Press Releases
Bishop of Clogher to lead Interfaith Conference in Nigeria
The Bishop of Clogher the Rt Revd Michael Jackson will lead a delegation to Nigeria on Thursday, 1 February to learn more about how Christians can live out their faith alongside Muslims. The Bishop is the chairman of NIFCON- the Network for Interfaith Concerns ? an international organisation that works to promote good relations between Christians and other faiths. One of NIFCON?s presidents is Archbishop Josiah Idowu Fearon and it was his invitation that has resulted in a week long conference taking place in his Diocese of Kaduna.
Nigeria has the largest number of Anglicans anywhere in the world but as a church it exists precariously alongside Islam which in some areas, especially the North has become more fundamentalist. Religiously motivated violence is common in a country with over 250 tribes, and military dictators, rampant corruption and widespread poverty have added to their problems. So, despite huge oil reserves, Nigeria remains an unstable and underdeveloped country
It is in the challenging context that the NIFCON conference will take place. There have been major clashes between Muslims and Christians in Kaduna but the situation has begun to improve and some reconciliation is happening. The delegation hopes to learn more about how and why this has happened. Bishop Michael will open the conference with a message based on the Feast of the Presentation and will speak on the theme of the conference, Citizenship. It will be his first visit to Nigeria. and will be more relevant back home as there are 30,000 Nigerians living in Ireland. Bishop Michael said: ?This will give me an ideal opportunity to gain more understanding of both their culture and faith. I hope that we that we might cross the boundaries of culture and understand one another better as we share a responsibility for life as it is lived today in a world created by God. I have confidence that we will learn of the good things which Christian and Muslim people are doing together in the quest for mutual respect.?
Since its inception in 1994, NIFCON has had a special mandate to monitor Christian- Muslim relations as well as to speak out sensitively on behalf of those Christians who suffer hardship and persecution for their faith. Representatives from Sudan and Pakistan will also input into the conference ? both places which also experience religious extremism and conflict.
The Nigerian church has hit the headlines recently because its Archbishop Peter Akinola has recently taken over the leadership of the two US churches that have just broken away from the Anglican Communion. It may be a key player in any breakup of the world wide Church.
For further information before, during and following the visit contact Sandra Herbert, mobile: +44 (0)7971 403 823, e-mail: Sandra Herbert