Catholic Church has not pull out of CAN- Monsignor Osu

Against all speculations in the Nigerian media concerning the pulling out of the Catholic Church from Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, the Director of Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, on Monday, said the purported report was not true adding that the Church is still a fully fledged member of the organization.

 Speaking in an exclusive interview, the Parish Priest of Saint Michael’s Catholic Church, Lafiaji in Obalande, Lagos Island, South West Nigeria said the alleged report concerning the withdrawal of the Church’s membership of CAN was the imaginations of the media. OSU emphatically stated that the Catholic Church is still a member of Christian Association of Nigeria.

“It’s not true; you cannot slice your face to keep your nose. It’s a mere speculation. We have not left CAN,” Osu stated.

According to him, if there was disagreement in a family, it doesn’t translate pulling out of that family. He said, “We have not pulled out of CAN. Is it Catholics talking or media like you”? Show me where it is. Show me the report. Am supposed to be Director of Communication in Lagos and I don’t know. It’s not a fact. You cannot slice your nose to safe your face. It’s a mere speculation”. 

When reminded about the alleged politicization of the Christian umbrella as the reason why the church pulled out of CAN, he still maintained that the church hasn’t left the church.  He challenged our correspondent to show him where and when the Catholic Bishop Conference met and decided that Catholic was no longer a member of CAN.

HE denied the report and said he was hearing for the first time from our correspondent and demand to see the report quoting the church to have made such statement.

“Give me the report, and if you want to know the fact, you can contact the Catholic Secretariat in Abuja for confirmation on the issue rather than speculating on the matter”. He added that there might be disagreement but that doesn’t qualify the Church to leave the organization.

On Boko Haram, he said what they are doing is not the philosophy of Islam but said between the Muslim worlds, there is a tiny line between politics and religion.

He cautioned that what is happening in Nigeria today, if it continued might ruin the country. He said he doesn’t need to be a prophet to predict the future of Nigeria, adding that if what was happening now continues, the country might crash.

According to the Monsignor, fake people have joined religion because of commercialization of religion. He said. “If we are going the way we are going, we can’t go far as a nation. We have to retrace our steps”.

Osu frowned at the poor infrastructure in the country and scores the nation poor. He said the recent pass mark giving to itself by this administration is not correct. He wondered where the pass mark was recorded as there are no roads, electricity and high level of inflation in the country is making the poor, poorer and the rich; richer.