1

MY SACRED JOURNEY By +John Cardinal ONAIYEKAN, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja – Nigeria.

FESTIVAL OF FAITHS, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, MAY 12-17, 2015,

SACRED JOURNEYS AND LEGACY OF THOMAS MERTON

I thank the Centre for Interfaith Relations for inviting me to be part of this year’s

“Festival of Faiths”. The theme of Sacred Journeys and Legacy of Thomas Merton

is quite inspiring. Although I have heard of Thomas Merton, I do not know much

about his sacred journeys, except that he lived his Catholic religious life in a most

challenging and extraordinary manner. I hope that by the time I leave here, I will

be more informed and edified. The letter inviting me asked for a short talk about

my personal sacred journey, and that is precisely what I intend to do. But before I

say anything more, let me warn you that my sacred journey is not likely to be

anywhere near the level of excitement like that of Thomas Merton. Mine is rather

very normal and ordinary as you will soon find out. I thank the organizers for

challenging me to tell my story. It is a story that I have not told much to myself in

the past and my preparing for this talk has helped me to understand myself better

than before.

2

In my story, in line with the general intentions of this festival, I will focus very

much on the aspects of my sacred journey that has disposed me to an interest in

and concern about interfaith relations. I can now clearly see the hand of the

Almighty God guiding and guarding me all along the way.

1. MY ORIGINS:

I was born to first generation Catholic parents who were adult converts from our

African Traditional Religion. My father and my mother met each other in the

Catechism classes, as they were being instructed in the faith in preparation for

baptism. They embraced the Christian faith at a time when our village community

was largely following the religion of our ancestors. This was about the year 1930.

It is significant to note that at the time when my parents decided to become

Christians in the Catholic Church, some of their siblings and relations, uncles of

mine, made different faith choices. The result is that I grew up with uncles who

belonged to different faith decisions. Some went to the main protestant church in

our village, the Anglican Church which was then called the CMS, that is, the

“Church Missionary Society” church. An uncle became a Muslim. But most of the

senior members of my father’s family did not change their faith. They remained

faithful to the religion of our ancestors. It meant therefore that I was born into a

family where differences in religion did not affect our sense of unity as a family.

3

We celebrated one another’s festivals and as children, we looked forward to every

religious celebration and festivity.

2. EARLY CHILD EXPERIENCE

My first and main childhood experience in my spiritual journey was obviously that

of a pre-Vatican II Catholic Church. The Catholic Church to which I was born and

in which I was raised was a church run by Irish missionaries who brought the Irish

brand of the Catholic Church firmly on ground among our people. But at the same

time, I was very familiar with the festivals of our African Traditional Religion. It

could be said that at that time, the official religion of the community was precisely

our African Traditional Religion to which the village king belonged and which he

led. I can still remember the deep impressions made on us children in the various

festivals of this Traditional Religion, which at that time was considered pagan.

Apart from the Traditional Religion, we were also familiar with the Islamic faith. I

vividly remember the Muslim town crier as early as 4am going round the little

village in the month of Ramadan waking up the women to prepare breakfast before

the sun rise. There was no significantly visible Mosque but the few Muslims said

their prayers happily and freely in our little village community. Most of the

Muslims in my village were not indigenes of our town. They were largely traders

and low grade civil servants working for the Local Government from other tribes

4

like Nupes and Igalas. I remember only one family among our own village people

who had adopted the Islamic faith.

Another part of my early childhood experience in my spiritual journey was

the presence of the African Independent Church which used to be called Aladura

church, a name which translates as the “Church of those who pray”. They went

under the name of Christ Apostolic Church and are still flourishing today in

Nigeria. I remember being woken up in the middle of the night by the prophetess

who marched round the village ringing her bell and shouting:

Egbo t’Oluwa! Ijoba orun kusi dede

which translates from Yoruba as “listen to the message of the Lord, the kingdom of

heaven is close at hand.” Looking back now, I am surprised that nobody molested

this prophetess for disturbing people’s sleep. Her name was Prophetess Febe, after

the woman Phebe mentioned by St. Paul in his letter to the Romans. Apart from

Prophetess Febe and her announcements with bells at dawn, there was also the

vigorous and regular worship service in the little church behind my father’s house

both in the morning and in the evening. Unlike in our Catholic Church where we

prayed in the old Pre-Vatican II fashion and sang only Latin songs and poor

Yoruba translations of Irish and French hymns, the worship in the Aladura church

behind my father’s house was very lively and vigorous, with Yoruba music, with

dancing and singing. And even their songs clearly declared that they are

5

worshipping God with dancing and singing because that is what the Bible says in

Psalm 150. In all this, as a child, I got used to taking it for granted that there are

many ways of serving and worshipping God.

