Archbishop Martins urges newly ordained priests to utilize social media in spreading gospel

His Grace, Most Reverend (Dr) Alfred Adewale Martins, the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, has urged newly ordained priests in the archdiocese to strive to deploy the social media in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Archbishop Martins gave the admonition when he ordained 11 priests, at Holy Cross Cathedral Lagos Island, Lagos State on Thursday, September 21, 2021.

While reliving fond memories of his own ordination, he advised the newly ordained priests to use the social media to propagate the gospel saying “There are a number of us here present today whose minds go to 40 years ago when we too knelt down here, prostrate in the presence of God and knelt before Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie for hands to be laid upon us. The Class of 8, ours was on 18^th of September, 1983, these men, 21th of September, 2023, 40 years in-between.

“Incidentally your ordination is coming up on the feast of St Matthew, one of the Apostles, a great Evangelist; one who by his life, by is words, by his writings is already giving you agenda that you must follow as priests: preach the word by your word of mouth, preach the word by your life, and preach the word by writing.

“These 11 men, they are what you might call citizens of cyber space, because they were born into the time that the cyber space is alive and active. Therefore I believe God is telling you, preach the word, using the media that the lord has made available at this time. Like St Matthew, use the medium, the social media that the lord has provided for you and I hope that we shall be seeing your hands and your actions at work using the media in this day to be like St Matthew on this day you are being ordained,” Archbishop Martins stated.

Speaking on the challenges facing the priestood he said “The priestly life at this point in time is one that has to deal with many issues of our time, there are distractions; there are all kinds of activities that could jeopardise the dignity of the priesthood as it were. And so we can only ask them to recognize that God is the anchor that can hold them on when the surges of temptations have come. Therefore they must hold on to God in prayer, they must hold on to God not just in talking to Him but listening to Him for guidance.

“And secondly they must recognize that they are human and therefore they should not make themselves available when any act of temptation or any act that may lead them astray is available. Indeed every one of us we need to avoid situations that can lead us away from our purpose in life; that basically is what I would say.

“They have been training for about nine years, so they have all the tools, we can only ask them not to forget all that they have learnt over the years,” he stated.

He also spoke on kidnapping of priests and proffered solutions. “Indeed the kidnap of priests like the kidnap of other people within this our country is just a demonstration of the challenge of insecurity that we are having in our nation; and we should keep on asking those who have the responsibility of securing our nation  with all the security agencies, they need to rejig their approaches. We have new people who have just been appointed; we expect new ways in dealing with the situation, not just the regular ways of fighting crime, but also using the modern means of fighting crimes and criminalities, so we hope that new incentives will come up.  

“And then secondly the non-state actors that are really part of the problem especially in the eastern part of our nation, government needs to find ways of engaging them, engaging them in such a way that whatever their grievances may be, solutions can be found to them, so that security of the nation can be assured.”

Speaking on cultism among Nigerian musicians he said, “Cultism is an expression of the fact that people are simply not ready to follow the narrow straight part to that which is right and good and so we can only encourage people to know that hard work, integrity, honesty and going through the normal means for growth is followed by all. In other words, our value needs to be rejigged in order that we can overcome this cultism in our nation.”

About five hours the ordination lasted, the thousands of congregants that included family members, the laity and religious did not show any sign of grogginess as the 11 men who went through the ordination rites which include calling the candidates, presentation of the candidates, election by the bishop and consent of the people, promise of obedience, litany of saints, invitation to prayer, laying of hands, here the Bishop laid hand on the deacons which is a signification of formally ordaining them as priests. There was also prayer of consecration; investiture with the stole and chasuble; anointing of hands and ended with presentation of gifts. The priests then received their instruments of office, which was then followed by the kiss of peace from the Archbishop, the Bishop Emeritus, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie and other most senior Reverend Fathers also partook from the kiss of peace.

Those that were ordained priests include Rev. Callistus Onyele, Rev. Benjamin Oddi, Rev. Benedict Emeka Anime, Rev. Christopher Ngbede, Rev. Anthony Eze, Rev. Emmanuel Eze, Rev. Kizito Emenalo, Rev. Martins Igbadume, Rev. Peter Dennis Ulasi, Rev. Raphael Onah, and Rev. Augustine Dodo.