The Chancellor and Secretary of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Wilfred Chidi Agubuchie, has called on Catholic lawyers to embrace their Christian identity more deeply by ensuring that their legal practice reflects both justice and mercy.
Fr. Agubuchie made the call on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, while delivering the homily at a solemn Mass held during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the National Association of Catholic Lawyers (NACL) at the Amadeo Event Center, Enugu. He represented the Catholic Bishop of Enugu, Most Rev. Callistus V.C. Onaga, who sent his goodwill and blessings to the gathering, which coincided with the ongoing 65th Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Enugu State.
Welcoming participants, Fr. Agubuchie noted that the Mass was not only a liturgical celebration but also a reminder of the shared mission of Catholic lawyers as “faithful ambassadors, messengers, and harbingers of justice and mercy.” He stressed that justice and mercy are inseparable values, describing them as “two sides of the same coin.”
“Justice becomes weaponised when it is administered without mercy, and mercy without justice is fraudulent,” he said. “We must be people of both the head (law) and the heart (mercy).”
The priest warned against what he termed an “identity crisis” among Christians, where faith is compromised by contradictory lifestyles. He lamented that many professing Catholics maintain devotions such as visiting the Blessed Sacrament, but secretly belong to occult groups or rely on charms for protection. Sharing a personal encounter, he recalled a man who justified carrying a charm that retaliates against attackers, insisting it was not evil.
“This is the danger of a double life,” Fr. Agubuchie cautioned. “We cannot claim to be Catholics in the day and something else at night. Our faith and practice must be consistent.”
He urged Catholic lawyers to reflect on their ministry in light of salvific justice, which promotes dialogue, reconciliation, and healing rather than mere punishment. He encouraged them to embrace Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms, show compassion to the poor through pro bono services, and resist the temptations of greed, corruption, and ethnicism.
Quoting Pope Francis, he prescribed a daily prayer for Catholic lawyers: “Lord, let me be just, but just with mercy.”
In outlining practical steps, Fr. Agubuchie called for the establishment of strong Catholic Lawyers Associations in every diocese, the maintenance of pure consciences, and an unwavering commitment to defending the oppressed. “You don’t go to heaven simply by avoiding evil,” he reminded them. “You go to heaven by doing good.”
The solemn Mass was one of the highlights of the NACL AGM, which brought together Catholic legal practitioners from across Nigeria in faith, fellowship, and reflection on their dual vocation as lawyers and Christians.
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