest in all of West Africa. It is not
only in northern Nigeria, in the
eastern part of Nigeria, out of every
ten marriages, two are experiencing
failure and one has completely
failed. Within the confines of the
Church, out of every twenty
marriages, three are invalid and one
ends up broken up completely within
the first 10 years of the marriage.
Consequences
The good of matrimony: the good of
the spouses; the good of their child
or children; the good of the society;
the good of the sacrament of
matrimony “Bonum sacramenti”
argue for an unbreakable marriage
between those married (Vat. Council
II, GS. 48; Cf. Can.1141; 1142 and
1143; cf. 1 Cor 7:12-16).
Divorce is opposed to the good of the
spouses. It militates against both
ends of marriage. The mutual
assistance and companionship for
which the first man Adam welcomed
the first woman Eve is defeated by
2013 / 2014 EDITION
divorce (Cf. Gen. 2:21). Also,
husband and wife cannot surrender
themselves fully to one another if at
the back of their minds they know
that their union has the possibility of
being broken. The same is the ability
to sacrifice for each other, especially
in the more difficult situations of life;
sacrifice will be lacking if the
couples know that they can be
broken up one day. If a wife and a
husband know that their marriage is
indissoluble, they will be more
faithful to each other in their
conjugal love than if not. Divorce
will generate in the society a more
spirit of selfishness, more calculated,
purely utilitarian relationships; there
will also be greater disintegration of
solidarity.
Children of divorce report a sense of
longing for their non custodial
parents and demonstrate symptoms
commonly associated with grief,
including depression and anxiety.
family is therefore 'a domestic theological meaning of marriage
Church' (Dogmatic Constitution on and its sociological implications
the Church, Lumen Gentium, no. 11; (Cf. Can. 1063). The parish priest
cf. Can. 204§1). Therefore, divorce must make sure that no diriment
or dissolution of marriage is i m p e d i m e n t s o r d e f e c t o f
detrimental to the stability and matrimonial consent stays in the
growth of the Church and of the way of those getting married; the
society at large.
marriage must also be celebrated
according to canonical form.
Conclusions
Marriage is not all bed of roses,
That divorce has such negative therefore one needs to be mature
consequences for society as a whole enough before one can be able to
only underscores the importance of posit a free and deliberate consent
helping to strengthen the institution that makes marriage; when married,
of marriage in every way possible. one needs endurance, selfless love,
Those who are entering marriage patience, readiness to forgive and
must prepare themselves spiritually above all uninterrupted contact with
and knowledgeably. They must God through Jesus the saviour in
make sure that they liaise with their prayers. Only so can married life
Bishop or parish priest for adequate remain what it is, a life of peace and
preparations. They must undertake personal fulfillment as well as an
proper marriage instructions to institution of social stability.
make sure that they understand the
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special obligation, in accordance
with their own vocation, to strive for
the 'building up of the people of God'
through their marriage and family
(can.226§1). The phrase “building
up the people of God” could be
translated: ad aedificationem populi
Dei allaborand. The Latin word
equivalent is aedificatio and the
verb aedificio. This is not a juridical
expression but a theological one.
This meant that the family is not just
a sociological unit; rather, the family
was created to play a specific role in
God's plan of salvation. It means the
'building up of the kingdom of God'.
Since marriage is a vocation (Cf. Jer
1, 9 ff; Is 49, 6; 1Cor 1, 9), there
arises on the spouse the
responsibility of making their
family a home for the primary
evangelization and as such a home
for dwelling place of Christ. The
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Parental divorce dramatically
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Children of divorce may have
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Children's standard of living often
deteriorates after divorce. Single
parents may have less money and
poverty can cause lower educational
quality, more parental and child
stress, more access to drugs, higher
crime tendency and a host of other
social ills.
The code of canon law states: those
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29
2013 / 2014 EDITION
ADVERTS
correctly. There are invalid
marriages that are celebrated even in
the Catholic Church but in most
cases the parties do not know that
their marriages are invalid. In such
cases, the tribunal of the Catholic
Church may only declare a
seemingly valid marriage null and
void if it is proven that it was
actually invalid ab initio. However,
not all invalid marriages must end up
broken up permanently. Even if a
marriage is knowingly or
unknowingly celebrated invalidly,
the married couples if they decide to
make their marriage survive can
request for a canonical
convalidation of their marriage (cf.
Cann. 1156, 1157 and 1159). This
process saves the marriage and
family institution and the stability of
the society.
Hence, the Church as well as the
society is concerned over the
growing spate of divorce in our
society. It is observed that married
couples in Africa and Asia stay
longer in marriage than in the
Western technological nations. For
instance, statistics show that in the
United States, 45 to 50 percent of
first marriages end in divorce, and
60 to 70 percent of second
marriages end in divorce. About the
same statistics are true of all
marriages celebrated in various
regions of Europe. According to the
U.S. Bureau of labour statistics,
statistical abstract published in
2011, divorce rate in Germany have
risen from 2.4% in 1980 to 5.0 % in
the year 2008.
Regrettably, the influence of
Western culture and the so called
globalization has infected the
stability of marriages and family
institution in Africa since the last
four decades. The Nigerian Tribune,
July 16, 2012 edition published a
long analysis of the issue entitled
"Marriage A failing institution?" in
continued from page 28
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If you feel called to join the above foundation, the salvific work
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2013 / 2014 EDITION
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2013 / 2014 EDITION
.
SPORTS AS AN INSTRUMENT OF PEACE
T
here is a persistent
tension and strife
across the globe
involving different religions,
countries, races, ethnic groups
and ideologies. The nature and
persistency of tension and strife
is perennially fueled by superiority
mentality which blurs the light and
shuns the voice of reason
summoning for dialogue and
common understanding. This
experience has made lots of people
and groups become cynical falling
prey to crappy and losing faith in the
world as they cannot make sense of a
world now so close as in everybody's
palm but, torn and kept apart as
distance as heaven and earth by hate
and strife in matters of genuine
human relationship and love. This
article wants to examine what
lessons are there for us in the sports
industry for the project called “world
peace” hence the title: Sports as an
Instrument of Peace.
INTRODUCTION
H i s t o r y
a n d
Development of Sports
It is difficult to say exactly when and
where sports began. However,
archeological findings and historical
documents furnish us with probable
information. In France for instance, a
cave was found in Lascaux that
suggested a painting of wrestling
around 17,300 BC. Cave painting
also was found in Bayanhongor
province of Mongolia dating 7000
BC showing a wrestling match
surrounded by spectators. Cave
painting has also been found in Japan
35
depicting a sport similar to wrestling.
Monuments to Pharaohs found at
Beni Hasan dating around 2000 BC
indicate that a number of sports,
including wrestling, weightlifting,
long jump, swimming, rowing,
shooting and athletics generally
were developed and regulated in
ancient Egypt. It is believed that the
ancient Greece introduced formal
sports, with the first Olympic Games
recorded in Olympia in the year 776
BC. The event featured sports such
as human and chariot races,
wrestling, jumping, disk and javelin
throwing and some other sports.
In the middle ages, seasonal festivals
were occasions for men to lift stones
or sacks of grain and for women to
run smock races. The flourishing
bourgeoisie of the middle Ages and
the Renaissance entertained
themselves with archery matches,
some of which were arranged
months in advance and staged with
considerable fanfare. This was
exclusively limited to the privileged
high class citizens.
During the period of Renaissance,
sports had become entirely secular.
By 15th- and 16th-century elites
preferred dances to sports and
delighted in geometric patterns of
movement. However, the
development of modern sports began
in late 17th-century in England.
During the Restoration and
throughout the 18th century,
traditional pastimes such as stick
fighting and bull baiting which the
2013 / 2014 EDITION
Peter Amase
Puritans had
condemned and
d r i v e n
underground,
gave way to organized games such as
cricket, football etc. Behind these
changes lay a new conception of
rationalized sport competitions. In
the course of the 19th century,
modern forms of British sports
spread from the privileged class to
the “common” people. National
sports organizations developed to
standardize rules and regulations, to
transform sporadic challenged
matches into systematic league
competitions. The various versions
of football played at elite schools
were codified in the 1840s. Since
then, sports have been part and
parcel of human existence enhancing
cohesion among people and
contributing to the well being of so
many. Before delving into the
importance of sports and how
instrumental it is, and could be to the
world peace, the concept of peace
needs to be examined.
