The Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis, has condoled with families of victims of the Christmas Eve attack in some communities in Plateau State by Fulani militia which led to the death of about 200 persons.
He prayed God to free Nigeria from these atrocities..
The Pope’s condolence and prayers, which were his first reaction on the Plateau killings and sent to ARISE News on Sunday by the Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Fr. Mike Umoh, came immediately after his regular angelus message given on December 31 the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, where he had addressed the world on the beauty of family life.
He said, “Unfortunately, the celebration of Christmas in Nigeria was marked by serious violence in the State of Plateau, with many victims. I am praying for them and their families. May God free Nigeria from these atrocities!”
Suspected Nigerian Fulani militia attacked 21 Christian villages in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Mangu Local Government Areas of Plateau State on Christmas Eve, killing nearly 200 villagers according to government officials and humanitarian groups.
The number of deceased is expected to rise as families continue to search for missing loved ones.
The Pope also remembered those who lost their lives in the explosion of the tanker truck in Liberia, victims of war in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Sudan and many other countries.
He said, “At the end of a year, let us have the courage to ask ourselves: How many human lives have been broken by armed conflict? How many dead? And how much destruction, suffering, poverty? May those who have interests in these conflicts listen to the voice of their conscience. And let us not forget the suffering Rohingya!”
Before his condolences and prayers for the families and victims of the various atrocities, the Holy Father had used his traditional angelus platform to address the world on the beauty of family life, learning from the examples of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
He emphasized on how the humility of heart and the simplicity of gift of their gifts were testimonies to their poverty and suffering and a great surprise for such a special family.
The Catholic Pontiff said, “They arrive in poverty, and set out again loaded with suffering. This is surprising – but how is it that, the Family of Jesus, the only family in history who could boast of having God present in flesh and blood among them, instead of being rich, was poor! Instead of having things easy, it seems this family meets obstacles! Instead of being free from hardship, this family is immersed in tremendous sorrows!”
He exhorted that the poverty, suffering and inadequacies of the Holy family should be a source of consolation to all human families, especially those experiencing one form of difficulty or the other.
Pope Francis said, “What does this tell our families, the way the Holy Family lived their life, poor, facing obstacles, with such sorrow? It tells us something very beautiful: God, whom we often imagine to be beyond problems, came to live our life with its problems. He saved us in this way. He did not come already an adult, but really little. As the son of a mother and father, he lived in a family where he spent most of his time growing, learning, an everyday life, in hiddenness and silence. And he did not avoid difficulties. Rather, in choosing a family, a family that was “expert in suffering”, he says this to our families: “If you are facing difficulties, I know what you are experiencing. I experienced it. I, my mother and my father, we experienced it so we can say to your family too: You are not alone!””
He also mentioned some ways of building a beautiful family; like couples finding time to ‘marvel’ at each other in the evening, because “Tenderly – marveling always brings us to tenderness.”
“And I think it is good for couples to know how to marvel at one’s own spouse, taking him or her by the hand, for example, and looking the other tenderly in the eyes for a few seconds in the evening …And then, to marvel at the miracle of life, of children, taking time to play with them and to listen to them. And I ask you, fathers and mothers: Do you find time to play with your children? To take them for a walk? … And then, to marvel at the wisdom of grandparents: many times, we shut grandparents out of our lives. No: grandparents are a source of wisdom.
“Let us learn how to marvel at the wisdom of our grandparents, their stories. Grandparents bring us back to what is essential. Lastly, to marvel at our own story of love – each of us has our own, and the Lord made us walk in love – to marvel at this. And also, certainly, our lives have negative aspects. But marvelling also at God’s goodness as he has walked with us, even though we are not such expert at it.”
Friday Olokor, Abuja
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