The Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) Nigeria, Lagos Metropolitan Council recently embarked on pro-life walk, in various locations of the Lagos metropolis, including Ikorodu, Badagry, Otta and Abeokuta to sensitise humans, especially women and young people on the sanctity of life. The 2024 pro-life activity tagged ‘Pro-Life Walk for Life’ had the theme, “With every woman for every child”, as the walk also aimed at raising awareness and enlightenment on artificial contraception and the dangers the unnatural LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) sexual orientation pose to the society.
Delivering the homily at Mass that brought the Lekki Region prolife walk to an end, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Ekpo, Parish Priest, Church of the Epiphany, Ologolo, Lekki, thanked KSM for including the LGBTQ sexual orientation into their 2024 pro-life activities, adding that the declarations of Pope Francis in his Fiducia Supplicans on the blessing of gay couples shook the Church to its foundations, since it was still a strange phenomenon in Nigeria and Africa, even though western nations had embraced it. KSM Nigeria aligns with the Catholic pro-life teachings on abortion, contraception and its abhorrence of the LGBTQ sexual orientation.
The Church believes that life starts from the moment of conception in the womb, and that any attempt to terminate or destroy such life through abortion is a sin and violates the right to life of the unborn. It believes in the protection of life from conception to natural death. And Pope Francis summarises it thus: “The right to life is the first human right. Abortion is killing someone that cannot defend himself.” On artificial contraception, the Church teaches that it is evil, as it only supports natural family planning methods which do not usurp the natural way of conception. On LGBTQ, the Church teaches that procreation should be between a married heterosexual man and woman. It regards homosexual acts as intrinsically immoral and contrary to natural law and frowns at gay marriages. Furthermore, doctrinal teachings in the Church clearly equate birth anatomy with gender, and so give no position for transgender orientation. Even though LGBTQ sexual orientation is gaining grounds in Europe and North America, the Church frowns at it, and KSM fully supports the Church.
From Ikeja, to Surulere, Badagry, Lekki, Yaba, Abeokuta, Ejigbo, Ikorodu and Festac pro-life walks, rallies, seminars, pep talks and distribution of pro-life literature took place at designated locations and ended up with Mass at a local parish. In Lekki, the pro-life activity took the form of a two-hour walk from the Catholic Church of Epiphany, Ologolo, Lekki through the Ologolo Road, to the Lekki-Epe Expressway into Jakande Market and its environs, down to Lekki Beach Road and back to Ologolo. Other Sub-councils on Lagos. KSM, including Region 4, comprising Akowonjo, Idimu, Ejigbo, Isolo and Mater Christi sub-councils organised a pro-life youth seminar titled “Say No to Abortion and Drug Abuse” for over 120 students from four secondary schools in Ikotun Egbe, Agodo Egbe, Shasha and Ejigbo at St. Peter Catholic Church, Ejigbo and ended with Mass at the same venue. Lagos and Yaba Sub-councils had a similar youth seminar for about 103 students of Didado Schools, Fadeyi where two physicians and an engineer took the students on pro-life talks and interactive truelife sessions.
They ended up with Mass at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Catholic Church, Clegg Street, Surulere where two priests, Rev. Fr. Simeon Irabor and Rev. Fr. Slim concelebrated. It was a long walk for KSM Region 2, comprising Ikeja, Maryland, Ketu, Ojodu and Gbagada Sub-councils as they took off from St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland to Ikeja Bus Stop, Computer Village and environs and worked back to St. Leo Catholic Church where they had the closing Mass. Surulere Sub-council took off on their walk from St. Padre Pio Catholic Church, Orile with their trumpeters to Babs Animashaun Street, Surulere, to Bode Thomas Street, and then to Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Aguda where they addressed MCA Youths on abortion and ended with Mass.
Egbin Sub-council took off on their pro-life walk from Tiakod College Ewu Elepe and walked through the busy Itamaja-Ijede Highway, and went round the market and shopping malls and thereafter proceeded to the Catholic Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary for Mass to end the walk. KSM Region 3, comprising Festac, Amuwo Odofin, Satellite, Lagos Island and Ojo Sub-councils commenced their pro-life walk from Ojo Military Barracks, covered the market, walked along the busy Omile Road off the Badagary Expresseway and its adjoining streets and ended up at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church where the rally ended with Mass celebrated by Rev. Fr. Franklin Nnamdi. The Abeokuta rally took off from St. Rita Catholic Church, went through the busy Idiaba Road and its environs and ended up in the church with Mass celebrated by Rev. Fr. Paul Fadele.