Peace
Peace is a household name; it seems
its familiarity to almost every person
makes it very difficult for many to
know its true meaning. Claims of
many fields of discipline to the
concept, each arrogating to itself a
claim to its final definition make for
its departmentalization; a situation
that confuses or makes the grasp of
the meaning and understanding of
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peace more cumbersome. The
concept of peace goes beyond just
absence of war as some claim.
According to Onuh (2012),
“Absence of war does not
necessarily translate to peace as there
can be no war yet, people may not be
peaceful. Peace is something of a
possession by man, it is something
within, a character of sort which
disposes one to good actions and
happiness, puts him in harmony with
himself, and with others.” He
continued, “A peaceful state is a
function of peaceful minds. In other
words, a peaceful people make a
peaceful society. Peace in the society
is a manifestation of peace in the
minds of people.” (cf man and peace
in the light of Edeh’s Philosophy)
Accordingly, realities like poverty,
intimidation, discrimination,
oppression, exclusion, hunger,
disease, unemployment, anxiety,
greed, insecurity, depression, fear
and varied types of psychological
pressure negates the concept of
peace. Peace is wholeness of man in
all ramifications of life. In Onuh’s
view, Peace includes “the comfort,
the tranquility of the body and the
spirit of man, a favourable
environment necessary for self and
communal fulfillment and full
realization of man's common
destiny.”
Importance of Sports to the
Individual
Every sport involves some kind of
physical exercise. Medical science
and Psychology make claim that
physical exercise is necessary to
healthy living and longevity.
36
Common health problems and
diseases such as obesity, mental
illness, cancers, and diabetes can be
prevented, or risk of getting them
reduced by regular and adequate
physical exercise. Sporting
activities, according to Nishank
Sanjay (2012) “tone our blood
circulation, shape and tone our body
muscles in such a way that
possibilities of muscular sprains are
minimized.” It also gives us some
kind of freshness in our mind and in
our heart. No wonder then, there is an
increasing advocacy for physical
exercise
Besides health benefits, sports avail
so many people the opportunity of
being self-employed. It therefore,
reduces the high demand and
dependence on government for job
opportunities. One needs just to cast
his/her mind and imagine how many
people who are gainfully employed
in sports industry across the globe.
Without sports, perhaps a good
number of them would have been in
the number of unemployed people, a
teething problem to virtually all
governments of the world.
Importance of Sports to the
Society
Studies have shown that sports
promote economic development.
Today, sports like Basketball,
Soccer, and Athletics contribute over
fifty percent of revenue of many
nations. In 1997, for example, when
the newly elected British Labour
government attempted to introduce a
comprehensive ban on tobacco
advertisement and sponsorship in
2013 / 2014 EDITION
sports, it was delayed by the fact that
the revenue from advertisements and
sponsorships was in excess of £300
million a year.
Furthermore, the information
technology and news media
industries are receiving boom and
increasing in wealth largely for the
reason of sports. Millions of money
is paid for televising right and access
for channels to view championship
games, specific tournaments
especially the Olympic Games and
soccer World Cup. One can imagine
the amount of money made and spent
in selling of tickets, concessions,
club fees, membership dues, sports
equipment and clothing, from hotel
rooms, food, souvenirs and
entertainment and from other related
tourist businesses. All these have
direct and multiplying economic
effects on hosting cities, nations and
those around them.
More so, sports have come to the
help of formal education sector of
many nations in the world. Many
schools (Sport Academies) are being
built in so many places, offering job
and training to coaches, teachers and
instructors and developing the
talents of so many young people.
Lessons of Sports
Besides the gains of sports to
individuals, organizations/clubs and
nations, are there other benefits,
lessons that can be learnt from
organized sports tournaments and
championship for the global project
called peace? A deep reflection on
the organization and actual events of
big tournaments and championship
like Olympic Games and soccer
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World Cup and even Continental
Soccer championships, no doubt
have a lot to teach the discordant
world. When the world and
continents put up such sports fiestas,
apart from economic reasons, what
other ideals and rationale are behind
or do they portend to achieve?
One marvels at the beauty of
humanity whenever one watches big
sports events. Diversity in humanity
is a beautiful gift of God. It is
marvelous to see the colours: the
Whites, the Blacks and the Coloured
People; people of every language
with air of joy converging together as
if summoned by their creator for a
family feast. The last Olympic was
uniquely significant. The ceremony
of the Olympic Light was a high
point of interest. Every country in
attendance was given a stick of light;
and when they were lit, they were
raised together to form a huge single
flame. What a signification of unity
and vivacity, dispelling darkness of
hate and discord. Irrespective of the
fact that many countries that
attended the fiesta are in outright
ideological, political, economic,
religious and military war, it was
possible for conflicting countries to
stay close and compete together not
for a day or two but weeks. It shows
our common humanity. It shows our
ontological equality. It shows that
every race has the ability and
capacity to do that which another
does. It shows that colour and culture
are contingent to human nature; man
is man everywhere.
people rise above cultural and
ideological differences. Take for
instance soccer football clubs, we
see a club peopled by two to four
races working and playing together.
In this light, the giant African leader,
Nelson Mandela wisely opined,
“…sports has the power to change
the world, it has the power to unite
people in a way that little else does
(African Youth Ministries “Peace
through Sports”). The discipline of
tolerance, team spirit, loyalty and
fair play, observance of the rules of
the games are values that the world
has to copy to other human affairs for
peaceful coexistence.
In the past, many leaders have
availed themselves the opportunity
of using the friendly power of sports
to achieve conciliatory ends. For
instance, in April 1971 the Chinese
government invited American pinpong players to exhibition matches
in China. This historical event was
the first time Americans were
allowed into the country since 1949.
That year president Richard Nixon
made his own historic trip to China,
ending a two decades of unfriendly
relations between the two nations.
Furthermore, in September 2008 the
president of Armenia and Turkey
used soccer to reopen diplomatic
dialogue. The two countries had
severed relations and sealed their
common border more than a decade
earlier, but a World Cup qualifying
match between their national teams
prompted Armenian president Serzh
Sargsyan to extend an invitation to
his Turkish counterpart. It was the
Sports as we have them today have
first-ever visit to Armenia by a head
the force capable of healing wounds,
of state. Turkish president Abdullah
mending broken fences and to make
37
2013 / 2014 EDITION
Gul's historic visit to Armenia
eventually resulted in an agreement
between the two countries to
reestablish ties and reopen their
borders to each other.
Conclusion
From the foregoing, we hold that peace
is not just absence of actual war, but
includes security, good health, having
good means of livelihood, serenity of the
soul, mind and body, conducive
environment, a possibility for free
human activity of the individual, then to
that of the society. There is no society
without the individual; likewise there is
no peace of the society without the peace
of the individual. One is the condition
for the other and in their nature
inseparable; they are complementary.
Thus, we saw how, in different ways
sports contribute to meaningful life of
the individual and consequently, to that
of the larger society.
From the experiences of organized
world sports tournaments and
championships, we see a kind of home
coming of “children” as for a feast in
human family irrespective of their
differences. The spirit of such feasting
of the whole children of the “mother”
world in and during sports fiestas is what
one advocates is worth emulating in
world's commerce, politics, religion and
in all ramifications of life. Only with
such spirit is world peace possible, a
spirit that acknowledges the ontological
equality of all men having been made in
the image and likeness of God. A spirit
that acknowledges man as mmadi, “the
good that is” deserving care and love, a
spirit that admits that nobody or nation
becomes what he or it ought to be
without the other becoming what he or it
ought to be.
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CHRISTIANITY AND CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA:
.
A CALL FOR PRACTICAL WITNESSING
Emma Ugwuoke
A
INTRODUCTION
very pious Christian
may frown at the
caption of this work.
Somehow it appears odd to
associate Christianity with
Corruption. It is a paradox that
speaks to and calls attention of
every Christian to the reality of
Christianity which has come under
serious attack by materialism,
urbanization, secularism and
consumerism. Due to these ugly
trends, Christian life and values have
been tainted. The taint, talking of the
level of immorality, injustice,
dishonesty, wickedness, Christian
“prostitution”, excessive quest for
and acquisition of material wealth at
all cost in a Christian dominated
society raises a lot of questions.