3. GROWING UP FAMILIAR WITH OTHER FAITHS

And so, I grew up deeply rooted in the Catholic faith. My father was the head and

leader of the Catholic community in the village. He had the title of Baba Egbe,

which translates as “the father of the community.” My father was not just called

the father of the community. He was indeed a man of faith in the most genuine

sense of the word. He raised his family as a very devout Catholic family. Every

morning we woke up as early as 5 o’clock for Morning Prayer and trekked the

distance of about thirty minutes to the church for mass. We did not sleep until we

had a forty minutes long night prayer. We were all familiar with the Catholic

Church, its teachings, its practices. Looking back now, I can say that our parents

were not only devout in religious practices but also clear witnesses of the Catholic

way of life. We the children learnt this way of life by both words and practical

example. Naturally therefore, as early as possible, I became an altar boy. I was

proud to become one of the few of those in those days able to engage in Latin

dialogue with the priest who said the mass in Latin with his back to the

congregation. I admired the Irish Parish Priests and they were very kind to us little

6

children. It was in those early years too at about the age of 9 to 10 that I first met a

Nigerian Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Stephen Umurie, who also won my deep

admiration. We children called him “Fada Dudu” – that is “the Black Father”. That

I saw a Nigerian as a Catholic priest engendered in me the desire to be one. Earlier

on I had often played in our living room with vessels and cups pretending to be

saying mass. Now it was a concrete desire!

Let me add here that despite out familiarity with people of other religions

and our deep regard and respect for them, somehow I felt sorry for my non-

Catholic friends. I was somehow worried that they may be missing the way to

heaven. This was before Vatican II when it was a major tenet of the Catholic faith

that outside the Catholic Church, salvation is, at best, most uncertain, and at worst,

quite impossible! Today, a lot of water has passed under the bridge.

4. SECONDARY SCHOOL DAYS.

I left home to a faraway boarding school. Again here, God was guiding my steps.

I had a choice to accept a government scholarship to a government secondary

school or to a Catholic Boarding School, St Michael’s Secondary School. Already

at that early age of 11, in 1956, I had such a strong desire for a deep Catholic life

that I clearly expressed the preference to go to the Catholic school rather than to

the government school even though the Catholic School was going to be more

7

difficult for my parents in terms of expenses. Already at that time, I could not

imagine myself being in a boarding school where there would be no daily Holy

Mass, not to talk of Sunday mass. That is how I ended up in St Michael’s

Secondary School, Aliade now in Benue State, under the very careful, loving but

firm management of the English Holy Ghost Fathers. I still remember vividly my

relationship with all those English missionaries who taught us with admirable

dedication and competence. Incidentally, they also came with lay teachers who

themselves were missionaries of some sort. This was at a time when it was difficult

to find Nigerians with University degrees competent to teach in a secondary

school. All through the six years from the age of 11 to the age of 17, I enjoyed the

very Catholic environment of our college. And during that time, my desire for the

priesthood continued to linger and I will say also deepened.

From point of view of Interfaith relations, my secondary school had very

little to do with non-Catholics. It was clearly a Catholic School for Catholics. But

there was the significant case of one or two Muslims in the school. I remember in

particular, my friend, Sabo Ago. He must have come from a very deeply

convinced Muslim family because even while he was in the very midst of a

Catholic School, he insisted to do his best to live up to the tenet of his faith. Two

issues remained strong in my mind about my Muslim friend, Sabo Ago. The first

had to do with hilal food. The school kitchen used to buy goats from the

8

neighbouring village which were slaughtered for the food of the students. In order

not to eat any meat not properly slaughtered, Sabo Ago took it upon himself to

make sure that he would slaughter every animal that was going to be cooked for

the students to make sure that the food he ate was ritually clean. What was more

interesting was that if for whatever reason Sabo Ago was not available when it was

time to slaughter the animals and other people slaughtered the animals, he would

not eat on that day, at least not from the general kitchen pot. The second case that

remains strong in my mind was how tenaciously he observed the fasting during the

month of Ramadan. Since the students’ kitchen would not make any provisions for

him alone, he would take food items the night before, wake up early in the

morning, warm his food and eat his early breakfast before sun rise. I used to

secretly marvel at this young man who throughout the day would neither eat nor

drink but who would continue to do everything like the rest of us, be it manual

labour or sports. It is important to note that this was in a Catholic School and the

school authorities who were missionaries and Catholic priests did nothing to stop

the Muslim students from living according to their faith, within the general good

order of the school. This was all the more significant as it was before Vatican II.

