{"id":65140,"date":"2025-04-30T16:02:56","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T16:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/?p=65140"},"modified":"2025-04-30T16:03:51","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T16:03:51","slug":"65140","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/2025\/04\/30\/65140\/","title":{"rendered":"CSN Charges Nigerian Politicians to Foster, Emulate Pope Francis’ Leadership Style"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ade Iyamoye <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), has called on political leaders across the country to abandon extravagant lifestyles and embrace the humility, compassion and simplicity exemplified by Pope Francis.<\/p>\n

Delivering his homily during a Memorial Mass in honour of Pope Francis at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria in Abuja, the Secretary General of the CSN, Very Rev. Fr Michael Banjo, described Pope Francis as a servant-leader whose life remains a global lesson in selflessness and genuine love for the poor.<\/p>\n

He challenged Nigerian politicians and church leaders alike to adopt the Pope\u2019s values in governance and daily living.<\/p>\n

\u201cPope Francis reminds us that leadership is not about titles or motorcades, but about closeness to the poor and compassion for the weak,\u201d Fr. Banjo said, urging public office holders to prioritize policies that benefit the majority rather than a privileged few.<\/p>\n

According to him, the Pope\u2019s decision to auction luxury gifts such as a Harley Davidson motorcycle and Lamborghini to support the poor stands in stark contrast to the culture of waste and political flamboyance seen in many corridors of power in Nigeria.<\/p>\n

\u201cGovernance should not be expensive,\u201d he said. \u201cLet us cut down on waste and think more of the suffering. Let us uplift the millions living in abject poverty.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cleric lamented that many Nigerians, including staff within the church system, silently suffer due to a lack of compassion and community support.<\/p>\n

He praised those who give quietly to the needy, revealing recent anonymous donations made to support vulnerable persons in the CSN community.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fr. Banjo also emphasized that the church is not a sanctuary for the perfect but a refuge for sinners, calling on all people to reject self-righteousness and judgment.<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus came not for the righteous, but to call sinners to repentance,\u201d he reminded the congregation.<\/p>\n

Beyond charity, he called for a culture of forgiveness and peacebuilding. Drawing from a moving 2019 moment when Pope Francis knelt to kiss the feet of South Sudanese leaders, Fr. Banjo urged Nigerians to seek reconciliation in their relationships.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are holding a grudge against anyone, reach out and seek peace,\u201d he said. \u201cDo not wait for the perfect moment\u2014create it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He envisioned a world where kindness replaces materialism, where national budgets reflect concern for classrooms and hospitals rather than convoys and ceremonies, and where faith communities become hubs of healing and practical solidarity.<\/p>\n

In closing, he prayed: \u201cMay our Lady, Mother of Africa, intercede for us, that we may imitate the simplicity, the selflessness, the inclusivity of Pope Francis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fr. Banjo\u2019s homily was both a call to conscience and a roadmap for a more just and humane Nigerian society.<\/p>\n

On his part, the Executive Secretary of Caritas Nigeria, Rev. Fr Peter Audu paid tribute to Pope Francis, calling him a true champion of the poor and a beacon of hope for global humanitarian work.<\/p>\n

Fr Audu highlighted the Pope\u2019s relentless dedication to social justice, his powerful encyclicals Laudato Si\u2019 and Fratelli Tutti, and his personal example of compassion.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe ate with the poor, cried with refugees, and reminded world leaders that true greatness lies in service,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

Fr Audu also mentioned how Pope Francis\u2019 influence transcended football, with major clubs like Arsenal and PSG honoring him during their Champions League match.<\/p>\n

Describing the Pope as \u201cthe Pope of Caritas,\u201d he reaffirmed the Church\u2019s commitment to continuing his legacy of love, peace, and solidarity.<\/p>\n

\u201cRest in peace, Papa Francisco. We love you. We thank you,\u201d Fr Audu concluded.<\/p>\n

Apart from the tribute from various groups of the CSN community and St Gabriel’s Chaplacy, there was a laud clap and ovation in honour of Pope Francis for his good work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ade Iyamoye The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), has called on political leaders across the country to abandon extravagant lifestyles and embrace the humility, compassion and simplicity exemplified by Pope Francis. Delivering his homily during a Memorial Mass in honour of Pope Francis at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria in Abuja, the Secretary General […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":65141,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1681],"tags":[59],"class_list":["post-65140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-religion","tag-featured"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65140"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65140\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65143,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65140\/revisions\/65143"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}