Given the situation, one is tempted to
say that Christians of today have got
a different interpretation of the
Gospel, compromised their faith and
are living a life of hypocrisy. The
experiences of what go on in many
churches and prayer ministries
contradict the life out there. These
and many more are the concerns that
informed the choice of this piece and
38
2013 / 2014 EDITION
39
corruptio
calls for practical
n is any
witnessing.
form of
Corruption reciprocal behavior in transaction
Before further proceeding, it is of where both the office holder and the
utmost importance to explicate the person seeking his service can
word corruption. Corruption has respectively initiate the inducement
been defined and understood of each other by some rewards to
variously by different people. This grant (illegal) preferential treatment
explains why many often want to or favour against the principle and
exonerate themselves from it, interest of specific organization (or
shifting or blaming it on others. public) within the society. Olagunju
Majority of us believe it is only those commenting on that, maintains that
in politics and the law enforcement the meaning of corruption covers
agents that get involve in corruption. such acts as, use of one's office for
Such misconception and shifting pecuniary advantage, gratification,
blames are reasons why the influence peddling, insincerity in
monstrous malady is on the increase. advice with the aim of gaining
The Longman Dictionary of advantage, less than a full day's work
Contemporary English defines for a full day's pay, tardiness and
corruption as dishonesty, illegal or slovenliness.
immoral behavior, especially from
someone with power. Corruption in
this context refers to wrong use of
position of authority and power
given to one for the service of the
community for selfish gains. In his
article Corruption Control in
Nigeria: Holistic Approach,
Olagunju cited Akindele (World
Bank, Akindele 1995) who defines
corruption as the abuse of public
office for private gain. In his view,
2013 / 2014 EDITION
The biblical understanding of
corruption is closely linked with
spiritual life and moral behavior in
connection with God and man. In
this connection, corruption is seen as
a deviation from God's commands
and divine purposes. In this sense, to
sin against God is to be corrupt.
From the above, whichever way one
may look at it, corruption is
everywhere. It includes any act
against a standard; a deviation from
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acceptable way of doing something.
It involves and manifests in such
h u m a n a c t s a s d i s h o n e s t y,
exploitation, bribery, venality,
depravity, perversion, any illegal
m o n i t o r y, f r a u d , t r i c k ,
counterfeiting, smuggling, forgery,
embezzlement, robbery, extortion,
oppression, nepotism, favoritism,
and what have you.
enemies (Matt 5:43). To make it
simpler, he reduced it to what is
known today as the golden rule: “In
everything, do to others as you
would have them do to you…” (Luke
13:24; Matt 7: 12). These are the
basis of the teachings of Christ which
his followers should know and
practice.
According to Ernest Obodo
(2008:58) “It is difficult to ascertain
ORIGIN AND TENETS OF what all Christians believe about the
personality of Jesus Christ but
CHRISTIANITY
basically, they all agree that his life
The name Christian according to An
and example should be followed and
Introductory Dictionary of Theology
and Religious Studies(2007) is
originally given to followers of
Jesus, most likely by outsiders
(unbelievers), and perhaps ,in a
derogatory sense. This tag was first
used to refer to the disciples of Jesus
Christ in Antioch, Pisidia, around 40
AD (cf. Acts 11:26). They were
called Christians because they
behaved like Jesus Christ. In other
words, their lives were Christ's like.
From biblical point of view, a
Christian is a follower of, an imitator his teachings about love should form
of Jesus Christ in his words and the basis of all human undertaking.”
deeds.
In his book Corruption in Nigeria,
Christ says he has not come to
abolish the law (commandments of
God) and the prophet but to fulfill
them (Matt 5:17). Christ therefore is
the fulfillment of the Old Law and
the prophets. According to Christ,
t h e O l d Te s t a m e n t l a w i s
summarized as “…to love the Lord
your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your
mind;”and to“love your neighbor as
yourself” (Matt 22:34-40). The
neighbor here involves also your
40
Chuta opines, “…in any given
system, there is a standard or
blueprint of behavior expected of
persons who operate within that
system. In every business or
profession, institution or social
system, there are rules or an agreed
code of conduct which members are
meant to conform to for the healthy
running of the system.” This is
applicable to Christian religion.
Their code of conduct and standard
of behavior is that taught and lived
2013 / 2014 EDITION
by Jesus Christ. In other words any
person who does not conform to
Christ's teachings and life is not
worthy of the name Christian.
According to Christ, to do good to
one's friend and relation is good but
falls below the standard of the New
Law; the Christian standard is to love
and do good to one's enemies. It is
not enough to do good like
almsgiving, but your left hand must
not know what the right hand is
doing. To be rushing to a church or
prayer meeting while passing by a
helpless person is of no merit. And
Christ would enjoin us, “the one who
wants to be great among you must be
the servant of all.” Teaching about
forgiveness, Christ maintains that
there is no limit to how many times
we must forgive those who wronged
us. Christ, John the Baptist and the
Apostles were seen as
revolutionaries because they could
not be silent in the face of corruption,
institutionalized injustice. Of course
they all died for such course, for the
course of righteousness. Those are
the teachings and examples Christ
and the early Christians left for us;
they are the very things we profess as
our faith when we bear the name
Christians. The question is, how far
so far? Our belief, the name
Christian and the life we live how
agreeable are they?
CHRISTIANITY AND
CORRUPTION: THE
NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE
Nigeria is notoriously known as one
of the most religious and corrupt
countries in the world. What a
paradox- most religious and most
Should all Christians in this country
be true to their faith, in obedience to
the teachings of, and copy the life of
their Master, Nigeria will be heaven
on earth. To copy is what the Lord
enjoins us. After washing the feet of
his disciples, Jesus told them, “I have
given you an example so that you
may copy what I have done to you”
(Jn 13:15). Our experience of hate,
wickedness, cheating, immoral life,
marital infidelity, decay in public
services, insecurity, poverty,
unemployment, gossiping, slander,
church/ministry to the other; it is not
killing and poisoning, divorce, fake
about taking titles in the church; it is
not even how much you pray, fast or
preach; it is about good service
(charity) in relation with the other.
The other, is not just your friend or
close relation or church member but
includes those who say they are your
enemies. This is how we show
ourselves children of the Father and
followers of Jesus Christ. Practical
witness for Christ goes beyond
profession of faith to doing the faith.
What the world needs today is doing
the
faith. No wonder Saint James
and poisonous commodities are
indices of how “unchristian” we are. would say, “… and I by my work
will show you my faith” (cf James
2:18). Faith is expressed in concrete
CONCLUSION
action.
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corrupt? According to Transparency
International's Corruption
Perception Index (CPI) in Daily
Independent, February 12th 2012,
Nigeria is unfortunately ranked as
one of the most corrupt nations in the
world. Diamond (1993) described
corruption as Nigeria's perennial
struggle. This is so because
according to A.T. Simbine, in his
article Religion, Ethics and Attitudes
towards Corruption in Nigeria,
corruption has become a feature of
public life in spite of the repeated and
diverse efforts to rout the menace
right from the colonial days. If all the
characteristics of a thing have
something to say about its essence,
or define it, then one would not be
wrong to say that the meaning of
Nigeria is corruption. Corruption has
not only permeated, it radiates and
multiplies in and from every sphere
of life in this country.
Christian religion is a very
interesting phenomenon in Nigeria.
Every street is occupied and busy
with churches and church activities.
In most part of the country people
neither sleep in the day nor in the
night because of sounds and shouting
in the churches and streets within the
neighborhood. The most unfortunate
thing in this experience is that the
more churches proliferate, the more
wickedness abounds in the society.
Righteousness exults a nation, the
bible says and sin is a reproach to any
nation. No wonder our nation is
monumentally reproached. We are
brought low by unspeakable and
seemingly unstoppable troubles
because of unrighteousness, and
corruption.
41
What is obvious is that we are not
only the architects of our problems
but the builders as well. The
evil/corruption you see in your
house, line of business, clan, villages
and town, in your school, offices,
clubs who are the perpetrators? The
Lord said, by their fruit you shall
know them. The situation calls on all
to reflect and make a decision.
Christian life is not all about bearing
Christian name, jumping from one
2013 / 2014 EDITION
Finally, anybody who is not
comfortable with corruption, who
says he/she loves God, is a
Christian, does not want to go to
hell, loves Nigeria to develop must
live in righteousness, in charityloving service to all; that is Christian
life, that is holiness, the only way to
peace and progress. To all who are
sincere, His grace is always
available for good works.
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Baalism and Christianity:
An Anatomy of Syncretism
---------------------------------.---------------------------------Ozioko Tobias
----------------------------------
religion has acquired a new
mode of expression. These
are some of the questions
this paper is poised to
consider.
