The Christian Association of Nigerian, CAN, an umbrella body for the country’s teeming Christians, descended into full-blown crisis Wednesday with the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria making public its decision to pull out of the fold over the way the Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor-led executive is running the association. The Catholic bishop’s action is perhaps the first time in the association’s 37-year history that any of its five blocs would pull out over alleged poor leadership and politicization of the association.
CAN was formed in 1976 by five Christian blocs in the country: the Christian Council of Nigeria; the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria; Organisation of African Instituted Churches, and the Evangelical Fellowship of West Africa.
But in a letter to Mr. Oritsejafor in September but made public Wednesday, the Catholics, one of the association’s most influential blocs, said it was temporarily exiting “over some recent attitudes, utterances and actions of the national leadership of CAN which in our opinion negate the concept of the foundation of the association and the desire of Our Lord Jesus Christ”. The letter, dated September 24, 2012, is signed by Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama, President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBNC) and addressed to Mr. Oritsejafor.
Mr. Kaigama said his group was suspending “participation in CAN meetings at the national level until such a time the leadership of CAN reverse back to the original vision, mission and objectives of CAN”. Expatiating further on its grouse with the Oritsejafor-led leadership of the association, the bishops lamented that CAN had been politicized and was no longer being used to promote peace and unity in the country. “CAN is being dragged into partisan politics thereby compromising the ability to play its true role as conscience of the nation and the voice of the voiceless,” the bishops said. Mr. Oritsejafor has often been accused of being divisive in the way he is running the association, often making comments in support of the Peoples Democratic Party-led federal government and President Goodluck Jonathan. Some Christians believe he has pushed CAN into ignominy with his utterances and actions making Nigerians to regard the association as an arm of the PDP.
Mr. Oritsejafor became even more unpopular among his colleagues and around the country in late 2012 when he got a new jet as gift from unknown donors even as many more than 70 percent of Nigerians live below the poverty line. He is yet to disclose the names of those who gave him the jet. But he maintained that the jet would enable him to travel around Nigeria and the world for evangelism with little or no flight delay. Read full letter below.



https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/116774-why-we-pulled-out-of-can-catholic-bishops.html

Old Story. Who cares?
The Xtian faith remains stronger with or without the Catholic bishops.

There are only two churches in the world, the Catholic Church and Others.




Na wao. So many quotes/mentions on me 2day. These Pentecostals ain't loyal

Noted.

The arms to be purchased are for Ayo Oritshejafor to share to his fellow companions. Are Catholics refusing to take their own share of the arms and ammunition? Definitely, Catholics do not worship the same God as Ayo Oritshejafor.

Pk001: Old Story. Who cares?
The Xtian faith remains stronger with or without the Catholic bishops.

Christian faith will never be affected but is the Christian body we need to save. It's a shame when the likes of Ayo heads that body.

Ayo Oritsajefor your time is up.

I dnt like CAN, I dnt like Ayo, I dnt like catholics..
I think I prefer Jesus..

Their reasons are valid.

I may not know everything Ayo is doing in office but I sure do know he is representing us well. Jesus says be as wise as serpent but as gentle as a dove. Some people are just not happy that the Pentecostals they used to call mushroom churches in the 70s have suddenly risen to lead them. Im not denominational and I hate those who try to scatter our unity because things ate not going their cold, passive, indoctrinated religious way.

Interesting

I'm not a catholic, but I support their decision. Ayo has been seen in many political gatherings and he fully supports pdp (or GEJ) which is not supposed to be so. His time is up. Another new leader should be elected.

.

This is what happens when we have god of men claiming to be Men of God. Most Nigerian pastors are boasters. They mostly have fleshy and lustful desires.
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The body of Christ in Nigeria is really in crisis. From Divorce to building collapse and now arms dealing. Nigeria: many churches, many criminals. God save us all

There's no need for this

late

As a Catholic, l support the decision. Just as l respect the opinions of those who are comfortable with the going-ons in CAN, the right of the leadership of the Catholic Church in Nigeria to withdraw from CAN should also be respected.

Good move. The Catholic church must show the world that it's and always will be the beacon of christ.

As expected. The frontpage is going to be flooded with anything CAN for the next couple of days.

Good move..


Though I am not catholic, I respect their traditional mode of worship.. CAN is now a political group and not a Christian association.

CAN man made, Jesus Christ the Ultimate!

Salt to injury?

No one is void of any allegation ♈όϋ claim not even the catholic..everyone is guilty!

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lokito: There are only two churches in the world, the Catholic Church and Others.

lol u spelt ''satanic church'' wrong............

SLIDEwaxie: I dnt like CAN, I dnt like Ayo, I dnt catholics..
I think I prefer Jesus..

Looking unto Jesus- the author of my faith and all I have. Can Never and Will Never worship a god of Man(man of God)

Making first page since nineteen oh one

This Ayo of a man ehh, wears chains like Puff Daddy.

Pk001: Old Story. Who cares?
The Xtian faith remains stronger with or without the Catholic bishops.

You are very wrong!

Trying times for CAN and the 'political' future of the Christian body. Now that Pastor Ayo Oritsejofor has sold CAN to PDP, it remains to be seen how CAN will be respected in future occurences in Nigeria.

lokito: There are only two churches in the world, the Catholic Church and Others.

christianity has never been the same since the arrival of pentecostal movement. . .

People keep talking like dafts. What has Israel and Hamas war got to do with Aso Rock security? Saudi Arabia does arm deals with Israel through proxies, only Jordan and Egypt do not hide their deals!
Did El Rufai and co complain when Ghaddafi was busy pumping money into the North,building madrassas and mosques,and training young Northerners in his Benghazi camp,since the days of IBB?
I do not like Pastor Ayo,based on his inability to call a spade a spade in Delta State,and turns a blind eye to the looting, but on national issues, he is spot on!
He is hated because he looks at Northern leaders in the eye and tell them to call their youths and Islamic adherents to order! simple as that! As for his dress code, he has always dressed that way since I was a little kid in Warri,so stop crapping about what you do not know.