Several years later, I met Sabo Ago. I was already a bishop and he was a high

government official. We embraced each other with great joy. We had a nice time

talking about the good old days in the secondary school of which he was very

9

proud. I did not fail to remind him of his slaughtering of animals and his efforts

during the Ramadan.

It was after the secondary school that the great moment of decision came,

what to do with my life. I finally decided to take the necessary step towards

achieving my desire to be a Catholic priest. I gave up the chances of continued

education in the government higher secondary school in preparation for university

and put myself at the disposal of the bishop who sent me to the major seminary in

preparation for the priesthood.

5. PRIESTLY FORMATION IN NIGERIA AND LATER IN ROME

I was trained for the priesthood for two and half years in Nigeria and four years in

Rome. This was an exciting period following the 2nd Vatican Council between

1963 and 1969. It was a period of a changing church. It meant that we were

trained to be open to change in the church. How far will the change go or can the

change go was never clear to us. In particular, we had to deal with the changing

attitude of the Catholic church not only in respect of relationship with other

Christians in the Ecumenical movement but also and especially in relations to other

faiths. The Vatican Council itself came up with the special document on

relationship with non-Christian religions. This was the beginning of a general

10

policy of respectful attitude to followers of other faiths. The Council had three

basic documents in this regard.

i. The first was Lumen Gentium, the dogmatic constitution on the Church,

which opened up the theological mind of the Catholic Church in a

positive attitude to others outside the Church. Noteworthy was the broad

view of the “People of God”, which was a main thrust of the document.

ii. The second was Unitatis Redintegratio on ecumenical relations with

other Christian communities.

iii. The third and of particular significance for our present discussion was

Nostra Aetate on the relations of the Church to non-Christian religions.

This was the foundational document for the now well-known Pontifical

Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Although Vatican II spoke of all non-Christian religions, for me two were of

particular relevance, namely Islam and our traditional religions. The Council had a

lot to say about Islam. While acknowledging the turbulent history of our past

relations, the Council called for a change of attitude, in the direction of mutual

understanding and cooperation. The Church has been following this path since the

past fifty years.

But more interestingly for me was how Vatican II finally gave me a serene

appreciation of the religions of my ancestors. Up until then, I had problems

11

reconciling myself with what was the general attitude that my ancestors were

worshiping idols, rivers and streams, statues and hills. Vatican II opened the door

for me to be able to respect the religion of our ancestors who worshipped the true

God even though they reached him through different images and pictures. It was

the beginning of a long journey – sacred journey where I grew in the knowledge

and love of God carrying along not only my Christian faith but also my cultural

religious roots.

6. YOUNG PRIEST AT HOME

After studies in Rome, I came home for ordination to the sacred priesthood in

August 1969. My ordination was a celebration for the entire village community,

irrespective of faith affiliation. I can still remember my “pagan” uncle proudly

seated in the front pews of the church, watching the proceedings with very keen

interest. My first two years at home were characterized by zeal and joy in the work

that I was doing as a priest. It was also a time when I already got involved in the

area of education and formation of priests. The first year gave me opportunity to

get involved with secondary school education to young boys in public school and

the second year to training young aspirants to the priesthood in the Junior

Seminary. But there were always at the background the challenges of working out

12

in practical terms the new ideas about the relations of the Church to people of other

faiths. It was a constant learning experience.

7. HIGHER STUDIES IN ROME

But soon, within two years, I was sent back to Rome for higher studies in Scripture

and Theology. Both at the Biblical Institute and in my doctoral studies at the

Urbaniana University, my interest grew on interreligious issues. This was brought

out clearly in the theme of my doctorate thesis where I analyzed in a comparative

study, the priesthood in ancient Israel before the Monarchy and in the Religion of

my ancestors in our village. This gave me the opportunity to study more deeply the

spiritual values of ancient Israel which continues today in the Jewish faith and of

the religions of our ancestors in the African Traditional Religion.

8. RETURN HOME

Coming home finally in January 1976, I became fully involved in priestly

formation, first in the junior seminary and later in the major seminary. This period

of about 6 to7 years were characterized by continued studies of Christian Theology

in the African context. The focus was in two main directions.

i. The study of religions especially as they affect our living together with

people of other faiths in our country Nigeria.

