Different denominations, a threat to family unity – Fr Opara

Posted by The Leader News Online on Saturday, February 1, 2014 · Leave a Comment

A Catholic priest has identified different denominations as a threat to family unity in Nigeria, especially in Igboland.

Rev. Fr. Augustine Opara, Assistant Administrator, Maria Assumpta Cathedral Owerri, who gave this warning in his sermon on Sunday, January 26, 2014, painted a chaotic scenario where in a family, the father, the mother and children belong to different denominations.

He said such family is in trouble as the different denominations mean different opinions, which hardly lead to agreement or peaceful resolution of issues.

He cautioned Catholic parents to guide and guard their faith jealously and bring up their children as committed Catholics too.

The priest noted that when families live in peace, they are in a better position to attract the grace of God.

Fr. Opara further disclosed that Christianity is not a religion of comfort and followers of Christ are not people without problems.

He said that those who, because of one difficulty or challenge, abandon their Catholic faith and resort to either native doctors or prophets, who promise them instant solutions and miracles, have not totally embraced Christianity.

The priest admitted that Christians and indeed Nigerians are going through various forms of hardship, most of which were occasioned by bad leadership. However, the priest posited that “it is under difficult conditions that we testify and bear witness to Christ”.

Our youths are going through excruciating hardship – they struggle to get admission, they suffer under heartless lecturers who base grades on amount of money the poor students would pay. And on graduation, the youths face even more hardship as a result of unemployment. They now depend on parents whose pensions are not only meager but most irregular in payment.

“Don’t lose your faith. Don’s lose hope either. Continue to pray. It is under difficult conditions that we testify and bear witness to Christ”.

He observed that Christians who are in position to help alleviate poverty betray the church as they use their positions to enrich themselves thus build mansions in hell instead of building mansions in heaven.