RT. REV. MSGR. JOHN KANEBI ASUQUO ANIAGWU, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Lagos marked his 80th birthday on March 15. Ahead of the celebration of the milestone, the Parish Priest of St. Leo Catholic Church, Ikeja, Lagos granted an interview to The Catholic Herald weekly newspaper. His love for his faith, his parishioners and the people of the Archdiocese of Lagos runs very deep. In the press chat with NETA NWOSU, Editor and CONSTAINCIA URUAKPA, Reporter, last week, the indefatigable Priest, erudite scholar, seasoned administrator, Teacher of Teachers spoke on his priesthood, how life has treated him in the last 80 years, state of the nation and other contemporary issues. This week, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Aniagwu advocated for full engagement of the young people in the activities of the Church and society. Excerpts:
Continued from last week
What are the problems weighing down priests that might make them want to renounce their vocation, and how have you helped them out of these low areas in their ministry?
There are many things that can happen. Sometimes, along the line, a priest may start questioning his vocation, whether he was called in the first place. And if he doesn’t get the right support, or people to advise and encourage him, he may just decide, ‘I wasn’t called, I made a mistake coming in, so, I quit.’ But over the years, some of them that had such issues had confided in me, and I have helped a few of them to continue. I can’t think of any that came to me that left afterwards. Unfortunately, some of them may not confide in the right kind of persons.
The one thing you want to do if you have challenges in the priesthood is not to go and consult somebody that has challenges himself. That person will just complicate your case for you. So, you have got to look for someone who is at peace with himself and at peace with his vocation; go and discuss with him. Sometimes, it can come from relationships. You are assigned to work with a difficult priest, maybe the parish priest is a difficult person. Some feel the bishop is not treating them well. I don’t believe that any bishop will go out of his way to maltreat any priest. Some may think that way, and because of it want to throw in the towel. What I tell them is, you didn’t become a priest because of that person. You didn’t even know that person when you decided to become a priest. Why will that person now determine your vocation? Those are some of the issues that arise that can make someone want to throw in the towel as you said, that is if they feel they were not called, they made a mistake or they are not being treated properly, or they are not being appreciated.
Sometimes, it can even come from the lay faithful in the parish. The priest may have some issues with his parishioners, and he feels he’s not appreciated, he’s not well received. He may ask himself, ‘Why am I wasting my time in this kind of thing, I will just go and live my own life. So, you have to make him realise those people did not make him join the priesthood. You are in that parish today; you will be in another parish with a different experience tomorrow. So, any number of things can happen to a priest to make him decide to throw in the towel. To God be the glory, here in Nigeria, here in Lagos Archdiocese, not many have done so. The ones who have done so are not in Nigeria. They tend to go out first before they throw in the towel. Most of them are in the US; four or five of them.
You have been Parish Priest of St. Leo Catholic Church since 1995, you probably want to share the low moments you have had from then till date, especially as relates with attitude of parishioners towards themselves and towards you?
The parishioners have always cooperated. They have never ever disappointed me. Whenever I challenged them about anything, they rise to the occasion. There are times we put notices in the bulletin that this person or that needs a particular amount of money to undergo surgery here or abroad, they always respond. They have never failed. Well, I would have wished that many more people will be interested in broadening their knowledge of the faith. We provide opportunities for people to learn about the Catholic faith. I don’t think enough people are interested in this. Take for instance, the Catholic Study Group, you would think that many people will be attending every time, but you can hardly count 50 people attending at any given time.
When we have programmes in the Church, like the Lenten Season is on now, and there are talks being given every evening, not too many people are interested in that kind of thing. I would have wished for a far better response for programmes that help in deepening their faith. I believe that a lot of Catholics don’t know their faith. Their knowledge is very, very shallow, and that makes me a bit sad, particularly when you go out of your way to provide programmes for them that will help them to improve on the quality of their knowledge of the faith and practice. The practice is of a very high level. When it comes to Mass, liturgical activities; very high level. When it comes to the knowledge of the faith, ignorance of your faith is not a good thing. So, that is one area of disappointment that I have. It used to bother me, but I just say that’s the way it is. And I don’t think that is peculiar to St. Leo’s only.
I think in general; Catholics in Nigeria are just satisfied being Church members; going to Mass, receiving communion, marrying in Church, being in societies. When it comes for them to deepen their knowledge of the faith, only a tiny minority are interested. So, we are not alone in that. Like I said, if we were not providing the opportunities, it will be a different matter, but we are bringing the opportunities, people are not taking them. That hurts. Like I tell them at the Catholic Study Group, even if only 10 people come, I will still hold the class for those 10 people. I would have wished that a thousand people will show up because we need it, we need it very much.
How would you explain the relevance of the Catholic Church to the young people who are searching for answers, and do not believe in any specific religion?