13

ii. The impact of the Christian faith on socio-political matters as guided by

the Catholic Social Doctrine.

It is significant that it was at this point that I was given the great honour of being a

member of the International Theological Commission. At the same time too, the

Holy See made me a member of the International Catholic/Methodist Dialogue

Commission. I also got myself involved in various academic theological

associations, especially the Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria

(CATHAN), the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians,

(EATWOT), and the Nigerian Association for the Study of Religions, (NASR). All

these provided the opportunity to meet and interact with theological colleagues

from different faith traditions.

9. EPISCOPACY

Then came the Episcopacy. By August 1982, Pope John Paul II appointed me a

bishop, first Auxiliary and later Ordinary of the Diocese of Ilorin. My experience

in Ilorin was very challenging, edifying and instructive. I started my life as a

bishop in a context in which the Catholic Church was indeed “a small flock” the

“pusillus grex” of the gospel. We were very much the minority in the community.

The overwhelming environment was Islamic, Ilorin being one of the very Muslim

communities in Nigerian. At the same time however, there was plenty of scope for

14

ecumenical interaction with Christians of other denominations both mainstream

churches and the new African Instituted churches. As a bishop and missionary,

there was no lack of opportunities for primary evangelization especially in certain

zones of the diocese where people were very open to adopting the Catholic faith. It

was an exciting task leading such people from their attachment to their traditional

religious practices to the embrace of the Catholic faith. It was also a joy seeing

their number grow and their Christian faith deepen; It was six years of exciting

growth in the episcopal life.

10. ABUJA – FEDERAL CAPITAL

1990 brought me to the Federal Capital, Abuja as Coadjutor Bishop to the first

Bishop of Abuja, His Eminence, Dominic Cardinal Ekandem. That is where I have

been until now for over twenty five years leading a diocese that is growing with the

rapid development of a new mega city. As Federal Capital and the seat of

government, the role of the Bishop and later Archbishop of Abuja was necessarily

connected with State affairs. There is also the relationship with people outside the

church in terms of ecumenical contacts with other Christian communities, as well

as interfaith relations with a strong but not dominant Muslim influence. One good

lesson I have learnt is that the common values of humanity far outweigh our not

15

insignificant differences. This is a firm basis for our hope and determination for

living in peace and harmony with all.

11. EXPERIENCE OF RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP

I have to thank God for the experience of religious leadership that I have enjoyed

in the course of my lifetime that is now drawing to a close.

Within the Catholic Church, I have had the grace of leadership at different

levels of ecclesiastical hierarchy, from priest, to bishop, Archbishop and finally a

Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church. I have had the privilege to preside over the

organisation of my brother bishops,

- At the national level as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of

Nigeria, (CBCN) for six years,

- At the regional level as president of the Association of Episcopal

Conferences of Anglophone West Africa, (AECAWA), also for six years,

- And finally at the continental level as president of the Symposium of

Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, (SECAM), for 3 years.

All these roles have opened me to an ever deeper awareness of the challenges and

mission of the Church at these different levels,

On the global level, I have had the grace to be involved in the life of the

Church at the highest level. Of special significance for me has been my

16

participation at many sessions of the Synod of Bishops in Rome. To God be the

glory.

In the area of ecumenism, I have had the opportunity to play significant

roles. In Nigeria, I led the entire Christian community as president of the Christian

Association of Nigeria (CAN) for 3 years, a role full of special challenges and

opportunities. I have also been involved on the global level as a Catholic member

of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches.

In the area of interfaith relations, I have had a fruitful involvement on the

national level in the Nigerian Interreligious Council (NIREC). But the most

enriching forum has been the global organization of Religions for Peace. Through

this body, I have been able to meet and learn a lot from leaders of many global

faith traditions. I shall always thank God for this.

CONCLUSION:

I can say that having learnt to live in openness to others, I have had no reason to

regret the fact that I give everybody the benefit of the doubt, respecting those who

differ from me, while at the same time making clear the position that I hold,

according to how I understand the will of God for me. My participation at a

meeting of this nature is just one out of such opportunities to contribute towards

our ever growing world development and growth in greater mutual relationship and

understanding between people of different faiths. Our humanity has reached a

17

stage where there is no option than to seek ever closer positive relationship. The

alternative is clearly disaster, as we can already see all around us. I pray that we

will continue to see progress in this line and that we might even see great changes

within our own life time. Each one has his/her own sacred journey, but the journey

of humanity continues. As a Christian, I believe it is heading towards a divinely

determined target when God will be all in all. Amen.