The Catholic Diocese of Osogbo last Wednesday marked the grand finale of its 25th anniversary celebrations which commenced May last year. As part of activities marking the anniversary, the diocese distributed food items as palliative to indigent people in Osun state. The COVID-19 Response Team of the diocese under the chairmanship of Prof. Olu Aina said the effort was to cushion the hardship that the lockdown occasioned.
The food items distributed to both indigent Catholics and non Catholics across Osun included rice, beans and garri. Meanwhile, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. John Akinkunmi Oyejola has appealed to the Federal and State Governments to be transparent in the management of Coronavirus in the country. Bishop Oyejola gave this charge in an address to mark the 25th Anniversary of Catholic Diocese of Osogbo. Oyejola who titled his address “Gratitude, Formation and Mission; Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled,” also said the efforts at containing the deadly disease should not become an alibi for denying the people freedom of communal religious worship.
The bishop said hearts of many Nigerians had been troubled since the outbreak of coronavirus because the scourge worsened the economic and financial challenges of the average citizens. While commending the efforts of governments at containing the spread of the disease, the Chief Shepherd of the diocese urged them to be transparent with the management of the disease and assured that COVID-19 would be defeated in no distant future.
He said, “We commend the civil authorities for the spirited efforts they have put into the fight against corona virus pandemic since its outbreak. Our passionate and frank appeal to them is that, the management of this pandemic should wear genuine human face, must be transparent and should not become an alibi for denying the people freedom of communal religious worship beyond what is reasonably necessary.
“The covid19 pandemic – a natural evil which is spread by human error will become a footnote in the history of mankind, like other pandemics before its appearance in no distant future. We, however, must remain strong and deeply rooted in our faith in God who does not fail us, even when we do not have a complete understanding of some events in our human experience in this ephemeral world, our hearts must not be troubled because we have Christ.
