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Although the Catholic Bishops’ Conference is not a political organization, it exerts considerable influence in its respective countries, particularly on moral and social issues. Wherever it is present around the world, its views are not taken for granted by the government.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference works with the Pope, the head of a sovereign state. Yes, the Pope is a sovereign head of state. Therefore, he receives a state reception whenever he visits a country. The Nuncio is his ambassador, while the bishops of the Bishops’ Conference are his collaborators.
In addition, the bishops of the Bishops’ Conference belong to the College of Bishops. This is a wider group that includes Catholic bishops from all over the world.
The same College of Bishops has another body, the Synod of Bishops, which brings together bishops (representatives) from all over the world to discuss issues concerning the universal Church and individual regions. In short, the bishops are so closely connected that anything that affects one also affects the other.
No local organization is as tightly connected as the Nigerian Bishops’ Conference. There is no part of the country that does not belong to an ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
Ecclesiastivcal provinces are made up of dioceses, dioceses are made up of deaneries, which in turn are made up of parishes. Parishes, in turn, are made up of congregations. Therefore, everything the bishops say reaches even the poorest women in the most remote parts of the country within hours.
Nigerian politicians understand this. That’s why Abacha’s military government did everything it could to prevent Archbishop Anthony Okogie from speaking during his tenure as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria.
During the xenophobic attacks in South Africa a few years ago, the government spread lies until the South African Bishops’ Conference condemned its actions.
The only massacre to which President Tinubu has responded is the one mentioned by Pope Leo XIV. Of course, the Pope cannot speak about events in a country without clarifying the facts with the nunciature and the bishops’ conference.
Nigerian priests and religious work all over the world, including in Haiti. All these priests are connected to a network called the “Catholic Church,” which is led by the Nigerian Bishops’ Conference.
The day the Nigerian Bishops’ Conference says, “Enough is enough,” you will understand how powerful it is.
Yes, apart from the government, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria is the most locally and internationally connected and powerful group in Nigeria.
In a country where power means being able to exploit, oppress, kïll, and stěal with impunity and under the protection of the government, this may sound ridiculous.
