Some weeks ago, precisely from the 13th to the 15th of April, the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province hosted a major, if not the biggest pro-life and pro-family International Conference in Nigeria, with the theme: Protecting Human Life and Family Values in the Rising Tide of the Culture of Death.
This was a response to the aggressive efforts by foreign countries, international organisations, and numerous NGO’s, to change our present culture of life into a culture of death.
Unfortunately, many Nigerians are oblivious of the happenings of the architects of death; as such this conference was indeed an avenue to educate Nigerians on the anti-life activities in Nigeria, and the need to be vigilant and proactive against the new ideological colonisation.
This event attracted about 1500 participants, comprising the clergy, Religious and many lay persons of different faiths who were unequivocally united in defending the sanctity of life and marriage.
A variety of topics ranging from abortion, population control, homosexuality, LGBT, marriage, etc., were presented by pro-life speakers from Europe, America, and Africa.
Speakers came from HLI, SPUC, C-FAM, and Youth for Life. Thanks to their wealth of experience in pro-life advocacy, the audience was left thrilled and enlightened.
The high point of the two-day conference was the March For Life, which took place along a main road through Ibadan.
After several presentations and deliberations, the participants then declared:
- Every human being is created in the image and likeness of God. Life is God’s gift and this life begins at conception. Thus, every nation, every Institution, every man and woman must respect, protect and uphold the dignity of every human life from the moment of conception till its natural end.
- Sacramental marriage is instituted by God as an indissoluble union between one man and one woman, open to life and love. Thus, other forms of unions such as homosexual unions, polygamous unions, and adulterous unions are inimical to the mind of the creator. They undermine the integrity of the human being, the family and as such should never be promoted or supported in our society.
iii. The family is the cradle where life is nurtured and protected. Thus, every family, with marriage at its core, must create a conducive environment where the inestimable value of life is emphasised and upheld.
- Chastity and fidelity are core virtues that are indeed at the root of every Culture of Life and Civilization of love. Therefore they should be promoted in our society as a core aspect of pro-life and pro-family activism.
- Professional, men and women especially in the fields of medicine, sciences, law, politics, academia and media are obliged to use their experiences and expertise to promote and protect the sanctity of life, the dignity of human sexuality, the blessings of motherhood and the beauty of family-togetherness in our society.
We Decry:
-The encroachment of the Culture of Death in many African countries.
-The radical promotion of Abortion and contraception by various international organisations through international platforms and humanitarian aid.
-The hyper-sexualisation of our youth through morally objectionable campaigns by these organisations.
-The intentional disregard for our cultural identity and values especially on issues relating to the sanctity of life and the dignity of human sexuality.
-The persistent and pernicious attempts to impose population control on Africa by wealthy philanthropists, donor nations and international organisations.
-The lack of emphasis on the importance of faith and family in human development, public education and in the social order.
Pope Saint John Paul II clearly pointed out that “Society as a whole must respect, defend and promote the dignity of every human person, at every moment and in every condition of that person’s life. To be truly a people at the service of life we must propose these truths constantly and courageously”.[Evangelium Vitae 81-82]
On this note and strengthened by this message, we therefore invite every member of our human society to the noble service of constantly and courageously defending the sanctity of human life, marriage, and family. With the hope that in so doing, we would stop the encroachment of the Culture of Death even as we have, through our conference, sown the seeds of an authentic Culture of Life for today and for the generations to come.
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