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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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Northern CAN applauds Gov Sani, seeks wider adoption of Kaduna peace model

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The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in the northern states has called for the adoption of the Kaduna peace model as a strategic approach to promoting national unity and fostering religious harmony across the country.

Chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, made the call on Monday during the Kaduna Inter-Religious Dialogue on Peace, Unity, and Security Committee Meeting, held to mark the two-year anniversary of Governor Uba Sani’s administration, organised by the Kaduna State Bureau of Interfaith.

Hayab, who also serves as co-chairman of the committee, commended the Kaduna State Government for implementing inclusive policies and promoting a culture of religious tolerance, describing the progress made as “a silent transformation” worthy of national attention.

“Insecurity, mutual suspicion, and religious tension once defined Kaduna’s image. But today, we are witnessing significant progress under Governor Uba Sani, who has shown deliberate commitment to healing and inclusiveness,” he said.

He noted that incidents of communal clashes and banditry in the state had drastically reduced due to the administration’s combination of kinetic and non-kinetic approaches, alongside its policy of fair engagement with all communities.

Hayab also praised the governor’s symbolic participation in Christian events, including two consecutive Christmas Carol services, saying such gestures had gone a long way in restoring trust and reinforcing the spirit of belonging among the Christian community.

“Those actions, though symbolic, carried deep meaning. They reflected respect, recognition, and an intentional approach to unity. Today, Muslim and Christian youths in the state interact freely, while interfaith dialogue among religious leaders has gained stronger footing,” he stated.

He said Christian and Muslim mothers were no longer united by grief over the loss of innocent children to senseless violence, noting that the government’s response to victims had become more empathetic and reflective of shared humanity.

While acknowledging the progress made, the CAN chairman stressed that the journey to peace and genuine reconciliation remained ongoing and urged the state government to consolidate its gains through sustained political will and fair governance.

“Peacebuilding is not an event; it is a continuous process. Kaduna has shown what is possible when leadership is guided by compassion and justice. We urge the Federal Government to understudy this model and replicate it in other parts of the country,” Hayab added.

He further called on religious leaders, traditional institutions, and civil society to remain committed to promoting peaceful coexistence and interfaith dialogue, stressing that Nigeria’s stability rests on collective effort and shared responsibility.

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Gay marriage in church is inevitable- First openly lesbian Anglican archbishop says

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The new archbishop of Wales, the Most Rev Cherry Vann, has said that gay marriage in church is inevitable.

Vann, 66, stated this while speaking to the Guardian of how she kept her s3xuality secret for decades as part of her struggle to be accepted as a female minister in the Anglican communion.

Vann became one of the first female priests to be ordained in England in 1994. Now, she is UK’s first female and first openly gay archbishop, and the first openly lesbian and partnered bishop to serve as a primate within the Anglican communion.

She said that without the strong belief that God had called her to the priesthood she “would not have survived” her journey through the ranks of the church.

“It happens that I’ve lived in a time that’s meant that I’m a trailblazer, but I’m not a campaigner,” the Leicestershire-born archbishop said during an interview at the Church in Wales’s offices in central Cardiff,” she said.

“I’m not somebody to be out there all the time but I do seek to be true to what I think God’s asking of me.”

Working in the Church in Wales since 2020 has been very different from the many years Vann spent at the Church of England, she said, as clergy are permitted to be in same-sex civil partnerships. In the Anglican church in England, same-sex relationships are technically allowed, but gay clergy are expected to remain celibate

Upon becoming bishop of Monmouth five years ago, Vann publicly disclosed her civil partnership with Wendy Diamond, her partner of 30 years, for the first time.

 

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Nigerian Anglican church rejects openly gay election as Archbishop of Wales

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The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has criticised the election of the Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann, as the Archbishop of Wales, and described it as a further indication of abandonment of the faith once delivered to the saints.

Vann, who is known to be a practising homosexual and in a civil partnership with Wendy Diamond, was elected as the Archbishop of Wales on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.

Vann, who had served as the Bishop of Monmouth for the past five years, was chosen as the 15th Archbishop of Wales.

She is to succeed Bishop Andrew John, who retired in July after three and a half years as the leader of the Church in Wales.

She was elected having secured a two-thirds majority vote from members of the Electoral College at its meeting at the St Pierre Church and Hotel in Chepstow.

In a statement on Sunday, the Anglican Primate, Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba, said that Church of Nigeria will not recognise the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales.

He stated that Vann’s election is a signal that some sections of the global Anglican world have resolved to abandon the truth of God’s word by sacrificing the authority of Scripture for a postmodern agenda that has no divine backing.

The Primate added that her election is a further authentication of the choice of the Church of Wales walking away from the truth.

He added that the development is an impairment of the church’s credibility to do missions and evangelism, and to salvage the very soul of Anglican orthodoxy.

The statement read, “We recall with sadness her passive and complicit role in the same-sex crisis that tore the Anglican Communion apart. The story of Rt. Rev. Vann reminds us of the sad tenure of Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori, the 26th Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church in the United States (2006–2015), under whose tenure faithful Anglicans in the United States of America suffered severe persecution and opposition.

“This recent election of Bishop Vann is a clear revelation that many who claim to be members of the body of Christ cannot endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”

He called on Anglicans to denounce, reject, condemn, and expel the rebels in their midst, and realign themselves with Anglican remnants scattered in troubled dioceses all over the world, under the umbrella of faithful Anglican Christian bodies like GAFCON.

“As a matter of urgency, the Church of Nigeria believes that this moment calls for prayer for the Church of Wales, hoping that the Church of England will not follow in her steps.

“We should hold them in our prayers with a clear message that hope lies only in true repentance and godliness; otherwise, this Church will lose complete relevance in the divine scheme for the people of Wales, and the leaders in compromise shall not be spared in time of judgment,” the statement added.

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