---------------------------------- Definition of terms
INTRODUCTION
mnia flux (all things
change) is a famous
philosophical dictum
credited to Heraclitus.
Experience seems to attest to the
veracity of this cliché. The
world appears to be truly
changing and so is all in it; culture
and religion are not left out. In
Africa, culture and religion are so
interwoven that sometimes, drawing
a line of difference between the two
proves a herculean task; that
notwithstanding, religion still
remains distinct from culture. It was
Mbiti who remarked that Africans
are notoriously religious. Religion
permeates all the activities of the
African man.
O
The name Baal appeared
fifty six times in the scripture and in
all the places, it was used to denote a
false god. Baal in the Old Testament
refers to an idol of the Phoenicians,
and particularly of the Tyrians,
whose worship was also introduced
with great solemnities among the
Hebrews. In this work therefore
baalism is used to denote any form of
worship given to a god other than the
Christian God.
The name Christian was first used to
describe a group of people in Antioch
who followed the teachings of Christ
(cf Acts 11:26). Today this group has
spread all over the world; forming a
religion called Christianity.
Christianity therefore is a religion
which
follows the teaching of Jesus
Nevertheless, the advent of
Christianity into the African soil has Christ. Those who belong to this
been identified as threat to the religion are called Christians.
indigenous religions of the Africans. Syncretism is the combining of
One might then be nudged to ask, has d i f f e r e n t ( o f t e n s e e m i n g l y
the African traditional religion contradictory) beliefs. It is used
survived or would it survive this within the theological circle to
insurgence? In what way has it or d e n o t e t h e c o m b i n a t i o n o f
would it survive annihilation at the Christianity with some form of
hands of Christianity? Or could one pagan worship or the combination of
probably say that African traditional some seemingly contradictory
42
2013 / 2014 EDITION
beliefs
within
t h e
Christian
milieu.
Thus, the
thrust of
this work
then is to
uncover different ways Christians
are unwittingly lured into
syncretism.
True life Story
It is my intent to employ practical
and analytical method in this work.
To this end then, we shall consider a
true life story from which we shall
draw our analysis.
Once upon a time in a certain town in
the Eastern part of Nigeria, people
were dissatisfied with the state of
affairs. Stealing and armed robbery
were common phenomena. There
were allegations of adultery and
incest. Progress and development
were strangers in that town, expelled
as it were by some ugly conditions
occasioned by some ill willed
members of the town. Consequently,
a meeting was convoked to discuss
the way forward. Among those
present in the meeting, majority were
Christians while a very minute,
infinitesimal number were upholders
of African Traditional Religion.
Characteristic of Africans, recourse
intention here is understood in the clothed himself in a culture and lived
light of anathemas pronounced by in that culture, that is, the Jewish
the chief priest of the deity that was culture. He dressed as the Jews of his
invited. From it we can infer that the time dressed, spoke the language
intention was to stop people from they spoke, ate the kind of food they
committing adultery, stealing and ate, observed their festive days et
other related offenses. What is more, cetera.
Nevertheless, Jesus
the decision that all should invite his maintained his identity as the Son of
own God or gods seems fair enough. God; He remained focused on His
Would it not have been religious mission; he never allowed the Jewish
chauvinism to posit that it is only the culture to dampen His spirit neither
“Christian God” that should be did he allow the Jewish culture to be
invited? Surely we all have freedom a cog in the wheel of His salvific
of religion.
work. Rather, he challenged aspects
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to religion was embraced as the sure
way forward. It was agreed that
Christians should pray and bring a
priest or pastor (man of God) to pray
for the community while the African
traditionalists should search for the
most efficacious and dreaded deity
that would be brought into the
community to checkmate the alleged
crimes.
Just as agreed, while the Christians
went in search of a suitable “man of
God”, the upholders of African
traditional religion went and brought
in a dreaded deity around the region
where the town is located. They went
through all village squares around
that town, pronouncing curses on
any member of the town that steals,
robs, commits adultery, and a host of
other crimes. As they went from one
village square to another, curiosity
brought some people out to observe
what was going on such that a crowd
of people followed them. Among
these crowds were Christians
(majorly children but a handful of
adults too) and a few remaining
upholders of African traditional
religion.
However, are the Christians in this
story free in conscience of idolatry?
It is apodictic that they gave their
consent to invite the deity.
Consequently, they were included in
the curses rained on “evil men”. This
is indeed a difficult case to decide.
Sadly, this is just one of the
surreptitious ways Christians have
been subtly, manipulated into
practicing syncretism. However in
some other areas, Christians
themselves embrace syncretism
either knowingly or unknowingly.
One of those areas stems from our
pragmatic culture while the other
emanates
from our quest to
After these incidents, some among
the Christians were nostalgic about inculturate.
the whole affair. Some were deeply I n c u l t u r a t i o n v e r s u s
remorseful. However, the news all Syncretism
over the place was that the people of Inculturation is a theological method
so town “kporo ma” (the people of so which seeks to imbibe the good
town invited a deity).
aspects of a people's culture into the
Dilemma
The account above is just one out of
many of its kind in Nigeria. One may
ask, what is the problem with the
events narrated above? Surely the
intention is seemingly good. The
43
Christian faith. The initial impetus of
inculturation is distilled from the
incarnation theology. Jesus the Word
of God, through whom all things
were made took flesh and was born
in a culture (cf John 1: 1-14). He
2013 / 2014 EDITION
of the Jewish culture that were not in
consonance with His person and His
mission.
Thus, inculturation is good and
indeed essential for the gospel
message to take root in any culture.
However, care must be taken to
inculturate only the aspect of the
culture that is in consonance with the
gospel message. While we
acknowledge the zeal and sacrifices
of the white missionaries who
evangelized us in this part of the
globe, we note that they went to the
extreme denouncing all our culture
as fetish. On the other hand, some
today, tend to move over to the other
extreme canonizing as good
everything about our culture.
Surely, there are some aspects of our
culture that should be inculturated.
Nevertheless, since in Africa, our
culture is deeply rooted in religion,
care should be taken not to practice
syncretism in the name of
inculturation. The African traditional
religion is rich in symbols and
iconographies, hence, any aspect of
the culture that is to be inculturated
should be subjected to close scrutiny so as
to avoid unwittingly practicing
syncretism in the name of inculturation.
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Our culture is pragmatic. This outlook is
vividly perceived within the ambience of
religion. The reality of the gods is
measured in their efficacy. Any god that
fails to perform is doomed to loose
worshipers. Thus the famous saying
among the Igbo people of Nigeria O buru
na ikenga adighi ike a wa ya nku. If the
ikenga (power symbol) is not efficacious
it would be used as firewood while
another more efficacious is brought to
replace it.
Some Christians came into Christianity
with this mentality such that God is
reduced to his functionality. God
becomes a God who answers prayers, a
God who gives riches, a God who heals
sicknesses, et cetera. Note, one does not
wish to assert that God does not do all
those. God does even more but the
problem one wants to accentuate is that
people with this mentality tend to seek
other means when it seems to them God
does not answer their prayer when, where
and how they would love him to. Such
people are those who move from
churches to shrines of different gods and
deities to seek help. Some even go to the
church with some amulets tied to their
waist. It is a disheartening situation.
Conclusion
There is no gainsaying that syncretic
practices are numerous among Christians
of today. Some willfully embrace this
practice while some are ignorantly lured
into it by the schemes of ill willed men.
Every Christian should therefore always
be on guard to escape these schemes and
avoid disobeying the first commandment
of God.
44
NEW PHASE OF
HUMAN SLAVERY
.
Fr. Dr. Donatus Onuigbo
T
he issues that
perturb our
generation abound.
One of the most pernicious
however is the issue of
slavery in our contemporary
era. Human slavery, an agelong problem of humanity often
dealt with by the different epochs
in their own ways, is still
adamantly present in almost all
the modern societies of our time.
INTRODUCTION
Double Faced Christianity
It behoves me in this small write
up to give some reasonable
attention to this issue, trace it in
all its ramifications and
diversities, expound its peripheral
behaviours and the malicious,
though deceptively elegant
appearances of this evil. I hope
t h e r e b y, t o b r i n g t o t h e
consciousness of all involved,
both the victims and the
perpetrators how inhuman these
practices are and how
intrinsically incompatible they
are with our modern values and
ideals.
the fruit of their work.
then bring out the clear basis of
this practice which is the
primitive desire to subdue and
conquer fellow humans and
subject them to ones' own
unbridled whims and caprices.
