If you are like me, you would want to have some friends who belong to the Orthodox Christian Traditions so that the festivities surrounding the birth of Jesus and his epiphany can continue for a longer period. While the Latin Church tends to traditionally put emphasis on the birth of Jesus Christ, which is celebrated on Christmas Day, the Orthodox…
For many Christians around the world, the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God- Theotokos in Greek (God bearer)—may not be well known because of the secular focus on the celebrations surrounding the New Year. In fact, during the many years I lived in my home country, Nigeria, we always celebrated the New Year beginning with a vigil Mass and then the Mass of…
At the heart of the mission and vision of the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN) is a demanding but straightforward conviction: Africa must tell her own story, interpret her own wounds, and imagine her own future through the lived faith, wisdom, and agency of her people. VoiceAfrique Catholic News Analysis exists to serve this calling—to shift the narrative…
The U.S. Christmas Day airstrike in Nigeria may have been framed as a counter-terrorism success. For Nigerians and Africans, it should instead provoke grief, sober reflection, and an urgent national conversation about sovereignty, violence, and the future of the Nigerian state.” — Stan Chu Ilo The U.S. Christmas Day airstrike on Nigeria should worry Nigerians and all Africans. Rather than…
I remember the conversation I had with my late uncle, Felix Mgbo. This was a few years after I left my home country, Nigeria, for Rome. Uncle Felix asked me: “Are you coming home for Christmas?” “No, Uncle Felix, not this time,” I replied, sounding rather flat. “Do you realize,” he said, his voice suddenly heavy with emotion, “that you…
If one were to pose the following question to Christians around the world, what is the place of ambition in the Christian understanding of the incarnation? I can bet you that the response would be the same. Their typical responses would be that ambition is a negative thing and cannot be used to speak of the gift of the incarnation.…
As I read the texts for Christmas Mass, I am drawn to pay attention to two important motifs; one has to do with the motif of mountains and its ethical summons. The other has to do with the incarnation as an event that summons us to embody an ethics of neighborliness. In this brief reflection, I will weave these two…
As we enter the final week of 2025 and prepare to move into the new year, African Catholic Press reflects on the word that has arguably played the most important role in our activities over the past twelve months. That word is ‘hope,’ a word that conveys the enduring power of optimism. Perhaps Pope Francis’ designation of this year as…
The readings for the fourth Sunday of Advent are saturated with important pastoral and theological themes that can benefit our contemporary world and church as well. In this short reflection, I focus solely on the Matthean pericope (1:18-24). That said, most churchgoers would not consider Saint Joseph to be the one they ponder the mystery of Advent. After all, the…
Book Title: Ancestral Curse: A Theological Rethink Author: Valentine Anaweokhai Year of Publication: 2025 Publisher: Paulines Publications West Africa Page Count: 111 Price: ₦3000.00 A popular Nigerian politician, provoked by the ills and evils he encountered, is said to have asked his electorate during one of his campaign tours, “Are we cursed, or are we the cause?” This politician is…