Catholic Church in Nigeria
The Catholic Church in Nigeria is part of the worldwide Catholic Church , under the spiritual leadership of the Pope , the curia in Rome , and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).
In 2022, the president of the CBCN is Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji , Archbishop of Owerri Archdiocese .[ 2] Augustine Obiora Akubeze .[ 3] [ 4]
Overview
The Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches comprise the world's largest Christian Church and the largest religious grouping globally. In 2005, there were an estimated 19 million baptised Catholics in Nigeria .[ 5] [ 6] [citation needed
Historically, the Holy Ghost Fathers maintained a strong presence in Igboland in today's Southeastern Nigeria, whereas the White Fathers operated in Western and Northern Nigeria, and the Society of African Missions in Lagos.[ 7]
Nigeria, together with Congo Democratic Republic , boasts of the highest number of priests in Africa. The boom in vocation to the priesthood in Nigeria is mainly in the Southeastern part, especially among the Igbo ethnic group, of which the first evangelizers were Holy Ghost Fathers .[ 7]
The second papal visit to the country in 1998 witnessed the beatification of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi .[ 8] Pope John Paul II proclaimed him blessed at Oba , Onitsha Archdiocese, a local Church established by the apostle of eastern Nigerian, Bishop Joseph Shanahan, CSSp.
The official patron saints of Nigeria are Mary, Queen of Nigeria, and Patrick of Ireland .[ 9]
Map of Nigeria
Demographics
Christianity was followed by an estimated 46.18% of the Nigerian population in 2020; one-quarter of Christians in Nigeria are Catholic (12.39% of the country's population).[ 10]
In the same year, over 9,500 priests and 6,500 nuns served over 4,000 parishes.[ 11]
List of dioceses
Archdioceses
9
Suffragan Dioceses
59
Apostolic Vicariates
2
Parishes
1,905 (2004)
Diocesan Priests
3,452
Religious Priests
694
♦Total Priests
4,146 (2004)
Religious Women
3,674
Major seminaries in Nigeria
6
Major seminarians
Minor seminaries in Nigeria
20
Minor seminarians
♦Total seminarians
3,755 (2004)
Educational institutes
4,163
Charitable institutes
1,202
References
Italian page for 2004[ 12]
Within Nigeria the hierarchy consists of:
Immediately subject to the Holy See :
Episcopal conference
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria is the Nigerian episcopal conference . Its current President is Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji .
Catholic traditionalism
A more traditionalist subset of the Catholic Church is also present in Nigeria and embodied by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (Nne Enyemaka Shrine,[ 13] Umuaka ). There also exists a community of the irregular status Society of St. Pius X (Saint Michael's Priory ,[ 14] [ 15] Enugu ).
Catholic universities in Nigeria
Dominican University , Ibadan
Major seminaries in Nigeria
Seminary of Saints Peter and Paul, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria Seminary of All Saints, Uhiele Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, Makurdi St. Augustine's Major Seminary, Jos
National Missionary Seminary of St. Paul, Gwagwalada [permanent dead link ] St Joseph Major Seminary Ikot Ekpene Blessed Tansi Major Seminary Onitsha, Anambra State
St Albert The Great Major Seminary Abeokuta
St. John of the Cross Spiritual Year Seminary, Ekpoma
Seat of Wisdom Major Seminary, Owerri
Seat of Wisdom Major Seminary, Umuahia Campus
JohnPaul II Major Seminary, Awka
Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kaduna
Claretian Institute of Philosophy, Nekede Owerri
Spiritan Institute of Theology Attakwu Enugu
Spiritan Institute of Philosophy, Isienu Nsukka
Don Bosco Institute of Philosophy[ 18]
Dominican Institute[ 19]
Minor seminaries in Nigeria
St Augustine's seminary, Amechi Ezzamgbo, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State
Queen of Apostles Seminary, Afaha Obong, Abak, Akwa Ibom State
Immaculate Conception Seminary, Mfamosing, Cross River State
St John Vianney Minor Seminary, Barkin-Ladi, Plateau State
St James' Junior Seminary, Yandev Gboko
St Jude's Minor Seminary, Kuje Abuja
St Theresa's Minor Seminary Oke-Are Ibadan
Sacred Hearts Minor Seminary Akure
St Clement's Minor Seminary, Adankolo-Lokoja, Kogi State
St Paul's Seminary Ukpor, Nnewi Anambra State
All Hallows Seminary, Onitsha Anambra State
St Joseph's Seminary Special Science School, Awka-Etiti Anambra State.