I don’t believe it’s a matter of precept. In training youths today, what we need is to show them that the Catholic Church is relevant by the things that we do, the way we worship for instance. Homily is very important. You have to preach homilies that make sense to people. Last week, I was at Ijebu-Itele, during the retreat of priests of Ibadan Archdiocese. There were 89 of them, including the Archbishop Emeritus and the incumbent Archbishop. And when I preach at a retreat of priests, one of the things I emphasise is the homily. The homily is to be taken very, very seriously. Some will deliver messages that resonate with people, including young people. Another area is the kind of liturgy that you celebrate, you have to involve them. At our Mass yesterday, all the functionaries were young people; lectors, children’s choir and youth choir, Church wardens; get them involved. Get the young people involved.
We don’t involve them enough. Too many things are handled by the older people. We have to show the young people that the Church is theirs. When they say the young people are leaders of tomorrow, I say no, they are the leaders now. Let them start leading now. Give them responsibilities. I give my seminarians responsibilities, so also, the youths in the parish. There should be activities to get them involved in a wider society. So, rather than preaching to them, show them that the Church is relevant. Show them what the Church can do for them and for others. One area that we have a lot of problems in Nigeria because of our economy, is getting our young people gainfully employed. We have so many of them who have gone to school, graduated and yet, they have no job. And we as a Church can’t create jobs for them. So, that is something that some people use to drag them away, ‘Come to our Church and we will employ you.’ We have the JDPC here; they have an employment desk.
So, I don’t think we have enough openings coming for young people. Even when they don’t get the jobs, they know that we are interested. Rather than giving them precepts, we have to show them, a Church that is happening, a Church that is active, a Church that responds to daily situations. That’s the kind of Church they want to identify with. I don’t think they are interested anymore in a Church where they promise you an easy life without work, where the pastor will tell you, you will live in a house you didn’t build, you will reap where you didn’t sow. That’s a bad prayer. If you live in a house you didn’t build, you are a thief. So, we have to work. There’s reward for hard work. Unfortunately, the society is not helping matters. Things that the society is supposed to provide, they are not providing. And because we are Church, our resources are limited, so we cannot provide jobs for Nigerians on a large scale. As a parish, I don’t think we are employing more than 150 people between the parish and the hospital.
That’s a tiny drop in the ocean. People who should provide employment are the government and the private sector, and there isn’t enough at that. Even in the public sector, any job that’s open, goes to the children of those who know who. It’s extremely difficult today in Nigeria for someone to get a government job on merit. That’s the problem. The Church cannot do anything that the state is supposed to be doing. But like I said, let people see that you genuinely care for them, that you are doing the best you can for them, not by telling them, but by them seeing it, they will know the relevance of the Catholic Church. I think we have lots of young people in this parish who know the relevance of the Catholic Church to them.
Who has been your biggest influence in your vocation the past 53 years, and how would you like to be remembered by future generations of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos?
Let me say that since ordination, I have been privileged to work with and under very good superiors. When I was ordained a priest, the archbishop was Archbishop John Aggey who was like a father to me right from seminary. In fact, I was like his personal assistant after my ordination. Unfortunately, he died just six months after I was ordained. Then Archbishop Okogie came, he was like an older brother to me right from when we were in the seminary. So, I worked extremely well with him. I went everywhere with him, did a lot of things with him. A lot of people believe rightly or wrongly that I’m his closest confidant. I don’t mind that. And then, Archbishop Martins comes along. As you know, he asked me to be his Vicar General, and we have worked very, very well together. So, I have had a great influence from them. Then, there are older priests who have also had positive influence in my life from different parts of Nigeria.
One of them in Lagos Archdiocese is Msgr. Christopher Boyo. He has been like an older brother as well. When I went to the junior seminary, he was in class six with Archbishop Felix Job, and I was in class 1, so, they took me as a younger brother. Even after ordination, Msgr. Boyo continued to be the same to me. So, these are people who have been a very positive influence in my life. I would like to be remembered as a priest who was happy to be a priest. And I think that is what most people tell me when they look at me. They say this man is very, very happy with himself and what he’s doing. I think that is the impression that most young priests have about me, and I’m happy that I give them that impression. They too should be happy being who they are.
Is Archbishop Obinna one of your role models?
Obinna, I can’t call him my role model, I call him my pal. We became friends a long time ago. I got to know him before he became a priest. When I was in Rome as a seminarian, I was coming home for ordination, and he had a friend in Rome, another seminarian. Obinna was to be ordained December of the year I was ordained. So, his friend gave me a set of vestments to give to Obinna who was still a seminarian. So, when I came back, I took the vestments to him in Owerri, and that made a huge impression on him. From that day, we became very good friends. Like brothers, we worked together on projects.
He was a member of the committee of the association that I headed. We were very close friends. He was made a bishop. He was another man who couldn’t believe that he would be made a bishop because he was a very open young man at the time. So, when they told him he was being made a bishop, he didn’t believe them. He said I’m not the one, it’s somebody else. But he has been a very wonderful bishop ever since. So, we still interact, we still relate whenever. I won’t call him a role model; I will call him a brother and a bosom friend.
