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“Blessed Tansi needs one more miracle” – Cardinal Arinze.

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Yesterday evening we had the pleasure of visiting Cardinal Arinze at his Vatican residence. Although he is not going to the conclave, everyone will admit that this is indeed a busy time for all the Cardinals. All the more reason we were grateful that he spared some of his precious time to receive us.

Father Ken Amadi, priest of Abuja archdiocese and doctoral student at Notre Dame University, is working on his dissertation research focusing on the history and development of thanksgiving rituals in the post-Vatican II Catholic liturgy.

Given Cardinal Arinze pedigree as a pre-Vatican II and post-Vatican II ecclesiastic as well as his former role as Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (2002-2008), he seemed the go-to person for Father Ken’s research exploration.

The Cardinal started by confessing that he has limited knowledge on the subject matter but ended up bringing deep historical, theological, and cultural perspectives to bear on Father Ken’s inquiries, leading Ken to conclude that the wisdom shared by the Cardinal is such that “one cannot find in any book.”

When we commented about the impeccable Latin diction with which he led the second part of Eucharistic Prayer III at Pope Francis’ funeral Mass last Saturday, he smiled and said, “There’s no mystery about it; I simply read what the text says.”

He explained that he had that role at the Pope’s funeral Mass by virtue of his rank as a Cardinal Bishop and in virtue of seniority – 3rd most senior after the Dean and Vice Dean of the College of Cardinals. As some people who watched the funeral Mass might have noticed, the presider was the Dean of the College (Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re), while the other two concelebrants were the Vice Dean (Cardinal Leonardi Sandri) and Cardinal Arinze, who is the Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni. When Cardinal Ratzinger was elected as Pope in April 2005, he personally relinquished his titular see as Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni to Cardinal Arinze who until that time had been a Cardinal Deacon.

Father Kris asked the Cardinal why our elder brother Blessed Tansi has not yet been canonized. Contrary to popular perceptions among some Catholics and non-Catholics in Nigeria that Tansi’s canonization is being delayed for racial reasons (“Because he is a black man”), Cardinal Arinze explained that Tansi needs “one more miracle” to be canonized. “We almost got one, but when the scientific experts analyzed it, it didn’t meet the criteria.” He concluded: “We have to pray for one miracle. The British waited so long for Cardinal Newman before the miracles came. John Paul II and Mother Teresa of Calcutta had so many miracles.”

Cardinal Arinze gave us gifts of some of his published pastoral writings, a Rosary each, and a sticker of Blessed Tansi. After blessing us, he shared some brief thoughts about the dire political and economic situation in Nigeria: “The pain in our country, the priests can contribute a little at least to reduce the pain and give the people some minimum hope. The politicians are a sad group. But we keep on praying. We have only one Nigeria. We haven’t another one.”

Credit: Omokugbo Ojeifo, 2025

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Religion

2025 Hajj: Final batch of Kebbi pilgrims arrive from Saudi Arabia

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The final batch of Kebbi State pilgrims has returned home following the completion of the 2025 Hajj exercise in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The return flight, carrying 418 pilgrims, landed at Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport, Ambursa, on Sunday evening, marking the conclusion of the state’s airlift operations.

The pilgrims were from Aleiro Local Government Area, accompanied by officials of the Kebbi State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, PWA, and other government representatives. Also onboard were the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Sama’ila Muhammadu Mera, who led this year’s delegation, and the PWA Chairman, Alhaji Faruku Musa Yaro Enabo.

Speaking shortly after arrival, Enabo described the Hajj exercise as successful, attributing the smooth coordination to the efforts of various stakeholders.

“We thank all those who played a role, both in Kebbi and in Saudi Arabia, for their cooperation and dedication throughout the pilgrimage,” he said.

He also expressed appreciation to the Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris, for his continued support and commitment to ensuring the well-being of pilgrims.

With the safe return of this final group, Kebbi becomes one of the states to have concluded its 2025 Hajj return operations without any major incident.

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Hardship: Pastor Adeboye plans prayer for economic restoration

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The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, is set to lead a national prayer session for the restoration of Nigeria’s economy.

This comes amid worsening economic hardship in the country.

The prayer session will be held during the RCCG’s July 2025 thanksgiving service, themed “Divine Intervention,” at the church’s national headquarters in Oyingbo, Lagos.

Speaking through his Special Assistant on Administration, Pastor Dele Balogun, Adeboye said the current challenges facing Nigeria and other nations are surmountable through faith and positive action.

“Our nation, Nigeria, as well as other nations of the world, are going through a challenging time. However, the good news is that these challenges are surmountable by faith, if we do not entertain doubt,” he said.

Adeboye called on Nigerians to move away from negative confessions and embrace faith-based thinking as a pathway to progress, expressing confidence that God could reverse the country’s economic decline.

He said the prayer initiative is intended to spark national transformation and open up “divine opportunities” for the country.

Also speaking, the Assistant Pastor in Charge of Province 1, RCCG, Pastor Olusegun Macaulay, noted that divine opportunities are often activated by God and benefit those who are spiritually connected.

Macaulay added that a dedicated team is already praying for the nation throughout the second half of the year, focusing on key areas such as the economy, environment, and national stability.

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Second batch of Kwara pilgrims for 2025 Hajj return from Saudi Arabia

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The second batch of 548 pilgrims from Kwara State has returned to Ilorin, the state capital, after successfully performing the 2025 Hajj rites in Saudi Arabia.

The pilgrims, along with one participant from Ondo State and three accompanying officials, were conveyed by Max Airline and arrived at the Babatunde Idiagbon International Airport, Ilorin, at precisely 7:01 p.m.

Leading the group were three state officials; Alhaja Khadijat Kuburat Abtawiy, Alhaji Abdullahi Kawu-Shuaib, and Hajia Sanni Ramat from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government.

Ekwutosblog had earlier reported the return of the first batch of 558 pilgrims on Saturday, bringing the total number of Kwara pilgrims who have returned from the Holy Land to 1,106.

Meanwhile, the Max Airline aircraft that transported the pilgrims back to Nigeria departed the Tunde Idiagbon International Airport at approximately 8:52 p.m.

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