By Jude Atupulazi
Amid the threat by the President of the United States of America, Mr Donald Trump, to attack terrorists in Nigeria after designating the country as ‘a ”Country of Particular Concern”, and where Christians faced genocide, the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo has weighed in on the matter, including Nigeria among countries where Christians faced discrimination and persecution.
The other countries the Pope named include; Mozambique, Sudan, Bangladesh, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), among others.
US President Donald Trump had, last month, warned of serious diplomatic and military consequences if the violence against Christians in Nigeria was not stopped, and directed the U.S. Department of War to prepare for possible action.
He stressed that any intervention would be ‘fast, vicious, and sweet,’ a development that reportedly threw the Nigerian Government into a frenzy. But despite denials of genocide against Christians by the Federal Government and their agents, attacks have continued on communities across the country by terrorists, and, as usual, not one has been arrested.
However, sharing his concerns on his official X account, the Pontiff decried repeated assaults on Christian communities and worship centres, calling for united global action to promote peace.
He stated: ‘In various parts of the world, Christians suffer discrimination and persecution. I think especially of Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan, and other countries from which we frequently hear of attacks on communities and places of worship.’
Pope Leo also extended heartfelt prayers to victims of recent violence, particularly families in the Kivu Region of the DRC, where numerous civilians were brutally killed.
According to him, ‘God is a merciful Father who desires peace among all His children! I accompany in prayer, the families of Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where in recent days there has been a massacre of civilians.
”Let us pray that all violence may cease and that believers may work together for the common good,’ the Pope prayed.
