Catholic bishop pleads for peace in northern Nigeria
January 17, 2012
A Catholic bishop in northern Nigeria has urged the faithful to remain confident, and to pray for the future of their country, as violent attacks by the Boko Haram movement shake the region.
In a pastoral letter, Bishop Matthew Hassah Kuhah of Sokoto assures his people that “another Nigeria is possible.” To realize the vision of a peaceful and secure society, he encourages them to pray and to maintain solidarity with sincere believers of other faiths.
“The state's inability to punish the criminals as criminals have created the illusion that there is a conflict between Christians and Muslims,” the bishop writes. He argues that Christians and Muslims can live peacefully together, and asks all religious leaders to join in a clear condemnation of violence.
Bishop Kuhah’s pastoral letter indicates that passions are being inflamed by cell-phone text messages that “appeal to our worst demons.” He charged that some religious leaders have approved the circulation of these messages.
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