By Ononye VC
On Monday morning, Pope Francis received Rome’s Nigerian community in an audience in the Vatican.
The Pope began by expressing his gratitude for their joyful witness to the Gospel message, as well as “the numerous young people from Nigeria who have heard the Lord’s call to the priesthood and the consecrated life”, responding “with generosity, humility and perseverance.”
Some of them were present at the audience, the Pope noted, encouraging them to “always be missionary disciples”, grateful for the Lord’s call “to zealously proclaim our faith and contribute to the building of a more just and humane world.”
Pope Francis then turned to the subject of Nigeria’s ethnic and cultural diversity.
“The diversity of ethnicities, cultural traditions, and languages in your nation,” he said, “is not a problem, but a gift that enriches the fabric of the Church as well as that of the entire society, and allows for the promotion of the values of mutual understanding and coexistence.
The Pope expressed his hope that the Nigerian community in Rome might “always resemble a great and inclusive family”, in which “all can use their different gifts and talents, which are fruits of the Holy Spirit” to “support and strengthen one another in moments of joy and sorrow, success and difficulty.”
In this way, he said, it will be possible to “sow the seeds of social friendship and concord for both present and future generations.”
In this regard, however, the Pope warned of a danger.
“The danger”, he said, is one “of closure, of not being universal, but closing oneself off in an isolation that is – I allow myself to use the word – tribal. Community, yes; tribe, no. And this is very important. It applies to all of us, everyone, according to their particular position. [What we need is] universality, and not closing oneself off within one’s own culture. It’s true, one’s own culture is a gift, but not one to be closed off, but rather to be given, to be offered.”
“Unfortunately,” he observed “many regions of the world are experiencing conflicts and suffering, and Nigeria is also going through a difficult period.”
The Pope assured listeners of his “prayer for the security, unity, and spiritual and economic progress of your nation” and invited them “to foster dialogue and to listen to each other with an open heart, without excluding anyone on political, social, and religious levels.”
God’s “style”
At the same time, the Pope encouraged them to be “heralds of the great mercy of the Lord,” working for reconciliation and contributing to “alleviating the burden of the poor and the most needy” and embracing “God’s style”.
“Do not forget this,” Pope Francis stressed. “God’s style is closeness, compassion, and tenderness.”
By adopting this style as their own, the Pope said, “all Nigerians can continue to walk together in fraternal solidarity and harmony.”