We shall trace the societal
institutions and practices that
breed the favourable atmosphere
for the enslavement of fellow
humans and the misuse of human
energy and labour. This will
eventually expose the logical
consequences of some of the
erroneous policies and beliefs of
our modern society. Let me give a
start with a general but brief
Of great interest and importance
description of the term slavery.
is the unveiling of this heinous
criminality by stripping it of its
Slavery: Meaning and
camouflages like the so called
Origins
institutionalized bargaining
principle that is anchored in our Slavery is a system of human
s o c i e t i e s o f e x t r e m e a n d suppression where humans are
unbridled capitalism. This will treated as property to be bought
2013 / 2014 EDITION
and sold, to be used without recognized by many societies. are for the provision of cheap/free
r e f e r e n c e t o t h e i r i n t r i n s i c Conquered peoples- often referred labour and sexual services. The
inalienable values and rights, and to as barbarians- and persons methods of capturing, buying or
imprisoned for debt were used as selling, transportation and harboring
slaves by the Babylonians, the the victims in our time continue to
Egyptians, the Greeks, the Persians get increase in sophistication to beat
and the Romans. So slavery of one all the more sophisticated methods
kind or another has always of national and international control
accompanied the human society
So slavery of one kind or
from time immemorial as a form of
another has always
seizure and subjugation by certain
accompanied the human
persons of their fellow men and
society from time
robbed of the fruit of their work. In
immemorial as a form of
order however to expatiate our point
seizure
and subjugation by
better, it is expedient to attempt a
certain persons of their
classification of the forms in which
fellow
men and robbed of
slavery exists in the societies.
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Types of Slavery
subdued to an unconditional
subjugation of their will to that of
another. Slaves can be held against
their will from the time of their
capture, purchase or birth, and
deprived of the right to leave, to
refuse to work, or to demand
compensation.
Etymologically the word slave
comes from Old French sclave, from
the Medieval Latin sclavus, from the
Byzantine Greek σκλάβος. This
Greek word some scholars believe
could be traced to the ancient time
when many slaves were captured in
war and used by their captors for
work. Some other tradition holds
that it comes from the battle scene of
“stripping the dead enemy”.
Historically slavery predates written
records and has existed in many
cultures and been institutionally
45
Chattel slavery: Chattel slavery
is the type where people are treated
as the personal property, chattels, of
an owner and are bought and sold as
commodities. It is the original form
of slavery which was
institutionalized for a long time in
human history. This type of slavery
has often involved or led to the other
types eventually. Such owned
humans have no choice of their own
except to obey the will of their
captors. In our modern time there are
still many captors of humans for the
purposes of their personal
aggrandizement. The transportation
of these humans across national
borders by international law, an
illegal practise is called human
trafficking. It has been established
that the most common reasons for
the capturing of humans in our time
2013 / 2014 EDITION
systems. One of the most prominent
and surreptitious methods of
enslavement of our time (though of
older than our time) is that of self
bondage. This leads us to the second
type of slavery.
Bonded Slavery: Debt bondage
or bonded labor occurs when a
person pledges himself or herself
against a loan. The services required
to repay the debt and their duration
may be apparently incommensurate
to the provided loan and often
deceptively undefined. Debt
bondage in some cases is passed on
from generation to generation, with
children required to pay off their
parents' debt. According to
UNESCO, this is the most
widespread form of slavery today.
Mostly found in some Asian
c o u n t r i e s .
( c f .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaver
y 02.01.2013).
including Denmark, France and the
Netherlands. Colbert sought to
Forced labor: This third form of control slavery when he drew up the
slavery refers to the violent nature of first Code Noir in 1685, thus making
recruitment of the victims. Forced slavery official. Thus the slavery
labor occurs when an individual is involving the Indian communities,
forced to work against his or her will, and later the black populations, was
under threat of violence or other of a quite different kind. Black
punishment, with restrictions on slavery, known as the triangular
their freedom. This forced labour trade, developed at lightning pace.
occurs in almost all other forms of Men, women and children were
slavery but can occur without all captured and sold. The various
these other forms of slavery. For this, waves of slavery resulted in the
it is also used to determine all forms deportation of an estimated 25 to 30
of camouflaged slavery especially in million persons, not counting those
many institutions and system of our who died on board ship or in the
contemporary era that are otherwise course of wars and raids.”
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held as sacrosanct, such as serfdom,
conscription and penal labor. (cf.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaver
y 02.01.2013 ). Forced labour
includes all forms of usury and
capitalization of peoples
disadvantage to employ their labour
without commensurate
remuneration.
The first of these three types has
reduced greatly in the world due to
the official abolition of slavery and
the development of the so called
“world-conscience” and
denunciation of such outright
slavery. The last two types however
have found refuge and aboard in
some institutions and marketing
strategies of our time.
Numerically speaking there are more
slaves in the early 21st century than
at any previous time. The number of
slaves today according to the
UNESCO records remains as high as
12 million to 27 million. Most are
debt slaves, largely in South Asia,
who are under debt bondage incurred
by lenders, sometimes even for
Speaking at the Clinton Global
Initiative, Obama called modern day
slavery "barbaric" and "evil" and he
said: "It ought to concern every
person, because it's a debasement of
our common humanity. It ought to
concern every community, because it
tears at the social fabric. It ought to
concern every business, because it
distorts markets. It ought to concern
every nation, because it endangers
public health and fuels violence and
organized crime. I'm talking about
the injustice, the outrage, of human
trafficking, which must be called by
its true name–modern slavery." Cf.
http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.c
nn.com/category/in-the-news/
25.09.2012
e n / v . p h p URL_ID=19127&URL_DO=DO_T
OPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
20.02.2013). Some records hold that
to every single black slave that
survived to the slave market six
others must have died. With the
official abolition of institutionalised
slavery in the late 18th and early 19th
Centuries, the world believed it had
dealt the last blow to this evil of
human slavery.
In 2004 the United Nations general
Assembly celebrated the bicentenary
of the abolition of slavery, and in
more recent times slavery has been
outlawed in most societies yet it
continues to rear its head through
different practices like debt bondage,
indentured servitude, serfdom,
domestic servants kept in captivity,
certain adoptions in which children
th
From the 15 Century the English
are forced to work as slaves, child
joined Portugal and Spain in the race
soldiers, improper employments by
for the American colonies, “followed
institutions and forced marriage.
by most of the nations of Europe
Slavery in the
Contemporary Era
46
According to the UN report, it
persists under new forms of massive
violations of the human rights
proclaimed in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights of the
United Nations in 1948.
institutions have been made
conscious of the presence of this
persistent evil in our time. Media
houses like the CNN have launched
an anti-modern-day-slaverycampaign.
(Cf.http://portal.unesco.org/culture
2013 / 2014 EDITION
The Nigerian Case
among Others
generations. Human trafficking is
primarily used for forcing women
and children into sex industries. This
picture shows the back of a slave in
the Middle Ages but there are people
with worse wounds than this in our
time but they remain hidden and
unknown to the public covered up
through corrupt institutions that
protect the perpetrators as well.
In recent years many prominent
people, organizations and
first tier of slavery, Africans were mporary_slavery 02.01.2013). This
physically forced to slavery in is an example of what Nigerians go
Europe, while in the second, they are through in Europe many of whom are
motivated to come on their own to educated.
slavery in Europe and many other
We must at this point however
parts of the world.
mention and decry that there is still
Many Nigerians and other Africans slavery in many forms and capacities
in Europe undergo untold hardship in the societies in Nigeria and many
and injustices that can only be African countries. Wole Soyinka
compared to that of slaves. And when puts it aptly thus “that dark reality of
I say many Nigerians these include the African past has become a
some priests and religious on political reference point, a quasi
mission or further studies in Europe. metaphor, in addressing the many ills
Renowned institutions as well as of the continent -- from the most
individuals are often involved in the b e n i g n f o r m s o f l e a d e r s h i p
perpetration of this evil. The alienation to crude despotism,
difficulty around these cases genocide, internal colonialism and,
however, is that most of the victims indeed, even racism within the
came on their own to Europe and acknowledged homeland of the
would not even want to go home. black race. The enthronement of
T h e y a r e c o n s t r a i n e d b y governance by disdain, of
unbelievable social pressure from unapologetic conduct and policies of
home and abroad to stay and accept condescension, threadbare tolerance
the hardship.
and worse by leaders toward our own
A clear case was once reported thus peoples, inevitably results in
“four women, who arrived in questions such as: What is the
London from Nigeria as children, difference between then and now?
later reported to the Metropolitan Between them and us?“ (cf. Wole
Police Service (MPS) that they were Soyinka, Between Truths and
made to work for no pay in Indulgences).
households in and around London
between 1997 and 2006. In 2010, the
MPS was ordered to pay damages to
In conclusion it is clear to me and
each of the women for failing to
may be to every reader of this article
undertake an effective investigation.
that we need to do something at the
The MPS said in a statement that the
face of this self-destructive and selfway in which such crimes are
defacing element. We are not all
investigated had changed
victims individually but collectively
significantly since the introduction
we are and only collectively can we
of a unit dedicated to human
attend to this matter. One major way
trafficking and immigration offences
of solving such issues in a society is
(cf. Contemporary Slavery
by way of creating awareness among
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conte
the people. Let us do that.
