The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has commended the Catholic Church for its service to humanity and contributions to societal development.
A statement by the Director of Media, Ooni’s Palace, Moses Olafare, said the monarch gave the commendation when he received members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, at his palace in Ile-Ife on Tuesday.
The bishops, who are in Osun State for the Second Plenary of the CBCN hosted by the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo from September 10 to 18, paid a courtesy visit to the Ooni as part of activities for the assembly.
The delegation was led by the President of the CBCN and Archbishop of Kaduna, Most Rev. Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, and included the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan; Bishop of Ekwulobia, Peter Cardinal Okpaleke; Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Most Rev. Michael Francis Crotty; Archbishop of Ibadan, Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin; Bishop of Osogbo, Most Rev. John Oyejola; and Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah.
Oba Ogunwusi, while receiving the delegation, said the Church had distinguished itself through advocacy, discipline and commitment to humanity.
“Thank you for coming to Ife, where it all began. In our country, we don’t joke with bishops. Their voices are very powerful; anything you say, the entire country and even the continent usually feel it. I grew up in the Catholic community. The Catholic mission is so disciplined; everything is very organised,” the Ooni said.
Earlier, Ndagoso thanked the Ooni for the warm reception, describing Ile-Ife as the cradle of Yoruba culture and the throne of the Ooni as an important symbol of history and identity.
He commended the monarch for promoting peace, national unity, youth development and harmonious coexistence, noting that traditional and religious leaders have complementary roles in addressing the country’s challenges.
Ndagoso called for stronger collaboration between religious and traditional institutions in promoting peaceful coexistence and tackling insecurity, poverty and corruption, while urging Nigerians to reject vote-buying and embrace credible elections.
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