Stay out of abomination, by Reverend Izuchukwu

Rev. Izuchukwu Chukwudebelu of Assemblies of God FESTAC (2), Lagos, teaches that every form of abominable sin carries a deadly curse. Excerpts: And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister… Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her… And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her. Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her. And she had a garment of diverse colours upon her: for with such robes were the king’s daughters that were virgins appareled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her. And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of diverse colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying. 11 Sam. 13: 8-19. Incest brings curse upon victims, cousin, spouse or maid, master, siblings, father and daughter, servant and madam. It has done untold harm to many and is still doing. In my place, certain things are regarded as abomination traditionwise. They are very old but the present generation does not possess the power to undo them except God helps. If any steals banana, cola nut, an egg or a tuber of yam, he is regarded an abominable person for life. He would have nothing to do with the community, vice versa. Friend, if human law could be so hard to bend and very harmful to the offender for life, how then do you consciously delve into what God slammed abomination and think you could go free. In my book, ‘Making Your Marriage Work’, I addressed abominable sexual sins extensively. I am yet to see anyone who indulges in abominable sins and leads a happy cum healthy life. Stay away from whatever God calls abomination; it is carrying a deadly curse. Amnon was murdered by Absalom consequent upon having carnal knowledge of the sister, Tamar. With benefit of field experience, I have seen many who were ruined by abominable sin. I stand a better chance to advise you to desist from such because none comes out of it smiling. Check people who hang around their brothers wives and sisters husbands, they are so dry and wretched by every standard. You can equally check out on those who hang around their maids. There is none who is involved in abominable lifestyle that leads a fulfilled life. He is only pretending to be; in the actual sense he is leading a frustrated life. This could include many different items. Then get rid of them in the most effective way: smash and burn them, throw them into deep water and the like! Pray the prayer for release from any curse: Jesus became a curse that you might be free from every curse that was ever cursed humanity and received God’s blessing in your place. You do not have to ‘earn’ your release. You do not have to be ‘worthy’. If you come to God with thoughts like that, you will have no solid basis for your faith. God responds to us only on the basis of what Jesus has done on our behalf, not of any merits we may fancy we have in ourselves. There is no set pattern for responding to God that everyone has to follow. The key to release is not some particular type of response. Faith can be expressed in many different ways. Just be your real self with God. Open your whole being to God’s love as a flower opens its petals to the sun. Now believe that you have received, and go on in God’s blessing! Your part is simply to open yourself, without reservation, to all that God wants to do in you and for you through His blessings. Do not limit God to doing only what you think. Do not try at this stage to analyze what form the blessing will take or how God will impact it to you. Leave that in God’s hands. Let Him do it just how and when He feels. Remember, God never makes one believer a carbon copy of another nor does He produce Christians on a factory assemble line. Your belief largely determines your relief from prevalent curse. And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Eph.3:19-20. Divine exchange Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isa.53:4-6, 11- 12. Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven. The entire message of the gospel revolves around a unique historical event. ‘The sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross.’ Jesus endured in our place all the evil consequences that were due by divine justice to our iniquity. Jesus was wounded that we might be healed. On the physical plane, Jesus bore our sicknesses and pains that we through His wounds might be healed. Jesus was equally made sin with our sinfulness that we might become righteous with His righteousness. When Jesus became identified with our sin, it was inevitable that He should also experience the death that is the outcome of sin. He bore the sin of all men and so died the death due to all men. In return, to all who accept His substitutionary sacrifice, Jesus now offers the gift of external life. Jesus died our death that we might share His life. Jesus endured the evil that we in turn might enjoy the good. Heb 12:2. Execution on the cross was the most shameful of all forms of death, reserved for the lowest class of criminals. Two of the cruelest wounds brought upon us by our iniquity are shame and rejection. Both came upon Jesus on the cross. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Heb. 12:2-3. Jesus became poor with our poverty that we might become rich with His riches. Isa.53:9-10, 11 Cor. 8:9. Some people picture Him as poor throughout His earthly ministry, but this is not accurate. He did not carry a lot of cash, but at no time did He lack anything He needed. When He sent His disciples out on their own, they likewise lacked nothing Luke. 22:35. So far from being poor, He and His disciples made a regular practice of giving to the poor John 12:4-8, 13:29. Culled from National Mirror Newspaper

‘Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation’