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During my speech to the priests and
sisters from Nigeria living in
Germany at the end of my tenure as
the president of the Association,
(Nigerian Association of Religious
and Clergy NARAC) I reflected on
the condition of the Africans in
Germany and Europe as a whole,
including that of clergy and the
religious. Our journey, the journey of
the Africans, a quasi exodus, based
on the unfounded hankering to go to
Europe could in many ways be
described as the second tier of
slavery comparable to the first. In the
47
Conclusion
2013 / 2014 EDITION
||
CHARITY: TOWARDS A REDISCOVERY
OF WORLD PEACE
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48
2013 / 2014 EDITION
49
2013 / 2014 EDITION
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PROSTATE GLAND AND
BREAST CANCER DISEASE
.
(MADONNA UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL)
Rev. Sr. Dr. Yves Iwuamadi SJS
T
INTRODUCTION
here are myriads of
diseases in the world
today, ranging from
protracted and malignant, to
less severe ones that are posing
great challenges to man, and
most importantly the medical
world. Today, most killer diseases
are preventable and curable but
have persistently taken tolls on the
population of the world due to
ignorance and poverty. Most
diseases are curable when detected
at their early developing stages;
regrettably, the world has been
losing her children in thousands
and millions owing to the fact that
most people seek medic-care when
they are almost eaten up by disease;
most often, at that point, there is not
much medical science could do to
save them. With this concern, it is
my humble intent to keep you
informed on two prevalent diseases
(Prostate Gland and Breast Cancer
Diseases) devastating our people
now. There is no gain saying that
sick person has no peace. Sickness
is a negation of human peace.
between 7 and 16 grams in an adult
male.
Functions / Physiology:
The main functions of the Prostate is
to produce an alkaline fluid that is
milky or white in appearance and
makes up about 75% of what is
called semen. The other 25% of this
semen contains spermatozoa and
seminal fluid from the seminal
vesicle. This alkaline nature of the
semen reduces, during and after
sexual intercourse the acidity of the
vagina thereby prolonging the life
span of sperm cells that thrives in
alkaline environment. Other
Secretions of the Prostate include
Zinc, Calcium, Tricarbonate,
Sodium, Spermine, Citrate,
Magnesium, Potassium, and
Cholesterol. The above secretions
and functions of the Prostate are
stimulated by the action of male sex
hormones, testosterone and
androgen from the testis and adrenal
glands.
Prostate disorder. They include,
Acute Bacterial, Chronic Bacterial,
Chronic Non-bacterial, and Male
Chronic Pelvic Pain.
Syndrome (Prostatodynia): The
acute and chronic bacterial
inflammatory types are caused by a
variety of bacteria through routes
such as urethra. A gram negative
bacterial known as Escherichia coli
is the most causative organism. This
infection can sometime spread to the
testis and the epididymis. The
symptoms associated with this
ailment include haematuria (blood in
urine), dysuria (pain during
urinating), urine retention, pain
especially in the perineal area. On
examination, the prostate is boggy,
Common Associated Diseases of swollen and tender, and may also be
warm or hot to touch.
the Prostate Gland
Prostate Gland
There are three common associated Treatment: The use of antibiotics is
employed in treatment and passage
The prostate gland is a glandular diseases of the Prostate Gland:
of suprapubic catheter if there's
(20%) and fibro-muscular (80%) Prostatitis (2%), Benign Prostatic
evidence of urethral obstruction and
organ consisting part of the male Hyperplasia (BPH) (80%) and
urine retention.
reproduction system in most Cancer of Prostate (CaP) (18%)
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
mammals. The healthy Prostate Prostatitis
gland is about the size of a walnut There are four types of Prostatitis, (BPH)
located in the pelvic region beneath which accounts for about 2% of This is the increase in the number of
the urinary bladder, weighs
50
2013 / 2014 EDITION
Score (IPSS). This comprises of the inherited. Another risk factor is
urinary symptom associated with Dietary. High level of meat
BPH and has a range between 1- 35. consumption increases risk. Also,
From 1 – 7 watchful waiting is sexually transmitted infections
e m p l o y e d . H o w e v e r , i f (STI) and multiple sexual partners
symptomatic, the use of certain early in life could cause prostate
drugs that will inhibit the effect of cancer.
DHT on X receptors on the prostate The clinical symptoms are same with
is employed e.g. 5.2reductase BPH but on palpation of the Prostate
inhibitor. When the score is above it is usually irregularly enlarged,
18, surgery becomes better option to hard, nodular, and rough surfaced
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cells of the prostate and comprises
about 80% of common prostate
diseases. This increase in the size of
the prostate, is said to commence at
puberty; its rate increases
remarkably in most men after the age
of 40years.This growth recurs both
in the glandular and fibromuscular
(stroma) portions of the prostate
gland though more in the stromal
part. The increase is due to the
proliferative effect of the
active form of androgen
(testephrone) known as
dihydrotestotesrone (DHT)
which acts on the epithelial
and stromal element thereby
stimulating growth.
Symptom: Some
characteristic symptoms of
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
(BPH) include a number of problems
grouped as lower urinary tract
symptoms which includes; urgency,
nocturnal, intermittency, poor urine
flow, incomplete bladder emptying
and urine retention. Once prostate
enlarges, it weighs pressure on the
urethra, compresses and distorts the
urethra, impeding the flow of urine.
BPH can be diagnosed clinically,
through ultrasound imaging and
estimation of Prostatic Specific
Antigens (PSA) values. PSA values
of 0 - 4ng signifies normal value,
while 5 - 9ng indicates presence of
BPH ,and can also mean presence of
Cancer till proven otherwise via
histology. Pelvic ultrasonopraphy
can also reveal an enlarged prostate.
with loss of median sulcus.
Also if the disease has
advanced to other organs or
systems, symptoms
attributed to those systems
c a n a l s o o c c u r. T h e
diagnosis is done
definitively through a
sextant prostate biopsy and
histology and thereafter can
remove the prostate. The surgery is be staged histological like most
called Prostatectomy and has malignances.
different types depending on the Its treatment will depend on the
approach.
stage, the PSA value, age of patient
Cancer of the Prostate
This is a type of cancer affecting the
Prostate gland and is a malignant
form in that it can disseminate to
other organ of the body or systems
causing clinical manifestation of the
disease. Across the globe, it is the
most commonly diagnosed cancer in
men beyond middle age. It could be
slow in growing or sometimes
progressive.
and his general health condition. The
modalities employed in this
treatment include: Surgery (radical
Prostectomy) which involves total
removal of Prostate and testis,
Radiotherapy,
Chemotherapy,
and
Hormone therapy
BREAST CANCER IN
NIGERIA
Breast cancer is a malignant
(cancerous) growth that begins in the
tissues of the breast. Cancer is a
The causes or risk factors of
disease
in which abnormal cells
prostate cancer disease include
grow in an uncontrollable manner. It
Treatment: Treatment of BPH is Genetic. Men whose parents,
is
the most common cancer and killer
done using a range of scores known especially fathers have or died of
as International Prostate Symptom prostate cancer have double risk of of women, though it can also occur in
suffering it. In other words it can be men. The five-year survival rate for
51
Causes or Risk Factors
2013 / 2014 EDITION
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common signs seen in Breast Cancer
such as: Breast Lump which is
usually painless, change in size or
shape of the breast or discharge from
nipples are largely ignored. It is
however important to know that
RISK FACTORS
The primary risks factors for breast
cancer are female sex and middle
class and aged women. Other
potential risk factors include
infertility, higher hormone levels,
dietary, obesity, and family history
(genetically) (the association of
infertility and no breast feeding with
breast cancer has not been medically
determined; some studies find
support while some do not). Early
and too much smoking could as well
cause breast cancer. Induced
abortion has also been associated
with breast cancer. There may be an
association between oral
contraceptives drugs (OCD) and the
development of premenopausal
breast cancer. Whether or not this
association is causal is debatable and
if there is indeed a link, the absolute
effect is small. Other risk factors
include radiation exposure. A
number of chemicals have also been
linked including: polychlorinated
biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons, organic solvents and a
number of pesticides.
