Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, arrived in the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 2 July to take part in celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the country, and concluded his visit on Tuesday, 7 July.

The West African nation is home to more than 30 million Catholics and over 10,000 Catholic priests, while continuing to face significant internal security challenges.

During the visit, as reported by the Secretariat of State’s official X account, @TerzaLoggia, Archbishop Gallagher met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.

Also present were Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu and ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray.

Following the meeting, President Tinubu told local media that he had reaffirmed the government’s commitment to giving priority to interreligious dialogue and to promoting peace, harmony, and tolerance among the country’s different religious communities.

The Vatican Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations also celebrated Mass on Sunday morning at the Pro-Cathedral of Our Lady Queen of Nigeria in Garki, Abuja, in thanksgiving for 50 years of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Nigeria.

Vatican News

By Michael Lim

The Vatican on Tuesday stressed a long-standing rule that only an ordained priest or ​deacon can give a sermon at a Catholic mass, ‌turning down German bishops’ proposal to broaden the practice and allow sermons by women or other laypeople.

Responding to the request, a release from the Vatican insisted that “The current discipline cannot be dispensed ​from,” said the Vatican’s Dicastery for ​Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, ⁠ which oversees worship by the world’s over 1.4 billion Catholics.

Catholic ​masses include a sermon, where a priest or a deacon ​offers a reflection on the day’s Bible readings. The German bishops’ conference had asked earlier this year for permission for laypeople to also offer ​sermons.

Sources indicate the German request echoed sentiments from many bishops in ​the U.S. and other European countries, who say many laypeople are as ‌capable ⁠of preaching as priests. They often cite a desire to hear sermons from women, who cannot be ordained in the Catholic Church.

The Vatican did not provide its full response to the German ​bishops, only ​a press release ⁠summarizing its decision.

“The reservation of the homily to a priest or deacons is not a ​merely disciplinary norm but derives from the very ​nature ⁠of the liturgy,” the release said.

The Catholic Church teaches that during a mass, a priest acts “in persona Christi” (in the person of ⁠Christ), ​and it is God who acts ​through the priest during worship.

Laypeople are allowed to give sermons at prayer services ​outside of a mass

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‎‎Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, felicitates the Muslim faithful, as they observe this year’s (Eid-ul-Adha) festival, also known as the Eid-el-Kabir.
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‎He described Eid al-Adha festival as a blessed and glorious festival through which Muslims worship God and show complete dedication to Him.
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‎Rejoicing with the entire Muslim ummah on the occasion, the governor called for more support for the government in the state and Nigeria, soliciting for more prayers for all leaders.
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‎He appreciated all Muslims in the state for their unrelenting support for his administration, stating that the peaceful co-existence of people of different faiths in the state remains a source of pride and a tribute to their shared values of tolerance, respect, and unity.
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‎He assured that his administration will continue to put the interests and wellbeing of everyone living in the state first, promising accelerated and sustainable development for his people.
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‎The Governor wished all Muslim faithful in Benue State and beyond, a joyous and blessed celebration, praying to God to accept and reward the sacrifices of all worshippers.
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