The Catholic Diocese of Oyo State has felicitated Muslims in the state and the country as they join other faithful throughout the world to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir as well as calling for unity among the various religious groups.
This is contained in a message signed on Monday in Oyo by Bishop Emmanuel Badejo of Oyo Diocese and Rev. Fr. Joseph Ogundipe, the Diocesan Director of Inter-Religious Dialogue and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The Diocese congratulated the Muslims as they celebrate another holy feast of sacrifice, Eid el Kabir, while empathising with those that missed Hajj due to COVID-19 pandemic, praying for a better 2022.
“We join you in thanking God for this opportunity, and for the understanding the challenges that this season poses to us all. Our beloved country needs all of us and we all have a part to play in the success of Nigeria as a nation.
“Eid-el-Kabir is a festival of great sacrifice to Allah, which must reflect in our loving sacrifice to one another, especially, those who do not share our beliefs and languages.
“I humbly urge us to use this medium to reflect on our common need for peaceful coexistence, good governance and youth empowerment,” the church urges.
The diocese called on all faith-based organisations to combat all forms of prejudices, fake news, hate speeches and religious fanaticism and join hands with their leaders in making Nigeria works for all.
It appreciated God for all that they had been able to achieve together in Oyo Diocese and Oyo State, while praying for more peace and progress in the years ahead.
The diocese said: “As always, we are open to programmes of mutual enrichment and dialogue of peaceful coexistence with you all.
“May we live to celebrate more of this and may all of us, Muslims and Christians, alike continue to uphold our obedience to Allah in the spirit of forgiveness and true love for one another.