Symptoms
It is troubling to know that majority
of our females largely ignore
changes they might notice around
their Breast; this is indeed very
common in our country. Some
52
early detection and prompt treatment
is the key to surviving this deadly
disease.
Symptom of breast cancer include,
lump that feels different from the rest
of the breast tissue, thickening
different from the other breast tissue,
one breast becoming larger or lower,
a nipple changing position or shape
or becoming inverted, skin
puckering or dimpling, a rash on or
around a nipple, discharge from
nipple(s), constant pain in part of the
breast or armpit, and swelling
beneath the armpit or around the
clavicle (collarbone).
DIAGNOSIS/TREATMENT
Breast cancer diagnosis can be done
in number of ways. Early detection is
the only sure way of survival; this
explains why repetitive breast cancer
screening and health education are of
utmost importance. Regular Breast
Self-Examination (BSE), this is a
self-test any woman can conduct on
herself by using her hand to feel by
pressing round the breast for lump,
nipple discharge or distortion and
2013 / 2014 EDITION
other unusual development. A
detection of such should
immediately be reported to a doctor
for proper action. A more modern
scientific way of examination is the
use of mammograms.
Mammography is the process of
using low-energy X-rays to examine
the human breast and is used as a
diagnostic as well as a screening
tool. The goal of mammography is
the early detection of breast cancer.
ADVERTS
breast cancer patients in the United
States exceeds 85 percent, in
Nigeria it is dismal 10 percent.
Breast cancer is a very deadly
disease if not diagnosed early
enough; for this reason, much in the
area of public awareness is urgently
demanded.
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Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation
treatment (radiotherapy) and many
new and advanced therapies are now
available in the developed world and
they have contributed to the good
prognosis seen in the Western world.
Many more patients are living
longer, but the reverse is the case in
our country. Access to care is limited
and majority of these advanced
therapies are nowhere to be found.
CONCLUSION
Prostate and Breast cancer diseases
are very much on the increase in our
society, and due to poverty,
ignorance and almost absence of
modern medical facilities, they are
taking toll on our population, living
many families without father or
mother. We should all learn to take
good care of ourselves by avoiding
causes and risks, and reporting
promptly any unusual symptoms to
doctors. Due to the high cost of
modern screening and treatment
facilities, government should build,
in every constituency, cancer
screening and treatment centers.
Health should be given more realistic
priority by all as there cannot be true
peace without good health.
53
2013 / 2014 EDITION
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EDUCATION IN NIGERIA:
.
PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS
Accountant with Enugu State Govt.
(Ministry of Finance)
CPM Member
Enugu Zone
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CELEBRATION OF GOD’ S MERCIES & TESTIMONIES
Behold God’s gift to Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Okorie
(Bob-Loco) after 15yrs of barreness
Join us and give thanks to the Lord for his love and mercies that are bound
in Elele Catholic Prayer Ministry.
54
2013 / 2014 EDITION
Jetty Joe Odey
T
he human person is
principally a
constitution of two
parts – the mind (soul or spirit)
and the body. Scholars have
continued to argue on this point,
but good reason and most
theories support the claim that man is
a composite of matter and spirit,
body and soul. In antiquity, some
thinkers tend to play down the
importance of the body; in fact, some
saw it as an obstacle to the
development and operation of the
soul. In the modern and
contemporary times, many believe
that the body and the soul are at equal
plane; for them, it's a matter of
complementarity. A complete and
mature man is one whose bodily and
spiritual/mental powers are fully
developed. This is more reason, in
the nurture and development of the
human person, no part should be
neglected. Nurture and development
in this sense are possible and only
within the ambience of education.
For there to be healthy mind and
body, a ground for man's realization
and fulfillment, education is
therefore necessary.
INTRODUCTION
I, Mrs. Ani Amoge O.
Congratulate the Father Founder
and his collaborators for the
great work Jesus the Saviour is
doing through them for the past
three decades
May God Almighty bless and
keep you for us.
It is regrettable that this veritable
means of human development, with
particular reference to Nigeria has
gone berserk. The worry is that when
a means is crazy, the end must
necessarily be crazier. The craze and
mess we all experience, both in
55
private and public lives of this
country are blamable on the
conception and the system of
education we operate. And going by
the indices available, if something
urgent is not done, there is no hope of
good tomorrow. Reason being that if,
now that the old breeds (those trained
by the missionaries) are still on the
stage we find ourselves in this
situation, what happens when they
are gone? I imagine what Nigeria
will look like when the present
generation takes charge of Nigerian
affairs.
is derived from the Latin word,
educare “to bring up"; another word
close to it is educere meaning "bring
out", "bring forth what is within",
"bring out potential"; another related
word is ducere, "to lead out or away
f r o m " . F r o m t h e e t y m o l o g y,
Education presupposes being down
or in low state, latency or something
hidden, gift not in actuality, and
darkness or knowing not the way.
The Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
defines education as the action or
process of educating or of being
educated. The same dictionary
defines the verb “to educate” as,“to
rear”, "to train by formal instruction
and supervised practice especially in
a skill, trade, or profession”; to
persuade or condition to feel,
believe, or act in a desired way”; “to
develop mentally, morally, or
aesthetically especially by
instruction.”In a more general sense,
education refers to any act or
experience that has a formative
effect on the mind, character or
The Term Education
physical ability of an individual. In
Etymologically, the word education its technical sense, education is the
2013 / 2014 EDITION
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process by which society
deliberately transmits its
accumulated knowledge, skills and
values from one generation to
another.
and unqualified teachers, nor is it
about poor payment of teachers. Yes,
they are all part of it but there are two
fundamental factors to the problem
of education in Nigeria: the collapse
From our etymology and definitions, of the institution called family and
it is clear that education is a positive the misinterpretation of the term
c o n c e p t . E d u c a t i o n i s l i f e - education.
enhancing; whatever that goes for Before going further, it is important
the development of a person that we remember that there are two
spiritually, mentally, morally, types or forms of education: the
physically bringing out the person's informal and formal education.
powers and freeing the same from Informal education is every nurture
presumed and unfounded opinions or formative training a person
comes under the concept education. undergoes outside the institution
One cannot be educated to steal or to called school where pupils or
be drug addict or to be immoral. This students are gathered to be taught or
is where education parts way with lectured by a teacher. It is worthy of
learning. One can learn what is good note, that informal education begins
and bad, right and wrong; but at the moment of conception and
education is exclusively for does not end until a person draws
something good, something life- his/her final breath. This is where it
enhancing.
ranks higher than formal education.
In informal education, mother
tongue is a veritable value; not for its
PROBLEMS OF
own sake alone, but because it is the
EDUCATION IN NIGERIA medium of teaching the child values
Books, articles, journal written on and customs of the society. Today,
the question of education in Nigeria we are fast losing our native
can make for a university library; languages and not English do we
likewise, innumerable are the understand very well. Consequently,
numbers of seminars, symposia, our identity is in question. In the
summits conducted on the same good old days, children used to enjoy
subject. The question is what are the moonlight games; parents and elders
gains of such endeavours? Why has used that medium to teach them
the Nigerian education system not gwam-gwam-gwam, “riddles”,
improved? The problem may not be akuko ifo “moonlight tales”, and ilu
as easy, to identify as you would “proverbs.” Today, the society is no
think. The problem is that there is longer the custodian of such values,
something basically wrong with the but books that are never bought or
modern civilization. The problem of read. This is partly the beginning of
education in Nigeria is not basically the collapse of the family institution,
about few schools and poor school and subsequently, education of the
facility; it is not about inadequate children. Television with most
56
2013 / 2014 EDITION
immoral music, videos and violent
programs has taken the stage.
A major blow to the question of
family is the increasing rate of
divorce in the society. This impinges
on the parental care and education of
the children. Single parenting is an
imbalance parentage; worst still is
when it is left in the hands of hired
maids or nannies. Another threat to
family is secularism. For many, to
acquire wealth is the goal of life.
Some parents live for their jobs and
businesses, not for their children.
