The Roman Catholic Church in Nigeria stands as a pillar in the enhancement of spiritual growth for its devoted followers. With a rich belief in Sacramental and steadfast commitment in spirituality, Catholicism has gained its grounds in Nigeria’s religious space.
The layfaithful are encouraged to adhere to the teachings of the Holy Bible, Sacraments and the governing council of the Church (PPC).
To start with,the Holy Mass celebrated in the Sanctuary is the highest sacrifice in the Catholic church; the Holy Mass is also referred to as the ritual of the Eucharist, it also symbolises unity with Christ; this can be traced to the last supper in the Bible, how Jesus broke bread and said “this is my body” he also brought wine and said “this is my blood”, the Catholic church cue in to this very portion in the Bible to enhance her spirituality and that of it devoted followers. Hence the holy Mass has become the greatest ritual or sacrifice that a devoted Catholic must participate in; it’s also important to reckon with, that it’s a mortal sin if a Catholic fails to attend Mass on Sunday.
Furthermore, the Catholic Faith in Nigeria encourages confession to strengthen the Faith of her members; this confession is carried out by the priests, because the Catholic institution which is the most organised institution in the world cued into the Bible passage that states “the priest can serve as a mediator between man and God”. After confession, the priest guides the layfaithful on how to do his/her penance. According to the Roman Catholic hierarchy Penance is an important prayer that is given to the layfaithful after confession.
Also, the Catholic church was founded by Jesus Christ himself when he told Peter in the Bible “Upon you I will build my Church”, making the Catholic Church “God’s own Church”. Many Saints and Martyrs has been killed for upholding the Catholic Faith, St. Steven falls in Category of a Catholic Martyr. The Catholic Church priests are ordained according to the order of Melchizedek that ensures that the priests do not get married to women, but to our Lord Jesus Christ. The road to being a Catholic priest is not a bed of roses because the Church ensures to ordain a priest that will prompt her spirituality.
In addition,the Catholic hierarchy includes Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests and dedicated religious sisters and brothers, they work tirelessly in the spiritual growth of the layfaithful, in education and social outreach programs. Through schools, the Catholic Church plays a vital role in education, the Church is also involved with healthcare. The Catholic Church has continued to lend her voice to the fight of social injustice and marginalisation in Nigeria.
In conclusion, As the Catholic Church continues to grow; the Church continues to offer help that could enable Nigerians to grow spiritually, this is evident in the life of it devoted follows (The layfaithful), because they have continually flourish in all their endeavours, the Schools (Primary, Secondary and Tertiary) built by the Catholic church has kept moral values and good social ethics to check in the lives of her students.
From,
Ngobidi Emmanuel Chichetam
English Education (300 level)
Lagos State University.
