{"id":67413,"date":"2025-06-05T16:53:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T16:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/?p=67413"},"modified":"2025-06-05T16:53:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T16:53:13","slug":"nostra-aetate-at-60-nigerian-faith-leaders-call-for-deeper-unity-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/2025\/06\/05\/nostra-aetate-at-60-nigerian-faith-leaders-call-for-deeper-unity-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Nostra Aetate at 60: Nigerian Faith Leaders Call for Deeper Unity, Action"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Samson Adeyanju\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the world commemorates the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the landmark Vatican II declaration on interreligious dialogue, Nigerian religious leaders have renewed their call for deeper unity, justice, and collective action across faith communities.<\/p>\n

Gathering under the theme \u201cHonoring Nostra Aetate and Deepening Muslim-Christian Friendship,\u201d the high-level event held in Abuja brought together Catholic bishops, Rev. Fathers, Muslim scholars, and civil society leaders to reflect on the enduring relevance of the 1965 document in promoting peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.<\/p>\n

Delivering the keynote address, Most Rev. Stephen Dami Mamza, Bishop of Yola and Deputy President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), described Nostra Aetate as a revolutionary turning point in the Catholic Church\u2019s relations with other faiths.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe declaration\u2019s acknowledgment that Muslims adore the one God and honor Mary and Jesus was not mere diplomacy, it was an affirmation of our shared spiritual ancestry,\u201d Mamza said.<\/p>\n

He pointed to its legacy in inspiring global initiatives such as the creation of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the 2019 Document on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. Locally, Mamza lauded rising examples of Christian-Muslim cooperation, including interfaith Iftar dinners and joint peace initiatives.<\/p>\n

However, the bishop warned against rising tides of religious hatred and urged faith communities to work together to combat bigotry and violence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must reject hatred together, whether it is Islamophobia, Christianophobia, or tribal prejudice. Nostra Aetate calls us to be peacemakers who uphold justice and protect human dignity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Nuruddeen Lemu, Director of the Da\u2019wah Institute, emphasized that authentic faith must be rooted in justice, compassion, and truth, not labels.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot every conflict is religious. Misdiagnosis leads to the wrong cure. When we wrongly label a crisis as religious, we deepen the wounds of the people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Citing Quranic principles and prophetic teachings, Lemu underscored that God\u2019s justice transcends religious identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if the oppressed is an idol worshiper, God hears their cry,\u201d he said, calling on religious leaders to go beyond tolerance to build genuine mutual respect.<\/p>\n

Rev. Fr. Lawrence Emehel, Director of Mission and Dialogue at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, stressed that interreligious engagement must move beyond conferences and elite gatherings.<\/p>\n

\u201cDialogue must go beyond bishops and emirs. It must happen in our homes, markets, schools, and streets; where people truly live and struggle,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

Emehel expressed concern over a growing drift among youth toward ritualism and syncretic practices, warning that this reflects a spiritual vacuum.<\/p>\n

He announced plans to launch faith-based educational programs where Christian and Muslim youths can learn each other\u2019s scriptures and values in a spirit of mutual respect.<\/p>\n

Most Rev. Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, echoed the call for unity, urging Nigerians to prioritize common humanity over religious identity.<\/p>\n

\u201cReligion should not divide or destroy; it should build bridges, heal wounds, and create common ground,\u201d Kaigama declared.<\/p>\n

He noted that both Islam and Christianity share core values such as prayer, fasting, charity, and reverence for Mary, urging religious leaders to highlight these in their teachings.<\/p>\n

Kaigama recounted his personal peace missions with Muslim counterparts in Senegal, Gambia, and Belgium as proof that interfaith harmony is achievable even in the most diverse societies.<\/p>\n

Bishop Mamza also emphasized the importance of including African Traditional Religion (ATR), in interfaith conversations, warning that continued marginalization could spark distrust or conflict.<\/p>\n

\u201cATR is part of our sociocultural fabric. Ignoring it means ignoring a vital part of who we are. Constructive engagement is crucial to national peace,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

With increasing shrine revivals and festival-related clashes in parts of Nigeria, the bishop stressed the need for respectful dialogue and inclusive peacebuilding efforts that recognize all spiritual traditions.<\/p>\n

The commemorative event concluded with a joint commitment to move from words to action.<\/p>\n

Leaders agreed that the anniversary of Nostra Aetate should serve not merely as a memory of past declarations but as a mission for present and future unity.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet us nurture ta\u2019aruf, knowing one another and be peacemakers,\u201d Mamza urged, quoting both the Bible and the Qur\u2019an. \u201cThe future of our nation depends on how we live our faith; together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Organized by the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria\u2019s Department of Mission and Dialogue in collaboration with the Dialogue Foundation and other interfaith partners, the event reaffirmed Nigeria\u2019s pivotal role in advancing interreligious dialogue on the African continent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Samson Adeyanju\u00a0 As the world commemorates the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the landmark Vatican II declaration on interreligious dialogue, Nigerian religious leaders have renewed their call for deeper unity, justice, and collective action across faith communities. Gathering under the theme \u201cHonoring Nostra Aetate and Deepening Muslim-Christian Friendship,\u201d the high-level event held in Abuja […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":67414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1681],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-religion"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67413","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\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67413"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67413\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67415,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67413\/revisions\/67415"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}