Archbishop Urges Youths To Shun Greed

Vice-President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria,
Archbishop Augustine Akubeze,  has urged
youths to shun greed and violence in order to pursue goals worthy of future
leaders of the country.

The archbishop made the call while reflecting on the topic:
“Catholic Youths and the Challenges of Witnessing”, at the National Youth Day
Celebration of the Catholic Church, at the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity,
Onitsha.

Akubeze also said that the dreams of many promising young
men and women were wasted on the altar of politics and the untamed quest for
power.

He urged the youth, irrespective of the challenges facing
them and their future, to look at “the brighter side of life’’.

“We are who we are not by what we have or material
acquisitions but simply by who we are,’’ he said.

The archbishop referred to the European missionaries, who
came to the country and carried out lots of humanitarian and social services
without emphasising on material or fame gains.

He said the missionary works brought the country benefits of
modern civilisation, and decried the level of violence within the country.

“There are many houses of prayer across the nation and still
many more spring up every day. Yet, in the face of the plethora of religious
centres alongside practices that have dotted the nooks and crannies of our
country, our society is unsafe,” he said.

“Many innocent people have lost property, limbs and even
lives in the all too frequent upheavals that are rocking the boat of this once
peaceful entity called Nigeria. “The rationale for this violence is
questionable; the sanctity of human life has become to some people only a
religious opinion accepted by a few,’’ the archbishop added.

He urged Nigerians to return to God and see Him in each
other to build a solid foundation for the youth irrespective of their
religious, environmental, socio-economic, cultural and political differences.