❝ Online debates in Nigeria rarely reflect the complexity of the Middle East; centuries of shared history are reduced to memes, and religion itself is wrongly cast as the enemy.” — Augustine Ikenna Anwuchie According to BBC News (22 November 2025), renewed Israeli airstrikes killed 22 Palestinians in northern and central Gaza on Saturday—bringing the post-ceasefire death toll to more…
❝ By following in St. Augustine’s footsteps to Africa, Pope Leo hopes to deepen the dialogue between Christianity and Islam, which lies at the very heart of his papal mission: to build bridges among peoples, cultures, civilizations, religions, races, and nations.” — Stan Chu Ilo On his return flight to Rome after a deeply symbolic and pastorally courageous journey to…
“Gen Z” (Generation Zoomer), a term borrowed from the practice of using zoom, refers to people born between 1997 and 2012. This generation saw the massive expansion of the Internet, a gigantic information warehouse, and the dizzying rise and global spread of different social media platforms. Their period of growing up also included the Great Recession (late 2007–mid-2009) and the…
On 28 November 2025, the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network convened a continental Catholic Palaver on Church and Politics in Africa, inspired by SECAM Vision 2025–2050, Pillar 12. Bringing together cardinals, bishops, religious, scholars, youth advocates, and political leaders from across the continent, the gathering became a powerful reminder that Africa’s political future cannot be separated from its moral…
Growing up in Nigeria, I am familiar with the rituals of staying awake and keeping a vigil in preparation for a grand celebration the next day. Socializing, listening to tales and stories from friends, praying, reading, dancing, and just looking up into the skies are all part of the rituals of staying awake and keeping a vigil. Yet, in the…
When Nigeria’s senior national team coach, Éric Chelle, accused DR Congo of practicing “voodoo” during the penalty shootout that ended Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup dream, many dismissed it as another episode of African football drama. But embedded in that accusation is a deeper and more troubling story about the strange, persistent entanglement between fear and ritual manipulation in the beautiful…
Across our continent today, Africa is blessed with countless women whose quiet strength, daily sacrifices, and deep wells of compassion are transforming our families, our communities, and our Church. Yet their influence often remains unrecognized, hidden beneath the ordinary rhythms of life. I believe that the future of Africa depends, in no small measure, on acknowledging this leadership and empowering…
The Catholic Bishops of Nigeria have released a bold and prophetic statement on the state of the nation—one that echoes from the depths of our moral conscience with spiritual authority and pastoral urgency. With clarity and grief, the bishops lament the persistent violence that has “claimed many lives, destroyed homes, and displaced families.” Their sorrow is rooted in the disproportionate…
When Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King in 1925, he did so in a world shaken by turmoil. The first decades of the twentieth century had unleashed unprecedented storms: the First World War had torn nations apart; the Bolshevik Revolution had overturned the old order in Russia; Stalin was consolidating his iron rule; Mussolini was perfecting…
On November 14, 2025, PACTPAN and SECAM hosted a pan-African palaver to present Pope Leo XIV’s Pastoral Exhortation Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You). The event brought together scholars, clergy, activists, lay members of Christ’s faithful, and change agents from across the continent and beyond. Among the most striking voices was Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza of Yola—known for living shoulder-to-shoulder…