Presiding Minister of House of Prayer Ministries, Pastor Segun Adewunmi, in this exhortation, differentiates between praying and watching. Excerpts: To watch and pray means different things. While praying is talking to God, watching is hearing from Him. Prayer must include watching because it is a conversation that must be two ways communication between the petitioner and God. Every believer has a guardian Angel that forms the link between him and God. “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries”. (Exo 23:20-22) In ignorance brother Gideon thought God had forsaken Israel in view of the terrible affliction visited on Israel by the Midianites and the Amalekites. Until he was convinced that God has indeed given him power to fight the Midianites and prevail. As soon as Gideon offered the kid and unleavened cake of epha of flour and flesh as offering he became another man because the very God that he thought had forsaken Israel started to speak right from the inside of him. “And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” (Judges 6:13-15) “And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face. And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die”. (Judges 6:22-23) The above is how a two-way communication system was established between God and Gideon. What is implied here is that prayer cannot be one way. In prayer we do not talk to God but talk with Him. Every believer must therefore possess the Revelation gifts of Words of Knowledge, Words of Wisdom and Ability to discern and understand the spiritual environment. The Word of Knowledge is the complete understanding of the situation of things. It is not only about knowledge but also perspective. Knowledge is knowing while Perspective is a deeper understanding of why. “He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.”. (Psalm 103:7) Word of wisdom is a projection into the future that tells you what you must do for a predetermined goal in the situation you are. Yet ability of discernment will guide you to recognise your own thought and differentiate same from the desire of God. The above are the complete equipments required for watching. Sadly many believers and indeed so many prayer doctrines encourage believers to pray without watching. Believers are subjected to long fasting and prayer for that which God has answered. Some are so busy with prayers that attempt to let them see that the problems they are praying about has been solved is seen as a disturbance and interruption to their prayer. They do this because of their lack of watching while praying. Similarly Satan changes strategies in his warfare against us. This situation requires us to also change our strategy against him. Our ability to know what Satan does and how to counter him is also in our spiritual watch. The Bible clearly warns us not to be ignorant of his device. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. (1st Peter 5:8) Nehemiah was programmed to be confused by the message of a monk advising him to run into the temple for safety against an impending attack. “Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me. My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.” (Neh 6:10-14) If Nehemiah had not watched with his ability to discern, he would have fallen a victim to the tricks of Satan. Similarly Jehoshaphat through his discerning power was not convinced by the bold prophecies of four hundred prophets led by Zedekiah who told Ahab to go into the battle at Ramoth Gilead. “Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him? And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.” (1 King 22:6-8) Culled from National Mirror Newspaper

