The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, His Grace, Most Rev Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, has urged members of the Order of the Knights of Saint Mulumba (KSM) to go beyond prayers and take concrete actions to assist Nigeria and Nigerians with the current challenges facing the country.
The archbishop stated this on Thursday in Abuja when the knights paid him a courtesy visit as part of activities lined up for their ongoing national convention in Abuja.
He said the country was facing a lot of challenges, hence that it was not just enough to pray, “We must pray and act. You must act and pray.”
Kaigama said for too long things were left for the bishops and the priests, noting that, “But now we say the laity must be actively involved and be co-responsible with the bishops and the clergy.”
He further said that the church must work together, move together, think together and examine issues together as a family.
He told them, “We are still the Catholic Church. We still have our structures, but we want to open the doors in a manner that your views, your contributions should matter.”
He commended the Knights for their contribution to the church and humanity.
Earlier, Sir Dr Charles Mbelede, the Supreme Knight of KSM, who led the delegation, informed the archbishop that KSM made donations to victims of the recent flooding.
He assured that the knights would continue to work for the betterment of Nigeria following the direction of the church.
The theme of the convention is: “The Role of the Church in the Advocacy and Promotion of Peace, Equity, Justice and Development in the Democratic Transition in Nigeria”.