Stan Chu Ilo est professeur principal de recherche sur la christianité mondiale, les études africaines et la santé mondiale au Centre pour le catholicisme mondial et la théologie interculturelle de l'Université DePaul, et le responsable du Réseau panafricain catholique de théologie et de pastorale.
Many lovers of the beautiful game were shocked when the Senegal national football team, the Teranga Lions, walked off the field of play during stoppage time of the AFCON final after the Atlas Lions of Morocco were awarded a penalty. This came only moments after what appeared to be a trophy-winning Senegalese goal was ruled out. The sequence of events—an…
We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values… when machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered… true compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice that produces…
The recent attack and capture of President Maduro of Venezuela by American law enforcement and military, and the first consistory of the world’s cardinals convoked by Pope Leo, show two contrasting approaches to leadership that I wish to analyze in this essay. In the last eight months or so, people have begun to draw a sharp contrast between the two…
The sudden and preventable death of Nkanu, the 21-month-old son of acclaimed Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie, in a Nigerian hospital once again exposes the shameful and unacceptable consequences of Nigeria’s poor healthcare delivery. According to an internal family memo, the family alleges that Nkanu’s tragic death resulted from severe medical negligence at Euracare Hospital in Lagos on January 6. While…
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…
In his Angelus address on the eve of the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council on December 7, 2025, Pope Leo reminded the Church that Vatican II remains a living experience—a work of the Spirit whose fruits continue to unfold in unexpected ways. He noted that the Kingdom of God often buds forth…
❝ 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…
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…
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…