Mercy Seminary, Bende Abia State
Immaculate Conception Seminary, Ahiaeke Umuahia, Abia State
St Dominic Savio Seminary, Akpu, Anambra State
St John Bosco Seminary, Isuaniocha, Anambra State
Holy Martyrs of Uganda seminary Effurun, Delta State
Annunciation Seminary Amaudara, Abia State
St John-cross minor seminary, Isienu-Nsukka, Enugu state
St Charles Borromeo seminary, Imiringi, Bayelsa State.
St Mary's Seminary Umuowa, Orlu, Imo State.
Bonus Pastor Seminary Osina, Ideato North, Imo State.
Assumpta Minor Seminary, Owerri Archdiocese.
Mater Ecclesiae Seminary, Nguru Mbaise, Ahiara Diocese
St Peter Claver's Seminary Okpala Owerri Archdiocese
Pope John Paul II Seminary Yala Okpoma Ogoja Diocese
St Peter's Seminary Ogii, Okigwe Diocese
Sacred Heart Seminary, Rumuebiekwe Port Hacourt, Port hacourt Diocese
St Felix Seminary Ejeme-Anigor, Delta State
St Joseph Seminary Basawa, Zaria, Kaduna State.
St Charles Borromeo Minor Seminary, Madakiya Kaduna State
St Peter's Minor Seminary, Katari Kaduna State
St Peter's Minor Seminary, Yola Adamawa State
St Joseph's Minor Seminary, Shuwa Adamawa State
Sacred Heart Minor Seminary, Jauro Yinu Taraba State
St Paul Minor Seminary, Benin City, Edo State
Nigerians who have been canonized or beatified
Catholic religious congregations founded in Nigeria
Daughters of Divine Love [ 21] New Evangelization Sisters of Mother of Perpetual Help) Sons of Mary, Mother of Mercy Congregation Daughters of Mary, Mother of Mercy Congregation Holy Family Sisters of the Needy
Missionary Sisters of Divine Mercy, Nnewi, Nigeria Sisters of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, Ikeja, Lagos-State.
Sisters of Jesus Crucified, Uratta, Owerri, Imo State
Missionary sister of Jesus and Mary, Warri
Missionary societies active in Nigeria
See also
References
^ "Table: Christian Population in Numbers by Country | Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project" . Features.pewforum.org. 19 December 2011. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2014 .^ Association of Catholic Information in Africa website, article dated 3/9/22 ^ "Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN)" . www.cbcn-ng.org . Archived from the original on 21 May 2009. Retrieved 9 April 2019 .^ Olowolagba, Fikayo (22 February 2018). "Catholic bishops elect new president" . Daily Post Nigeria . Retrieved 17 March 2020 . ^ Craig Timberg, "Nigeria's Spiritual Rainmaker is Eyed at Vatican," Washington Poet , 17 April 2005, A1
^ Pew Research Center: Christian Population as Percentages of total population by country 2010 https://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/table-christian-population-as-percentages-of-total-population-by-country/
^ a b Ebuziem, Cajetan E. (2011). Doing Ministry in the Igbo Context: Towards an Emerging Model and Method for the Church in Africa ISBN 978-1-4331-1154-9 ^ "Blessed Iwene Tansi: The patron saint of Nigeria's democracy @20" . TheCable . 13 June 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2020 .^ "Patron Saints: N - Saints & Angels" . Catholic Online . Retrieved 9 April 2019 .^ World Religions Database at the ARDA website, retrieved 2023-08-08 ^ Catholics and Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-08 ^ Italian WikiPage Chiesa Cattolica in Nigeria statistics from 2004 it:Chiesa cattolica in Nigeria
^ "FSSP in Nigeria" . www.fsspnigeria.org . Retrieved 9 April 2019 .^ "District of Great Britain" . District of Great Britain . Retrieved 9 April 2019 .^ "First priory in Nigeria opened" . Archived from the original on 16 April 2013.^ "Veritas University Abuja" . www.veritas.edu.ng . Retrieved 9 April 2019 .^ "Welcome to Pan-Atlantic University" . Retrieved 9 April 2019 .^ "DON BOSCO INSTITUTE OF PHILOSOPHY, IBADAN - Lumen et Sapientia" . Retrieved 9 April 2019 .^ "Welcome" . Dominican Institute . Retrieved 9 April 2019 .^ "Untitled Document" . www.afrikaworld.net . Retrieved 12 June 2019 .^ "Daughters of Divine Love (DDL) website" . Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2013 .
External links
Christian Groups
Foreign Missionaries Nigerian Christians Interdenominational Seminaries
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