Endorsing Jonathan for 2015 should be based on performance –Bishop Chukwuma

Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, is known for his bluntness on issues of national and societal importance. In this interview with Dennis Agbo, the fi ery cleric opens up on issues surrounding the proposed national conference, the Igbo Presidency, President Jonathan’s second term and the way forward for Nigeria. Did President Goodluck Jonathan’s move to organise a national conference come to you as a welcome development? Well, it’s a welcome development for Mr. President to agree to set up a committee to look into the organisation of the national conference being agitated by many. You know Nigerians would want something and rather than him to keep quiet and for it to look like he is deaf to people’s request, he has now succumbed to it and see how it goes, just like he succumbed to amnesty for Boko Haram which today has failed. I am not confident that this national conference or dialogue will be a success because a lot of things will definitely bring a clog on the wheel by selfish Nigerians on the way they will handle it. They will be political and tribalistic about it. It is a welcome development but how far will it go, that is the question. Who are the people going to have this dialogue or conference? What is their motive, sincerely or insincerely? Now that the committee is searching for modality for the conference, how do you think it should be organised? Personally, I am not too confident about the committee. You can see Professor Ben Nwabueze backing out, saying he is battling with cancer. If you are compiling such a committee, it should be people of high intelligence, not people who have expired or people who are sentimentally against government because you want to silence them. They are supposed to be people of serious intellectual ability who have wider experience of what it takes to dialogue in Nigeria. Elders should not be involved in this committee, they should be consultants. I want to let you know that when this committee was formed, it was with mixed feelings but now the modalities for which the committee is going to come up, they are going to consult. Now the problem is who and who are going to be representatives. They are now going to fight for it thinking that this is another way of going to share the national cake. They will not be concerned about the real motive of the President. People will be very much interested in grabbing and not to serve. They will be much interested again in so much argument other than facing the true fact of the situation. Again, I must say that there are things needed to be identified as far as this conference is concerned. One is that the leadership of this nation is a problem; two, the unity of this nation, and three is the religious bigotry in this nation for which you must really have to know whether Christians and Muslims will have to co exist without intolerance which had led to so many confusion and violence in this country. There is need for religious dialogue to be involved in this political discussion and not tribalistic dialogue. The third item is the economy because the economy of this country is in problem. We need to know the real income of this country as regard the crude oil. There is a lot of disagreement and dissatisfaction about it and so there is need for us to also know who and who are responsible for the continuous violence in this country. There is need for us to consider about the education of this country. It is already being bastardized and there is need for dialogue on how education can move forward. Having more universities without jobs for them is not a solution. If they graduate, where do you employ them? These are the problems we need to look into. Also we should look into infrastructure; there is need for dialogue on equity and justice in distribution of resources of the nation because you find that there is no balance. We have to look at our zonal distribution as some zones are having fewer states. Should a zone like South- East have only five states and other zones are having six or seven? We should have a balance of number of states in a zone and then equity in distribution of resources of the nation. These are the things we need to look into. This question of dragging of leadership because some people feel it is their turn to lead and as I always say, the northerners should know that they have had a fair share of leadership of this nation. The areas that have not had fair share should be given opportunity because leadership of this country does not belong to the North. The number of years that the people from the North have ruled is more than any other zone in this country and that’s why they should not be persistent on it. The South-East and South-South are very much cheated, same as the Middle Belt. So there are so many things they have to look into in the modus operandi and if they do their statistics well, we will have no problem. But again, the implementation of whatever comes out of that conference is another thing because you find out that so many beautiful conferences had been held in this country but the implementation had been swept under the carpet. Therefore, why not go back to these conferences we’ve had before, like Vision 20:20 and the rest; where are the results, even the amendment of the constitution? For me, I am not too confident something good could come out of this. It’s going to be a noise making as usual and everybody will come back again to square one. Specifically, who or what groups should be delegates to the conference? It has to be encompassing. As far as I am concerned, it has to be by zonal representation. Each geopolitical zone of the country should have their representation. In each of these zonal representations, there should be traditional and religious representations because these are very important so you can have balance in representations. Do you agree with Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s submission that the federation should be based on the geopolitical zones? These are also areas you have to look into in the dialogue. Do you want federalism or what because right now power is so much concentrated at the centre, in Abuja the federal capital and the states and local governments are suffering. There should be devolution of power. Parliamentary, federalism or whatever should be looked into. What do we really want in this country? Which of these ones should be better for Nigeria? That brings us to the issue of fiscal federalism, should the centre continue to have so much money? No! What is more important is at the grassroots because that is where you have more effects of democracy dividends, because if the grassroots don’t feel the impact of government then nothing is happening. If it is just at the federal, the people of this country and even the people from up there come from a certain area which is the grassroots and so resources should be allowed to flow down so that there can be genuine development of the society. Don’t you think that devolution of power may lead to disintegration, which of course is what people are afraid of in this dialogue? No, there won’t be disintegration. Power can remain but resources can go down. The control of power can remain up there but the resources can go down. Making rules can be up there but resources should go down but not to hold on to power and to money. What agenda do you think the Igbo should present at the conference? The Igbo should first of all unite themselves better. I must tell you that I am not happy that there is a lot of disintegration among the Igbo. You have the Aka Ikenga and you have the Ohanaeze. Ohanaeze will always go to the conference. There is the South-East Forum, so which one? We are confused. There should be agreed forum for Ndigbo to speak with one voice. Right now, everybody wants to be a leader. Until we humble ourselves, respect ourselves and understand that somebody has to lead and others to follow; that is the problem. Shouldn’t the Igbo agitate for Presidency in the conference? We agitate for presidency when we are united. You have to get yourselves together so that when the time comes you will be able to nominate one person; not when Igbo presidency comes, 20 people will come out. You see how the northerners do their own; they step down for themselves; Yoruba, the same thing, but in the case of the Igbo, hundred people will come out. Until you come to a point where we agree that one person must represent us, we will not have a headway but if not as I said we have to put our house in order and that is the most important thing the Igbo will do now. Right now, we are not together, not organised and that is my worry. Ohanaeze said the Igbo would rather wait until the South-South exhausts their chances for presidency; is that not a way of endorsing Jonathan for a second term? Whether it’s another way of endorsing Jonathan for 2015 or not, as far as I am concerned, Jonathan has the right to contest if he performs. The endorsement of Jonathan for 2015 depends on his performance. I don’t think somebody who has failed should have a repeat of governance. If between now and 2015, there is a change in style of governance and there is reason for Jonathan to continue in office, why not? He needs to complete a second term so that Ndigbo can now talk about Presidency but if things don’t work out well and there is no improvement in security situation which we can say continue, then the Igbo should then talk about who can do better. If not, the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know. What we are talking about now is not somebody to represent your geopolitical zone but somebody going there to make better governance and free Nigeria from this shackle of suffering. People should be talking about how to leave a legacy in the heart of men and not property stolen to abroad or shifted to the village. Remember that each of us will give account of what we have done and the judgement of God will be upon everyone. Is Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) going to have a position at the conference? Why not? The position of CAN is how we can have a peaceful society with religious dialogue that will bring about understanding and not religious bigotry. CAN is always on the peaceful side but we have to tolerate one another and know that Christians and Muslims have to co-exist and become the conscience of the nation, to note better citizens in the realm of the spirit. When people are developed spiritually and morally then you can talk about good governance and corruption will not be in the hearts of men. Stealing will not be there. Everybody has to brace up for spiritual transformation because that is what Nigeria needs now before you can talk about good governance. Some people hitherto agitating for national conference have suddenly turned around to say no; how do you see that? It depends on what they want. If what they want is selfishness and they see they are not going to gain out of it, then they will be against it. Everything depends on what interest you have. If your interest is not being met and you know you are not going to be part of that, then it becomes a disaster when you want to back out but if you know it is for the good of all, then there is no need talking about them. The thing is how many are ready for it because the percentage has to be respected. This country does not belong to a single individual but to all of us and democratically, we must all decide with the majority vote. What is your prayer for the country at this stage of our crossroads? We need more than prayer but God’s intervention. Whatever we are passing through now may be God’s way of letting us know that he is the supreme. Nigerian’s must revert to God and ask for a sense of direction. It is only through that that the country can be better. Right now, there is no fear of God and that’s why we do things with impunity. People no more fear and respect human beings; this is the problem but we should know that God is God and that he has power over our lives and so we should trust on that God. For us, we will continue to pray to God to transform Nigeria. Nobody should think he can destroy Nigeria or any government because the destiny of this nation is in the hands of God, and God will help us. Culled from National Mirror Newspaper

