…Says Easter brings succour to those in difficulty
From Cyriacus Nnaji, Lagos
Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, His Grace, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, has urged the security agencies to take issues of security in Nigeria much more serious.
Archbishop Martins made the plea in his Easter Message while speaking to the media at the 2026 Chrism Mass which took place at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos Island, Lagos on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
The Archbishop also made it clear that Easter is a source of succour to those going through one difficulty or the other, and urged Nigerians to look up to God.
He said, “The message that I believe every one of us needs to take to heart is a message of hope and encouragement. Things are pretty difficult in our country today for the majority of people. Things are difficult in family life, in work. Not to talk of insecurity that is so much present with us, but Easter is an opportunity by which God is telling us never to lose hope.
“When Jesus died on Good Friday, it was as if death had overcome. And so when the challenges of life press upon us, it’s as if it will never come to an end, but the resurrection gives us hope that whatever is dead in our lives will be brought to life by God. However, having said so, it’s also important to encourage our security agencies to take the task of securing the life and property of Nigerians in a very much more serious manner.
“Now, this is not to say that they have not been doing it. A lot of work has been going on, but the challenges are still there, which means that it is necessary to rethink again the way of dealing with these challenges, because on Palm Sunday, people were still killed in Jos.
“Before that, we had people being killed in several other places. It was seen that even the intervention of the United States in trying to secure the country has not yet been able to yield the required results. And so we want to ask that government and security agencies should work together again in order to renew in us the faith that things will become better in this country,” he said.
Archbishop Martins speaking on the importance of renewal of vows by the priests said, “First of all, it’s a day to say thanks be to God for giving the gift of the priesthood to mere mortals and giving them the empowerment with which to do great things for Him among God’s people. And then, of course, to say well done to the priests who labour all the year round to serve God’s people and to also ask them to renew their commitment such that if there have been occasions of slack, they would work on this and then renew their commitment to their priesthood. So it’s a very important day for us.”
On the impact of the renewal of vows to priesthood, he said, “Well, certainly it gives priests an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to the priesthood that what they started however many years ago, they are still committed to it and they want to do it better than they have ever done it before. So it impacts their day-to-day activities and day-to-day actions in their different parishes.”
Bishop Martins encouraged priests to also engage in online evangelism. “Well, the church or the priests, and indeed everyone, needs to be interested in doing online evangelism, as they call it, because that is where people are these days. And if people are there, they must be reached. They must be reached in such a way as to help them to accept Jesus and the values of Jesus. And so it is important for the sake of the salvation of souls.
Rev. Fr. (Dr ) Paul Akin-Otiko, Chaplain, St. Thomas More Catholic Chaplaincy, Akoka, in his Homily spoke on the meaning of the Chrism Mass both to the priests and the lay faithful. “The Gospel gives some insight into why we are gathered here as priests and as lay faithful. As priests, we have gathered with our Archbishop and we want to announce to the world and to reassure the lay faithful as Jesus did in the Gospel that the Spirit of the Lord is upon us because he has anointed us to bring glad tidings for the poor, he has sent us to proclaim liberty to Catholics, a recovery of sight to the blind and to let the afraid go free and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”
He said that the Prophecy of Isaiah 61 verses 4 and 2 beyond made it clear, adding “The Archbishop will consecrate and bless the Holy Oil that will be used for the sacrament throughout the year.
“The Archbishop will bless the oil of the sick so that any time a priest is called upon he will have the tool to bring about the recovery of sight to the blind, freedom to the oppressed and make possible a year acceptable to the Lord.
“To further complete the declaration, the Archbishop will bless the oil of Catechumen that priests will be able to bring glad tidings to the poor.
“The Archbishop will consecrate the sacred Chrism that will be used for baptism, confirmation and holy orders so that priests will be able to welcome members into the family of Christ. With this oil, not just the priests but those that will be baptized, confirmed and those that will be ordained this year will be able to loudly announce that the spirit of the Lord is upon them because they have been anointed to bring glad tidings to the poor,” he said.
