By Olivia Obijiaku
A Professor of Ecumenism at the Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU), Zaria Very Rev Fr Peter Bauna Tanko has defended the use of crucifix and images in the Catholic Church.
The clergyman made this known at the Mass he celebrated in Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, ABU Zaria on Sunday 10th March 2024.Leaning on the day’s first and Gospel readings on the fiery serpent on the stick and Jesus on the Cross he disclosed that Catholics do not worship the crucifix explaining that the crucifix is a symbol of reminder of the death of Jesus.
His words, “When God ordered Moses to make the fiery serpent, it was to foreshadow what will happen in the future, that the Son of Man will also be sacrificed on a mountain.
He will be raised up on the Cross and anyone who looks at Him with faith shall be healed. When you look at the crucifix, you go beyond the Cross to the Person that it signifies and to the memories of the past.
That is why we have the Crucifix, the Cross with the image of Jesus on it.When you have the picture of late mother or father in your sitting room, it reminds you of your lovely mother or father. You are not worshipping that picture. So, to say that Catholics worship images is not true.
Any Catholic who does that does not understand what he is doing. When you look at the Crucifix, you are not to worship it. It is to help remind you of what happened.”