Homosexuals threaten our Church, Anglican bishops lament

If the American and European communion of the Anglican Church that favour homosexuality do not renounce such acceptance, the Anglican Communion may disintegrate worldwide. That was the outcome of the second Global Anglican Future Conference, GAFCON,that ended in Nairobi, Kenya where 1358 delegates including 331 Bishops representing tens of millions of faithful Anglicans worldwide, including Nigeria, attended. Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese and Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma who disclosed the outcome on arrival at Akanu Ibiam international airport Enugu said different communion of the Anglican church may secede if they insist on imposing homosexuality on the church. Different Bishops of the Anglican Church from the South east that arrived the airport from Nairobi agreed that what Bishop Chukwuman said was their opinion, stressing that they will severe their relationships if their pro gay Bishops do not back down. Chukwuma cited Ephesians 2: 19-20 to say that they can no longer relate with church leaders who cannot practice what the bible preaches. Bishop Chukwuma said: “The GAFCON started in 2008 as a revolt against the Lambe conference on this same sex marriage and we are trying to build up our faith to make it known to the whole world on the authority of the bible and we believe that face the faith together for the better of Anglicans. “This time around after having it in Jerusalem, we now had it in Africa in Nairobi and we are saying we have other issues ti discuss than homosexuality and lesbianism. We want to talk about education, our faith, the way islam is invading our churches among other things. “We are standing seriously on the authority of the bible to defend our faith. There is no going back as we are not going to compromise. We made it known even to the Bishop of Cantabury and to the whole Europe that there is no compromise as far as the scripture is concerned. We can all go to our tents and we are ready to stand on our own and on the authority of the scripture for the future of Anglican. “Yes we will secede because if you look at Ephisians chapter 5 verse 5 we don’t have anything to do with those who are already becoming disobedient. So why should we joke with unbelievers. We love them but we hate their sins, if they don’t repent, they go their way, we go our way.” invading our churches among other things. “We are standing seriously on the authority of the Bible to defend our faith. There is no going back as we are not going to compromise. We made it known even to the Bishop of Canterbury and to the whole Europe that there is no compromise as far as the scripture is concerned,” he disclosed. Culled National Mirror Newspaper

