The flag of Nigeria on a military uniform. / Bumble Dee/Shutterstock.
Abeokuta, Nigeria, Dec 30, 2021 / 15:00 pm (CNA).
Fr. Luke Mewhenu Adeleke, a priest of the Diocese of Abeokuta, was shot dead Friday while returning home after celebrating Mass.
He was shot in his car by unknown gunmen Dec. 24 in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, after saying Mass in Ogunmakin, about 50 miles east of Abeokuta, in Nigeria’s Ogun State.
Fr. Adeleke, who was in his late 30s, had been ordained a priest in 2017.
His body will be buried Dec. 31 after a Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Abeokuta.
The murder and kidnapping of Christians in Nigeria have multiplied in recent years, a situation that has prompted Church leaders to express serious concern about the security of their members and to call on the government to prioritize the security of its citizens.
Fulani herders, most of whom are Muslim, have had increasing conflict with largely Christian farmers over limited natural resources in the country’s Middle Belt in recent years, and the radical Islamist group Boko Haram continues to threaten safety in Nigeria’s north. There has generally been lless violence in the south of the country, including Ogun State.
Another priest of the Abeokuta diocese was kidnapped briefly in November 2018.
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Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdioceses for the Military Services blesses copies of the prayer book “Armed With the Faith” on Nov. 9, 2021 in Washington. D.C. / Courtesy of the Archdiocese for the Military Services
Washington D.C., Nov 10, 2021 / 13:53 pm (CNA).
Volunteers and some military members in the Knights of Columbus delivered the first of 100,000 copies of a prayer book’s new edition for military personnel to the Edwin Cardinal O’Brien Pastoral Center in Washington, D.C., home base for the Archdiocese for the Military Services on Nov. 9.
The prayer book, “Armed with the Faith: A Catholic Handbook for Military Personnel,” is the sixth edition of the book, which a Knight of Columbus spokeswoman says “is a valuable resource of prayers and moral teaching that nourishes faith and helps to form conscience.”
The prayer books, which were blessed by Bishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS), will be distributed to active-duty military personnel serving the United States across the world.
Broglio said in a Nov. 10 press release that he was grateful to his brother Knights who “actively contribute to the spiritual growth and welfare of the men and women in uniform and their families.”
The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic fraternal organization, with more than two million members in 16,000 councils worldwide.
The latest edition of “Armed with the Faith: A Catholic Handbook for Military Personnel,” is designed to hold up in arduous conditions, “with features including waterproof and tear-resistant stock, and plastic binders that enable the turning of pages without a sound.”. Courtesy of the Archdiocese for the Military Services
The prayer books are not only made for spiritual warfare but for physical endurance, as well.
The press release said the books are “designed to hold up in arduous conditions, with features including waterproof and tear-resistant stock, and plastic binders that enable the turning of pages without a sound.”
The new edition includes an introduction from Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, who served in the Navy for 24 years.
“Throughout my military career, my fellow soldiers and I were strengthened and comforted by a daily commitment to prayer, as we asked for God’s intercession to protect our nation and help us preserve our freedoms,” Kelly said in a prepared statement.
“It’s my hope that today’s active-duty military personnel will find the Armed with the Faith Catholic prayer book their indispensable resource for reflection and prayer,” he said.
Kelly served many different roles during his time “on land and sea, on active duty and reserve status.” Serving as a Judge Advocate General (JAG), his expertise was in international and operational law. He also served as the Commanding Officer of the international law unit at the U.S. Naval War College.
In addition to serving on the staff of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Kelly was the Staff Judge Advocate for Amphibious Squadron Two during his time aboard the Navy ship, the USS Guam.
Retiring from the JAG Corps Reserve in 2016, Kelly earned three Navy Achievement Medals, five Navy Commendation Medals, and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Broglio said that Kelly “continues a great tradition of patriotic service to our country, both as a retired Naval Officer and now from New Haven,” where the Knights of Columbus is based.
A “home edition” of the prayer book is available and published by the Knights of Columbus Catholic Information Service. The “home edition” is for non-active-duty personnel, including military families, veterans, members of Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) units, and students at U.S. military service academies.
The Knights also released an “Armed with the Faith” documentary in March on YouTube. The documentary, “Armed with the Faith: The Knights of Columbus and the Military,” highlights the military service of Knights throughout the history of the United States.
The documentary "Lourdes," showing in theaters on Feb. 8 and 9, follows the experiences of sick and disabled pilgrims who often seek consolation rather than cures. / Bosco Films
Washington D.C., Feb 5, 2023 / 05:00 am (CNA).
The Frenc… […]
Bangui, Central African Republic, Mar 11, 2019 / 10:00 pm (CNA).- Despite last month’s peace agreement between the Central African Republic government and rebel factions, the country’s citizens, especially children, continue to face violence and famine.
“This is the most dangerous place in the world for children,” Caryl Stern, the CEO of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund in the U.S. (UNICEF USA), told NBC News.
Ongoing battles between Muslim and Christian rebels have taken thousands of lives and displaced millions of people since 2013. The Political Accord for Peace and Reconciliation, signed in Kourham, Sudan, in February, is the eighth agreement to have occured.
Because of the violence between rebel groups, the country of over four million people has a shortage of necessities. According to UNICEF, 1.5 million children are at risk for starvation, 950,000 children are without access to safe water, and, in 2019, 38,000 children under the age of five will suffer severe acute malnutrition.
The children are not only threatened by a lack of food and water; they also face the risk of being recruited as child soldiers against their will.
According to NBC News, rebel groups control about 75 percent of the country, while the government has authority over the capital and other small sections. The country is dangerous for humanitarian groups; 396 attacks on aid workers took place last year.
David Brownstein, the U.S. chargé d’affaires in the Central African Republic, has expressed concern that the unstable nature of the country will give ISIS the opportunity to take hold of the area and promote further violence.
“ISIS takes advantage of vacuums. Literal vacuums, security vacuums, governance vacuums, perceived moral vacuums,” Brownstein said, according to NBC News.
In February, a peace agreement was reached after a lengthy dialogue between the government and 14 major rebel groups. The African Union and United Nations mediated the discussion. Countries such as Chad, Angola, Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, France, Britain, the U.S. and Russia were also involved.
Vatican News reported that, under the agreement, the armed groups promised to refrain from the destruction or occupation of public places and sacred spaces. The deal also required that arm groups not harm civilians or humanitarian workers.
Bishop Juan José Aguirre Muños of Bangassou said the agreement was reached under false pretenses – a means for rebel groups to gain more control of the resource rich land, according to Vida Nueva.
“Although they already have control of 80% of the mines of diamonds, gold, cobalt, mercury … and of transhumance, they want more,” he said.
“It is a screen to hide everything from above and continue conquering the country and stealing raw materials,” he added.
Prayers for the repose of the soul…
And the mess called Nigeria.