The Auxiliary Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Ernest Anaezichukwu Obodo, has lamented the moral decline in Nigeria, despite the country’s strong religious structures.
Preaching on Wednesday, during the fourth day of the first 2025 CBCN Plenary Assembly, Bishop Obodo expressed concern that Nigeria’s deep religious presence—boasting 83 Catholic bishops, nearly 10,000 Catholic priests and religious, along with countless pastors and imams—has not translated into a corresponding moral transformation among the people.
“Nigeria is a very religious country… yet there has been no corresponding change in the moral lives of the Nigerian people,” he lamented.
Comparing Nigeria to Nineveh, Bishop Obodo warned that the country’s level of corruption could provoke divine judgment if not for God’s mercy. “But for God’s mercy, the level of corruption in Nigeria warrants God’s anger and destruction,” he said.
Emphasizing the theme of repentance during the Lenten season, he urged Christians to embrace the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which offers God’s mercy and forgiveness.
“God always responds with mercy when we approach Him with contrite hearts, confessing our sins. Jesus is the sign of Jonah to the people of the New Testament, and through Him, God’s mercy is extended to us at the confessional, God’s throne of mercy,” he said.
Quoting St. Josemaria Escriva, Bishop Obodo encouraged Christians to make good confessions that are “concise, concrete, clear, and complete,” and to approach the sacrament as often as needed.
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