Pres. Jonathan tours Jerusalem, leads prayer sessions

President Goodluck Jonathan in Jerusalem on Thursday led other Nigerian pilgrims to Israel in a special prayer for the numerous challenges facing Nigeria. Leading the intercessory prayer session at the Chapel of Dominous Flevit (where Jesus wept), the President particularly prayed for God’s intervention in the current political and security challenges in Nigeria. Other pilgrims who led in different prayer points included Gov. Jonah Gang of Plateau, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akin Adesina, FCT CAN President Rev. Israel Akanji and Rep. Ndudi Elumelu. The president had earlier visited Mount Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Bascillica of Agony and Mount Zion where he also prayed alongside other pilgrims at the Upper Room (where Jesus had the last supper with His disciples). Other places visited included David City, The Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, the last place where Jesus was kept a night before he was crucified. The president and other Nigerian pilgrims also walked down the Palm Sunday Road to the Chapel of Dominous Flevit. President Jonathan is expected to visit the Jerusalem Old City, The Wailing Wall, Golgotha, Pool of Bethesda and other holy sites in the second day of his pilgrimage. Eight governors, seven ministers and three members of the National Assembly were part of the entourage to Israel. The governors are Chief Theodore Orji of Abia; Anambra, Mr Peter Obi; Akwa-Ibom, Chief Godswill Akpabio; Ebonyi, Chief Martin Elechi, and Delta, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. Others are Gov. Gabriel Suswam of Benue; Jonah Jang of Plateau and Gov. Lyiel Imoke of Cross River. The ministers included the supervising Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri; FCT Minister of State, Olajumoke Akinjide; Mnisterii of Infromation, Mr Labran Maku and the Minister of Aviation, Princes Stella Oduah. Members of the National Assembly in the presidential pilgrimage are Senate Committee Chairman on Power, Sen. Philip Aduda, and Sen. Paul Paulka. This is the first time a sitting Nigerian president will embark on pilgrimage to Israel and this year recorded the highest number of Nigerian participants. The president is in Israel on dual purpose, undergoing pilgrimage and state visit where Nigeria would sign a number of agreements with the state of Israel, including the Bilateral Air Service Agreement BASA (NAN)

Pope’s ‘prime minister’ leaves hospital

The Vatican’s new “prime minister”, who was not able to attend his own instalment ceremony this month because he was undergoing surgery, has left hospital, the Vatican said on Friday.Monsignor Pietro Parolin formally took over as Secretary of State on October 15, replacing the scandal-tainted cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.Parolin, who was appointed by Pope Francis, is a skilled Vatican diplomat and has hinted at a reformist outlook in line with the new pontiff’s.“He is leaving hospital today. Everything went well,” Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a statement, adding that the 58-year-old cleric would be recovering “for the next few days”.Lombardi said Parolin had been treated in the hepatobiliary department of Padova hospital, which handles liver and gall bladder problems.Vatican commentators had begun expressing concern in recent days over Parolin’s true state of health.The Secretary of State is a key position in the Vatican and is often seen as the pope’s number two, with responsibilities for administering the Roman Catholic Church worldwide.Bertone earlier this year grumbled that he was the victim of “moles and vipers” in the Vatican system during his heavily criticised seven-year tenure in which he proved a divisive figure. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/10/popes-prime-minister-leaves-hospital

