Lenten campaign 2026
This content is free of charge, as are all our articles.
Support us with a donation and enable us to continue to reach millions of readers.
Approximately 70 Nigerian bishops made their ad limina visit during the first two weeks of March. They are representatives of a suffering community, who came to inform the Holy See of their situation. Typically held every five years — though the last ad limina visit for Nigerian bishops dates back to 2018 — these visits provide the Holy See with an opportunity to stay informed about the situation of local communities.
The highlights of this session were meetings with Pope Leo XIV on March 6 and 14. The issue of Christian safety, a topic always addressed during meetings with the various Roman dicasteries and the Pope, was central this time. The security situation in Nigeria has indeed deteriorated significantly.
For many years, the litany of kidnappings, destruction of villages, and murders affecting the country’s Christian community has seemed to be growing endlessly. “It is a very sad situation, difficult to understand and even to analyze,” Nigerian Bishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization, explains to Aleteia. “We have what I call a ‘smokescreen’: a great darkness of widespread insecurity in the country.”
Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, who met with the Pope on March 14, expresses his concern with Aleteia: “No one is safe in Nigeria today, whether Christian or Muslim.”
The country is, in fact, plagued by great instability. The north is threatened by numerous armed groups, some clearly identifying as jihadists, others merely outlaws who take hostages for ransom money and have every interest in maintaining this climate of insecurity. “These bandits act indiscriminately against Christians and Muslims alike,” confirms Bishop Nwachukwu.
The powerlessness of local authorities
This is a dramatic situation that the bishops didn’t fail to bring to the Pope’s attention, though he is himself well aware of the issue. “We’ve come to speak on behalf of all Nigerians who are suffering and wish to live in peace, whether they are Christians or Muslims,” explains Cardinal Onaiyekan, a few hours after the papal audience. In his view, Leo XIV, who visited Nigeria several times while serving as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine between 2001 and 2013, has an excellent understanding of the situation.
“Everything we told him, he already knew,” he says. So, what did they ask of the Pontiff? “We mainly thanked him; we expect him to continue what he is already doing: speaking out for us, defending us, and thus serving as a spokesperson for Nigeria.”
Indeed, the Pope has raised awareness about the situation in Nigeria during his addresses at the midday Angelus prayer. Cardinal Onaiyekan hopes that the Pope’s statements will push the Nigerian government to finally take effective action to ensure the safety of its people.
Actions by the United States
In an annual report on religious freedom, a U.S. commission described the situation of Nigeria as “particularly concerning” following several statements by Donald Trump on the subject.
In December 2025, the United States decided to carry out targeted strikes against certain armed groups in the north of the country to curb their activities. Since then, a “small team” of U.S. military personnel has reportedly been operating in the country to try to protect Christian communities.
During their stay in Rome, the Nigerian bishops had the opportunity to pay their respects at the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul. “Both died as martyrs for proclaiming the Gospel and defending their freedom to follow Christ. This reminded me that, as Christians, our vocation has always been to defend our religious freedom,” concludes Cardinal Onaiyekan, visibly determined to continue fighting for his flock.