The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, says Christmas has lost its moral relevance.
The cleric said this in his Christmas message entitled, “Our hope does not disappoint us,” issued on Thursday.
He said, “As the years have rolled by, Christmas has tended to lose its moral compass. This is a danger and a threat that we must address. The Chinese who do not believe in God have made the most out of Christmas by focusing on its economic value.
“There is nothing wrong with this in principle. However, in reality, we must return to the spirit of what we are really celebrating. Jesus gave us a model in the circumstances of His own birth and life on earth.”
The bishop said religion has not failed the world contrary to negative opinions about it.
He said religion was not responsible for the hard times and insecurity being witnessed across the world.
Kukah, however, said Christians should be blamed for where religion finds itself today.
He said the Zaria killings were at variance with the spirit of Christmas because Christmas should be about the celebration of life and not death.
He, therefore, called for reconciliation.
The statement read, “Amidst so much pain, injury, war and death, what can we say today about religion? Some people think that religion has failed and others claim that religion is to be blamed for the woes of the world. Neither of these positions is correct.
“However, we believers cannot turn our eyes from the fact that we must take a substantial part of the blame for where religion finds itself in our society. What has gone wrong? For us as Christians, what has become of the messages of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and our Saviour?
“The only change that is urgently needed now is a clearly defined agenda for genuine reconciliation among our people. We do not have any other options. In hope we must turn the corner and take the highway. This hope does not disappoint us. God heal our country and merry Christmas to us all.”