By Our Reporter
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has urged its clergy, members and the general public to remain calm and respect ongoing ecclesiastical and judicial proceedings concerning decisions taken by the Primate of All Nigeria, the Most Rev. Dr Henry Chukwudum Ndukuba.
The Church made the appeal amid recent public statements and court actions relating to decisions taken by Ndukuba in the exercise of his ecclesiastical and supervisory responsibilities.
In a statement, the Church, through its General Secretary, Ven. Dr Festus Opara, said the actions now before the courts were not taken lightly, stressing that the Church’s commitment to discipline and order remained consistent with Christian virtues of patience, forgiveness, reconciliation and justice.
According to the statement, the decisions followed a prolonged period of enquiry into concerns relating to ecclesiastical authority, accountability and compliance with established Church procedures. It added that efforts had also been made to resolve the disagreements through conciliatory engagement.
The Church stressed that reconciliation must be pursued within the framework of its Constitution, Canons and established procedures, noting that peace must go hand in hand with accountability, mutual respect and canonical order.
It added that the Primate, like every other Church leader, remained subject to the Church’s Constitution, Canons and established processes, insisting that the matter should be addressed through the appropriate institutional and judicial channels, with fairness and respect for the rule of law.
The Church urged Anglican faithful to remain prayerful, steadfast and united, while discouraging speculation and unwholesome public exchanges. It also appealed to the media and members of the public to exercise restraint while the proceedings continued.
Reaffirming its confidence in due process, the Church said truth, justice, Christian discipline and peace would be best served by allowing the appropriate bodies to resolve the matter.
It called on all concerned to uphold the dignity of the Church and ensure that differences were resolved in a manner consistent with Christian witness and the rule of law, citing 1 Corinthians 14:40: “Let all things be done decently and in order.”
