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Cardinal Onaiyekan preaches forgiveness to politicians

Published

10 years ago

January 20, 2016

The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has cautioned politicians in the country against vengeful politics.

In his homily at St Rita’s Catholic Church, Nasarawa, as part of activities lined up to mark the 70th birthday of Mr. Emeka Asoegwu, President of the Catholic Men Association on Sunday January 17, Cardinal Onaiyekan urged politicians to “desist from using their power and authority to seek revenge against perceived enemies and to learn to forgive.” “Politicians should learn to forgive and stop using their powers to hunt down their enemies.

We should learn to share and care for others and our neighbors like the disciples did with the five loaves of bread and two fishes in the Bible,” Nigeria’s ThisDay Newspaper quoted him saying.

He said that forgiveness had the capacity to promote peace and development in the country. The cleric also called on Nigerians not to indulge uncontrollably in worldly pleasures such as drinking.

While citing the turning of water into wine by Jesus at a wedding feast as recorded in the Bible, Cardinal Onaiyekan said that wine should not be abused. He noted that wine is meant to be consumed moderately, and not excessively, to help cheer up the spirit.