We are monitoring gay marriage activists in our midst – Cardinal Onaiyekan

Human existence is guaranteed by the coming together of a man and a woman to form a union known as ‘marriage’, the basic unit of the society. The family is God’s building block in the Church, the mosque and the world at large. If there will be fullness and fulfillment in our individual lives, it will depend on the love, peace and togetherness in our families. A healthy relationship in the family is not only beneficial to the immediate members of the family, but also to those directly associated with that family and, by extension, to the society in general. Obviously, the mutual understanding between parents and their siblings is capable of leading their children and their contemporaries into a lasting relationship with God and enduring progress in life. In recent times, family, as ordained by God, has been facing serious threats, owing to human activities. Marriage is under attack from strange doctrines, emanating from the various faiths and beliefs, especially human rights fundamentalists across the world. The agitation by the activists gave birth to a law to redefine marriage in some countries, including the U.S., as “the lawful union of two persons”, instead of between man and woman. This development compelled the Catholic Family to take a firm stand that “marriage must be sacred”, saying, “The process of bringing to life is not just a physical thing, it is spiritual”. The Church warned that “the importance of marriage for children and for society” is under attack in U.S. courts and legislatures and in popular culture and entertainment media, which “often undermine or ignore the essential role of marriage and promote equivalence between marriage and homosexual relationships.” In 2000, the Dutch Parliament voted to recognize same-sex unions as marriages; the passage forced Pope John Paul II to break his silence and denounced the decision. The pope said, “No other form of relationship between persons can be considered as an equivalent to this natural relationship between a man and a woman out of whose love children are born.” Also, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, in an interview with Sunday Vanguard shortly after a seminar on issues relating to family rights organised by the Holy Family Society, Abuja, explained that “the expression of the same sex marriage is meaningless, because marriage is a union between a man and a woman, and where there is no man and a woman, there is no marriage, call it whatever you like, but don’t call it marriage.” Onaiyekan went on:“That is my own position all along, and I have told my friends in the National Assembly that marriage; marriage is between a man and a woman, that is our law. “So, any two persons who decide to mess around themselves, be it two men or two women, they are messing around, they are not married and let them not ask to be respected as married people. “Even this democracy, which is based upon the dictatorship of the majority, but we know that the majority can be wrong, because we have seen how the laws are passed in the countries abroad, on the basis of majority, and they passed laws that are clearly against human interest. “It was taken for granted that marriage is between a man and a woman. Therefore, there is this anti-family propaganda out there, there are people we don’t know their intention and what definitely they are going to gain by destroy family? “We, in the Catholic Church, believe in the principle of God; human being may change, environment may change, but God remains. “The propaganda against family is vigorous, powerful and well funded; they have strong influence in the United Nations, UN agencies and other international agencies, as well as in many western nations, nations where they have removed God from their public things.” The cleric, at the seminar, urged people to oppose a redefinition of marriage that includes same-sex partners. The man of God said people thought that Nigeria is backward, because the country values its culture that recognises marriage and the virtue of good family, irrespective of religions or backgrounds, saying, it is not so. He urged that people should forget that things were going on well in the nations or countries that had thrown away the principle of God, adding that they had ruined their society but try to patch it up to deceive some people. “Our people and our country have good view about marriage, never mind the question of polygamy or others, but, as far as the family is concerned, our family must be strong, we want to take care of our family, we want to marry properly, and for those who are supposed to marry, but they have not, their families will be asking them question, what is happening? “And we ought not to think that we are backward, rather we should thank God, because it’s value in our culture that we ought not to throw away, because those who have thrown it away have already destroyed their society; never mind the fact that they have government policy to look after children who have no family, but the more the society throws children out into the street, even though you are giving them assistance, the more the society will become difficult to manage.” Onaiyekan decried love of materialism that made people unable to reason on those things that made them display insanity all in the name of fashion. Speaking on the misconception of Pope Francis’s message on homosexualism, Onaiyekan said, “As for the pope, there is no way people can take whatever the pope said to mean that is changing the position of the Church on this matter”. He explained that the Catholic Church opposes gay marriage and the social acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex relationships, but teaches that homosexual persons deserve respect, justice and pastoral care. According to him, “I can imagine that the pope did not want to get involved in this discussion, which often take over the attention of the press, and therefore diverts the attention of the press from other things. “Pope didn’t want anything to distract him from other important issues like corruption, about good governance, peace in the world, and focus attention on same sex marriage which actually affects a minority people. Going by statistics how many people or Nigerians want same sex marriage? We have other problems which need to be addressed.” Onaiyekan maintained that the Church in Nigeria had already formed a group to see from what part of the country, where anti-family legislations are being proposed, with a view to nipping them in the bud. “We have already on ground and they have also mentioned it that a group should emerge, but there is a monitoring group on ground that is monitoring what is happening at the National Assembly,” he said. Earlier, a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Mr David Osunde, proposed that the body will “act as think-tank that would provide legislative support to the drafting of laws that will protect family rights and promote family values in our country.” He made it clear that “for us to make such body active, recognisable, and useful to the Church and the society will depend on what level of sacrifices the members of such group will put in individually.” Culled from Vanguard Newspaper