January 1, 2023, was another edition of the World Day of Peace. The Archdiocese of Lagos joined her counterparts across the globe to once again celebrate the annual occasion instituted by St. Paul VI in 1968 at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos. As always, the event commenced with Mass, immediately followed by a Media Conference on state of the nation with His Grace, Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos. NETA NWOSU and CONSTAINCIA URUAKPA reports.
The Church is known for molding characters, with the rot in our society today, can we say the Church is doing well in that formation of character?
Indeed, part of the role of the Church is to help to mold character. And the Church molds people’s character by passing down the message of the gospel, by passing on the values of Christ to people and by helping them to realise that how they live those values is not only important for the good order of society, but also for the salvation of their own souls. In order words, anyone who has the values of Christ and lives them well in this world, it will impact on society. And the fact that it impacts positively means that the person is gradually preparing things for himself or herself in heaven. So, that is the way by which the Church helps to mold character. And of course, it does that in schools, it does that in catechism, it does that in homilies, it does that in pontifications, it does that in messages and occasions such as this. However, moral values or ethical values are values that have to be appropriated by the individual. In other words, moral values are not to be seen as the person commits an offence, for example. If a person commits an offence; he pays for it by being prosecuted. But moral values don’t have the same kind of response. And that is why it is the case that the Church cannot as it were put people in prison for not following the values that it has taught them. The Church does not have the ability to punish people in the same way as the state is able to punish people. Of course, there are punishments that can be meted out for offences that are committed by people according to our different Church rules. But basically, the kind of offences, the kind of punishments that can be given for particular offences is not available for the Church to mete out. The point am making here is that the Church is doing its own bit and continues to give out the values and teach the values to people, and continues to put as much pressure as it can to help people to recognise that this world is not the only place to live. So, if people are not living according to the values, as is said there is a lot of rot, but I believe that once the Church does its own bit, the state should do its own bit. So, if there is rot in the society, then it behooves on the society, the government of societies to ensure that those who are responsible for the rot in the physical sense should pay for it. The state has rules by which people can be punished. And so, the Church continues to play its role, but the state, the government has a responsibility for enforcing the laws that lie behind the moral values that we preach as Church. So, I will say therefore that the Church has not failed in its duties. We continue to do our own bit, but our own bit can completely be realisable if government also plays its own role and the law plays its own role and security agencies and all.
What role should the Church play in politics and the elections?
The Church is not involved in party politics. The Church cannot be involved in party politics. In other words, the Church is not authorised to endorse any one as Church. The Church does not have the right to say vote this person or that party. The Church on the other hand has a duty for guiding the people to look out for the kind of values that they should look out for in those who are seeking political positions. And therefore, to the extent that the Church does not endorse anyone or any party, the Church is apolitical. But to the extent that the Church has a duty to educate its members, to educate them on their civic responsibilities, to educate them on the values that are necessary for the good working of society; we cannot sit on the fence as far as that is concerned because we have a duty to teach people regarding that. But the Church does not endorse any party or any person.
Any message to security agencies to avoid recurrence of killings of innocent citizens as was recorded on December 25, 2022 when a security agent killed a female lawyer in Lagos?
The incident with regards to Mrs. Bolanle Raheem was very, very sad. It is very sad and makes one wonder how a woman pregnant with twins, and three people will just be sent to their graves simply by a gun trotting, gun wielding policeman, it’s certainly very sad. And indeed, it just shows that there is a lot that needs to be done by our police authorities, first of all to ensure that they send the right signals to those who misuse the weapon, that there is no cover up as far as persons who have been found guilty of misuse of weapons, and that indeed such persons face the full wrath of the law in order that others will be able to learn from it. Perhaps it is also important that the police and other security agencies do a lot more, in order to raise the awareness status of the personnel, to raise their ability to recognise that people have rights. People have the right to live, the right to their properties and all those rights that are due to every human being. It is the right of the people to choose their desired leaders – Archbishop Martins January 1, 2023, was another edition of the World Day of Peace. The Archdiocese of Lagos joined her counterparts across the globe to once again celebrate the annual occasion instituted by St. Paul VI in 1968 at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos. As always, the event commenced with Mass, immediately followed by a Media Conference on state of the nation with His Grace, Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos. NETA NWOSU and CONSTAINCIA URUAKPA reports. So, that training is important, and not allowing impunity is also important, and ensuring that people who fail and fail because of their carelessness or because of their lack of self control, such persons should pay the price that is due for bringing so much pain to a whole family.
Considering the measures, the INEC has put in place, how are we sure that this election would not be rigged and that the rigging process is minimized?
I am not sure that there’s any one that is sure. What we know is that the Electoral Act seems to have put some things in place that should ordinarily help to ensure that elections are free and fair. Of course, there are people who have constantly been of the opinion that even with those things that have been put in place, the politicians always find a way of going round whatever has been put there. What we can say is that INEC has done its best. With the law put in place, we can only appeal to the politicians to do the right thing and ensure that in carrying out and seeking to fulfill their aspirations, they know that power is transient, and that God has the power of authority. It’s also of a truth that one works not only for the good of society, but also for heaven. There’s nothing in this world. So, if there is a temptation to rig, I believe they need to call themselves to order because it is the common good that is at stake. It is the right of people to choose those that they wish to lead them that is at stake. So, I will say, we believe that the provisions that have been made can possibly lead to good elections. We only ask that politicians also do their own part to ensure that elections are conducted well.
On Monday, January 2, 2023, you will be celebrating Funeral Mass for late Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, what do you have to say about him?
The Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI that passed on is a man that had a lot of positive impact on the life of the Church, not just simply because he was Pope, but even before he became Pope, he had made positive contributions in the life of the Church. And he was 95 years old when he died. But out of the 95, he had been a priest for not less than 60 years and he had been Pope for about eight years. And in all of these, he had given very, very distinctive service to the Church. First of all, he is one of the foremost theologians of our time, expressing our faith, the Catholic faith in a way that is new, in a way that it speaks to people of our time and also expressing the doctrines of the Church in such a way that it becomes a teaching to improve the lives of people. So, it means a lot to us. But apart from that, he’s one that has been a model, a model of the principle that power and authority should be for service and nothing more. And if there is anyone who feels he is not able to exercise power and authority in an effective way anymore, such a person should quit. That’s a lot of lesson for leaders, particularly in Africa where people hold on to power even when they are not able to do the work. So, he has been a person that has impacted not only on the Church in terms of its administration, but also in terms of society and in terms of the example that he has laid. He was one person who was very much active in ensuring that the spirit, the Church, all the different factors that were in disharmony were harmonized. So, it means a lot to the Church. It means a lot to the world as well. One of the things that I continue to find very interesting and inspirational about him is the fact that he continued to remind the world that the authentic values that go for all human race, authentic values that derive from the teachings of Christ should never be set aside. And that is why he continued to call for people to recognise its Christian background, its Christian heritage, such that the true values will not be lost in the midst of the newest things that come on the street. He means so much to us that is why we have Requiem Mass to be celebrated and we expect people will come and pay their respect to this holy man that has passed on and pray for him that whatever faults and short comings he has had; God will surely forgive him.