They spend little or no time with
their children, hence, care and
education of the children suffers.
The truth is that a child, who did not
get it (education) right within the
first five to seven years of age, will
hardly get it. It does not stop there;
parental and the society's education
of a child is a continuous process.
This is justified with the wisdom of
our forebears which say that plant
does not grow taller than the person
who planted it.” Does such proverb
still speak to us today? Parents and
children alike should be disposed to
give and take instructions at every
stage of their lives. It is only the wise
who knows he does not know; and
anyone who claims he/she has
known much to know, knows
nothing.
The second issue to the problem of
our education is what our people take
education to be. For many, education
is all about literacy, knowing how to
read and write and acquiring
certificates. This is also a failure
because many who are “educated”
today do not know how to read and
write even if that is what it means.
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For some it is about exposure, i. e.
getting to know and do what others
are doing. To some others, it is about
getting certificate, pass or failure
notwithstanding, for the sake of
securing job. For another group, it is
about making first class or second
class result; for so many ladies, it is
being in the higher institution
waiting for a good suitor; and this
explains why a young woman in
school will abandon schooling once
she finds a suitor. For most owners
and managers of schools, including
the governments, it is business-what
you can gain. And for some parents,
it relieves them of the children's
wahala (trouble) at home.
One can see from our etymology and
definition of education that, save
from literacy, i. e. development of the
skill to read and write, none of the
other understandings of education
comes close to what education is.
This is a fundamental problem. The
misunderstanding of education, with
particular reference to formal
education in Nigeria is why Nigeria
is a stagnated nation. Education
which is supposed to lead people out
of darkness is rather leading people
into dungeon in Nigeria. In most
secondary schools, students are
officially told to pay some amount of
money for the settlement of
examiners and external supervisors.
In some other instance, parents
withdraw their children and wards
from schools they perceive have zero
tolerance to malpractice during
examinations to very remote public
schools where exams are written
under cashew trees and in the
hustles. The result of such things is
57
discouragement of hard work and N i k e , E n u g u , O S I S AT E C H
Polytechnic, Enugu and
institutionalization of corruption.
OSISATECH College of Education,
More so, because many see
Enugu. These institutions are
certificate as meal ticket, owing to
characterized with good morals,
the fact that, often times, it is only
decency, academic excellence, and
what it requires to get job once you
discipline. Among other things, they
have a “father”, no or meager
have become standards, and in the
attention is paid to development of
vanguard of eradicating cultism,
skills, potentials and
immorality, drug abuse, wanton
professionalism. This is partly why
sexual harassment, certificate
Nigeria is not a producing, but
forgery, leakage of examination
consuming nation.
papers, school industrial action
(strike), sales of grade and many
A Man to the Rescue
more in the Nigerian education
system.
Consequent upon his return from
studies oversees, Very Rev. Fr. Prof.
E.M.P. Edeh C.S.Sp among other
things, realized the sorry state of
Nigeria's education system;
education system that is plagued by
wanton immorality, unqualified
lecturers, examination malpractice,
constant school industrial action
(strike), forgery of result, fake
admission and many more. He
equally observed that our tertiary
institutions have become 'war zones'
where decency, sanity, morality and
discipline have given way to cultism,
prostitution and laxity (cf. E.M.P
Edeh, Madonna University: light of
the world).
Spurred by the situation, Fr. Edeh
against all odds authenticated his
thought with actions by establishing
schools ranging from nursery
schools to tertiary institutions. It is
on record and to his credit that this
aspiration gave birth to the first and
most prestigious private University
in Nigeria, the Madonna University
Nigeria. Other higher institutions
include, Caritas University Amorji2013 / 2014 EDITION
Conclusion
Until we get it right, we will never
get it right. There is urgent need for a
return to the drawing board, to the
family and to have the right
understanding of education, what it
is and supposes to achieve. Until that
is done, all efforts on education may
just go down the drain as those in the
past. Consequently, the future of
Nigerian education is sure to be
worse than what it is today; and
ultimately, the dream of Nigeria
joining the community of developed
nations will remain a dream.
However, all hopes are not lost;
thanks to the intervention of Fr. Edeh
at the time he intervened. He has
shown, with the right understanding
of education that with conscientious
efforts, discipline and excellence can
return to our education system.
Governments and school
managements should borrow a leaf
from him; he has given us a standard,
an example to emulate.
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O MOTHER PEACE
ADVERTS
Odo Peter
O mother Peace, where are
you?
Our Parents, by disobedient
rejected you
That rejection, a realization of
your comforting arms.
Ever in search, yet we find you
not.
Man, how happy-serene you
were at the arms of Mother
Peace!
O Fall of man! Abysmal it was
That fall- man's violation of
self: Chaos the result
The fall, a denial of charity to
self: misery the gain.
Charity to self, charity to the
other- charity to God,
That is our Peace.
Our uncharity- our pain and
conflict.
O man! How good you know
what charity offers!
O mother Peace!
We yearn for you as dry land
thirsts for water.
Our lives, incomplete without
you.
O charity! Lead us to mother
Peace
ADVERTISE
WITH
SAVIOURITE
ANNUAL
MAGAZINE
AND BE SURE UR
SERVICES /
PRODUCTS
GET TO UR
CUSTOMERS
Peter Amase
58
2013 / 2014 EDITION
59
2013 / 2014 EDITION
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Behold Our
ARJI RUFUS
IBE NOEL
LIVING BY GIVING
Give! Give! Give! Give!
Whatever you give away today
Will multiply on morrow
And then, a return to you.
Come, immediately it may not.
Nor from the obvious source;
But the law applies unfailingly
A come back is sure.
Whatever you feel about anotherLove or hate
60
Will surely bounce back to you
In some clear or obscure fashion.
OKONKWO SILVESTER
John Vianney
But loving attracts love
If you speak about some person,
A word of praise or two,
Soon tens of people,
Will speak kind words of you.
Remember as you journey in life,
As choice 'nd duty crowd your
mind
That kindness comes so quicklyBack to those who first are kind.
Giving works as surely
As reflection in a mirror.
If you give hate, hate you will get
back;
Ever live in this consciousness
Make it your rule of life.
We live by giving;
And give by living.
2013 / 2014 EDITION
61
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LETTER FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN TO HIS SON'S TEACHER
“My son starts school today. It is all
going to be strange and new to him
for a while and I wish you would
treat him gently. It is an adventure
that might take him across
continents. All adventures that
probably include wars, tragedy and
sorrow. To live this life will require
faith, love and courage.
So dear Teacher, will you please
take him by his hand and teach him
things he will have to know,
teaching him - but gently, if you can.
Teach him that for every enemy,
there is a friend. He will have to
know that all men are not just, that
all men are not true. But teach him
also that for every scoundrel there is
a hero, that for every crooked
politician, there is a dedicated
leader.
Teach him if you can that 10 cents
earned is of far more value than a
dollar found. In school, teacher, it is
far more honorable to fail than to
cheat. Teach him to learn how to
gracefully lose, and enjoy winning
when he does win.
Teach him to be gentle with people,
tough with tough people. Steer him
away from envy if you can and teach
him the secret of quiet laughter.
Teach him if you can - how to laugh
when he is sad, teach him there is no
shame in tears. Teach him there can
be glory in failure and despair in
success. Teach him to scoff at
cynics.
Teach him if you can the wonders of
books, but also give time to ponder
the extreme mystery of birds in the
sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a
green hill. Teach him to have faith in
his own ideas, even if every one tell
him they are wrong.
Try to give my son the strength not
to follow the crowd when everyone
else is doing it. Teach him to listen to
every one, but teach him also to
filters all that he hears on a screen of
truth and take only the good that
comes through.
Teach him to sell his talents and
brains to the highest bidder but
never to put a price tag on his heart
and soul. Let him have the courage
to be impatient, let him have the
patient to be brave. Teach him to
have sublime faith in himself,
because then he will always have
sublime faith in mankind, in God.
This is the order, teacher but see
what best you can do. He is such a
nice little boy and he is my son.
Do you feel called to be a
?
Religious Missionary
Are you willing to serve God in a special way.
Are you aspiring to live as a Religious in the vineyard of God.
Are you longing to work amongst God’s people? Then write to
us today;
OUR CONTACT: The Vocation Director,
Congregation of Jesus the Saviour.
P. O. BOX 48 Elele, Rivers State.
Email: [email protected]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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2013 / 2014 EDITION
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2013 / 2014 EDITION

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