The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and Prophecy Priests

- Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

An assembly of Catholic Bishops in a given country/territory is usually called an Episcopal Conference or a Conference of Catholic Bishops. In Nigeria, this assembly is called the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). It is a forum wherein the archbishops and bishops of the 54 ecclesiastical jurisdictions among other things speak with one voice the authentic teaching, prophetic and pastoral ministry of the Catholic Church in Nigeria. Now, it is important to point out that at this assembly, individual bishops do not relinquish their immediate authority for the governance of their respective dioceses to the conference. However, with one voice, they speak and promote the greater good which the Church offers humankind. Of course this greater good is always drawn from the universal law of the Church.

In the past and present, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria has provided leadership to Catholics and non-Catholics alike in matters of faith and moral, and offered good counsel to political leaders as to what proper governance of the nation entails. During the dark days of military junta, especially the disastrous regimes of Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha, the voice of the Catholic Bishops’s Conference was the voice of hope for all Nigerians. Catholics and non-Catholic looked to them to speak and lead. One of such times, although not in any way comparable to the bloodshed and misrule of the past has come. If there is one vital moment when I wish the Conference can speak eloquently with one voice, it is now. The current trend of political prophecy and predictions by Catholic priests requires a focal attention of the Conference. If the Conference has spoken before about this matter, it has to speak again, and may be this time include serious sanctions on any disobedient priest. I don’t know if this is canonically possible, but something has to be done. Not later, but now.

There are a few lessons I wish the Nigerian Church can learn from the American Church, and one of those is that what happens in one diocese is not the problem of that diocese but the problem of all the dioceses. The issue of priests and prophecies requires the attention of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria. What happened in Enugu Diocese recently cannot and should not be left to the bishop of Enugu Diocese to resolve. We have seen time and again that he is not able to enforce the law of the Catholic Church when it comes to priests’ involvement in politics. I am not advocating for political indifference when it comes to politics and political decisions. I am not saying that priests should become oblivious to policy matters that affect them and their flock. But as the Archbishop of Lagos, Martin Adewale said recently, any political comments should be made “from the point of view of principle, principle that should guide elections, principles that should guide political actors, principles that should guide relationship between government and people. The priest who believes he has the gifts of prophecy has to test whatever that has been told to him in the light of the scriptures, in the light of the teachings of the Church and in terms of the authority that has been given to the leaders in the Church.” Moreover, the celebration of the Eucharist, which is the sum and summary of our faith is not the place for political predictions. It is not the place to "anoint" and "crown" politicians. It is not the place to raise one politician over another, or to endorse one and reject the other. The Mass is the most sacred, most revered and most holy event. To turn it into an event where politicians with questionable characters come for endorsement is a sacrilege against the Holy Eucharist.

Deep in my heart, I believe that the time has come for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria to take up this matter. It is possible they had in the past discussed it at their meetings, but since “the bird that cried before is still crying,” an outside onlooker like me is left thinking that may be a consensus is yet to be reached on what to do. The issue of priests and prophecies is causing problem among Catholics and non-Catholics in the country and therefore should be handled by the Bishops’ Conference. These prophecy priests (you are free to call them abracadabra priests) are taking the Catholic Church in Nigeria to a scary path we have never been before. My hope is that after the dusts have settled, after all the outcry, the outrage, the praise, the condemnations, the celebrations, that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria can seriously begin to address this matter. If it warrants the involvement of the Nuncio (the Pope’s representative in Nigeria) and the Holy See to put a halt to this embarrassing and disgraceful saga, let them bite the bullet and do it.

The recent political prophecy is not for the benefit and wellbeing of souls, rather an enrichments of pockets. It has no relevance to the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ. It does not move the kingdom of God one inch. It rather exposes our faith to public ridicule. A Catholic priest does not need to dabble into this kind of abracadabra just to demonstrate that he is an anointed man of God. Every priest is an anointed man of God not because of prediction he makes but by the laying on of hands by a Catholic Bishop and recitation of prayer of consecration.

God bless you!