Obianuju Ekeocha Files Special Report From Nigeria: Protecting God's Gifts of Life and Family

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.

In response to the encroaching Culture of Death, the increasing violation of the sanctity of human life around the world, and in line with Pope Francis' call for the need to sustain and support marriage and family life, the Catholic Bishops, priests, religious and laity of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province in Nigeria, convened  an International Pro-life and Pro-family conference from 13th to 15th of April 2015 with the theme Protecting Human Life and Family Values in the Rising Tide of the Culture of Death.

IBADAN, Nigeria (Catholic Online)- (From Deacon Keith Fournier: Readers of Catholic Online know that one of my heroes is Ms Obianuju (Uju) Ekeocha, the courageous and talented Catholic Pro-Life Advocate & Biomedical Scientist. It had been awhile since I had heard from Uju. Now, I am happy to pass on to our readers around the globe the reason why.

I offer below a recent letter which I received from Uju. It is followed by the powerful statement she sent, which is co-signed by Uju and his excellency, the Most Reverend Emmanuel Badejo, the Bishop of Oyo and Chairman of the Communications Department of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province Bishops Conference.

Our readers also know of my conviction that we are living in a new missionary age. The more I read of the fidelity and courage of the Church in Africa, I am personally persuaded that the African Church will have a vital and prophetic role in the Lord's loving plan for the whole Church in the years ahead. Please join with me in praying for Uju, this wonderful Bishop, and the faithful of the Lord in the Church in Africa.)

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Dear Deacon Keith,

Greetings from England!!!

Longest time! I am so sorry for my seeming silence in the last couple of months.

I have actually not been able to write much because our Lord has seen in fit at this time to have me traveling to spread the message of life, marriage and family. So most months I would travel to Africa or other parts of the world to serve this mission. Please keep me in prayers.

I've just returned from a trip to Nigeria ... It turned out to be a most incredible pro-life mission . It was WONDERFUL!!!!

It was a real dream come true for me to see many of my people becoming more aware of the threats to the sanctity of life, love and marriage. We saw so many of them joining hands and hearts with us in our efforts to keep the Culture of Death out of Africa!

I am even more resolute now than ever before that this mission is necessary for my beloved continent.

Here is a short 10 minute video that captures the entire series of events in Ibadan and shows the the indomitable pro-life spirit of the African people.I hope you can watch it! It is the next best thing to actually being there.

And find here below the outcome statement entitled "Protecting God's gift of Life and Family" that encapsulates the message of the entire event.

I hope you can publish this outcome statement as well as the video, so as to continue to spread the word that Africa is indeed pro-life and pro-family. Especially as the preparations for the synod continue to brew.

Thank you for your constant encouragement.

And please let me know if you can publish it or not. And if so when it will be published because I promised the good bishops involved in the event that I will do everything I can to put this document out alongside the short video.

God bless you!!!

Kindest Regards,
Uju

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Protecting God's gift of Life and Family

In response to the encroaching Culture of Death, the increasing violation of the sanctity of human life around the world, and in line with Pope Francis' call for the need to sustain and support marriage and family life, the Catholic Bishops, priests, religious and laity of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province in Nigeria, convened  an International Pro-life and Pro-family conference from 13th to 15th of April 2015 with the theme Protecting Human Life and Family Values in the Rising Tide of the Culture of Death.

This conference brought together about 1500 participants from every corner of the Ibadan province who benefited greatly from the wide array of topics pertaining to the issues of sanctity of human life and the defence  of marriage and family, presented by reputable pro-life and pro-family speakers,leaders, advocates, activists and researchers from Europe, America and Africa.

Based on these discussions and presentations at the Conference,
We hereby declare that:

i. 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.

ii. 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.

iv. 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.

v. 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 organizations.
-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 organizations.
-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.

Signed
 
Most Reverend Emmanuel Badejo
Bishop of Oyo
Chairman, Communications Department
Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province Bishops Conference

Ms Obianuju Ekeocha
Pro-Life Advocate & Biomedical Scientist

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Obianuju Ekeocha is an African woman, living and working in the United Kingdom as a Specialist Biomedical Scientist. She is also the founder of Culture of Life Africa, an initiative dedicated to the promotion of a Culture of Life in Africa  through the dissemination of good information, sensitization and education. She has written several articles including the "Open Letter to Melinda Gates"  and "Africa in the redefined world (An Open Letter to President Obama)" Her passion and privilege is to continue to work in defense of the sanctity and dignity of life within Culture.

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