Fides Media Living the Faith
By Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua As the elections are approaching, the volume of hate speeches is reaching the peak. Mutual trust is giving way to mutual suspicion. Religion is being politicized as if the political parties are Christianity and Islam. Religious fanaticism has become a strong point to campaign against an opponent. One would have expected the political candidates to rather ...
Read More »Opinion
Please Read Me – My Life Story
By Chukwuemerie Udekwe I am Tim. And I am the only eye with which my mother sees. I am her definition of a hopeful world. A future with bliss. I am handsome, tall, straight and fair of complexion. I know. I have a mirror. And people are want to telling me too. I am also an academic firebrand and intellectual ...
Read More »The Mind’s Construction in the Face
By Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua In Act 1, Scene 4 of William Shakespeare Macbeth, King Duncan while enquiring about the execution of the incumbent Thane of Cowdor told Lennox, Malcolm, Donalbain and the attendants that “there’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face.” Duncan embraced and praised Macbeth knowing not that he was actually embracing the person who ...
Read More »THE REAL STORY BEHIND VALENTINE DAY
This Valentine’s Day you will probably either send or receive a valentine from someone. More than a billion are expected to be given away . But just like many of our holidays, there’s a lot more behind it than just cards and gifts. There’s a true-life story. It’s a story that teaches us a lot about love, sacrifice, and commitment—the ...
Read More »STUDENTS AND VALENTINE DAY
By Princess Chinecherem Efobi Valentine Day is popularly celebrated globally every February 14. According to the academic time table for secondary schools in Nigeria, students are supposed to be in their classrooms during this year’s Valentine day celebration. School Run Princess sampled the thoughts of some students of St Anthony’s Catholic Comprehensive Institute Agulu, on the meaning of Valentine. ANAGOR ...
Read More »THE MAN PETER OBI (POLITICAL SON OF OJUKWU)
The man Peter Obi came into the lime light of Nigerian politics during the General Election of 2003. In that year, his election posters appeared along the streets of Enugu in Enugu State and Awka in Anambra State. What appeared in the posters was his picture and the writing “Is ANAMBRA STATE, A CURSED STATE”. This question ‘is Anambra state ...
Read More »Fides Kitchen – Season of Love
By Chioma Nnagbo It’s a week of love, how do you plan to celebrate valentine with your loved ones? Daddy are you taking the family out for dinner? Mummy, what special dish are you preparing for the family? Hello husbands, what surprise do you have for your wife? So, I have something special for you all my lovers, I will ...
Read More »Progress is our Culture
By Paschal Obi As our lives unfold as Africans, our generation today experience an uncritical adoption and assimilation of foreign values which are incompatible with our rich African heritage and profound values. The velocity at which our rich cultural values which make us peculiar and distinct from others wear off calls for an immediate attention. There is today a disintegration ...
Read More »HISTORY OF LENT
BY WILLIAM SAUNDERS What are the origins of Lent? Did the Church always have this time before Easter? Lent is a special time of prayer, penance, sacrifice and good works in preparation of the celebration of Easter. In the desire to renew the liturgical practices of the Church, The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of Vatican Council II stated, “The ...
Read More »The Vulture on Our Shoulders
By Nwankwo Solomon Ewezuga Sexual abuse is the ill in our society at this present time. Most often, people who indulge in this very act find it as the only option towards resting the sexual urge. Urge of course is a sign of animality of the human species, though other living things share in this very property. The difference though ...
Read More »The kitchen is a hotspot for bacteria and parasites
By Chioma Nnagbo This is why good kitchen hygiene during both food preparation and cooking are extremely critical in terms of preventing food borne illnesses. Bacteria may sit on kitchen counters, stick to your raw meats, and end up contaminating all those delicious foods. These being germs, they are for the most part completely invisible. Here are 8 must-follow kitchen ...
Read More »Britain’s Brexit Debacle
By Nze Nwabueze Akabogu The year 2019 will ever remain a watershed in the annals of modern British history as the House of Commons (Parliament) on 15th January 2019 dealt a devastating blow to the already battered image and political career of Prime Minister Theresa May when the Parliament overwhelmingly rejected her controversial Brexit deal with the European Union. Theresa ...
Read More »Christmas in Anambra
By Uche Nworah This past Christmas was my fifth consecutive Christmas celebration in Anambra State. I can still recall the very first one in 2014; the first under the Willie Obiano Administration in Anambra State. We were rookie political appointees in the Obiano Government at the time looking for ways to make our mark. The Governor, having set Anambra on ...
Read More »Why We Should Pray To St. Michael the Archangel Everyday
By Michael Ogunu In Hebrew, Michael means “Who is like God?” Holy Scriptures describes St. Michael as the leader of the forces of heaven in their triumph over the powers of hell. He has been specially honoured and invoked as patron and protector of the Church of God from the time of the apostles. Catholic tradition assigns to him these ...
Read More »COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE CATHOLICS BISHOPS OF LAGOS ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE
COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE CATHOLICS BISHOPS OF LAGOS ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE (LEP) AT THE END OF THEIR FIRST PLENARY MEETING HELD AT ST AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH, MARYLAND ON WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 2019. PREAMBLE: We, the Catholic Bishops of the Lagos Ecclesiastical Province, comprising of Lagos Archdiocese, Ijebu Ode and Abeokuta Dioceses held our first plenary meeting for the year 2019 at ...
Read More »My Pact with Umu Idemili
By Ifeanyichukwu Ibezi Since my involvement in active politics, over sixteen years ago, I have taken time to study a politician’s claim to public good. How well he remembers his campaign promises, if ever, after election? My findings show that quite a few remember. A lot more don’t. They renege once elected into office. The interest of the people is ...
Read More »COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE CATHOLICS BISHOPS OF LAGOS ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE (LEP) AT THE END OF THEIR FIRST PLENARY MEETING HELD AT ST AGNES CATHOLIC CHURCH, MARYLAND ON WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 2019. PREAMBLE: We, the Catholic Bishops of the Lagos Ecclesiastical Province, comprising of Lagos Archdiocese, Ijebu Ode and Abeokuta Dioceses held our first plenary meeting for the year 2019 at St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland, Lagos. Having undertaken a careful appraisal of some of the major issues facing the Church in our province and the enormity of challenges facing our country Nigeria, we hereby issue the following Communique: (1) Gratitude for a New Year We thank the Almighty God for the grace to survive the numerous thorny paths that characterized better part of last year, 2018 and for the gift of the New Year 2019. The New Year opens the door for yet a new beginning for all of God’s children to draw nearer their creator, shun sin and make haste to embrace true reconciliation that is available in the sacrament of penance. We thank the good Lord for the gift of the Mother Church, means through which forgiveness and salvation is open to everyone who is ready and willing to embrace the path of holiness and drink from the inexhaustible water of life; the unblemished word of God. We pray that the New Year, 2019 will offer a new vista of life for all of God’s children. We call on all God children to draw closer to Christ so as to experience the joy of the Lord and the grace of the sacraments as well as the intercession of Mary, Mother of God, the Mediatrix of all graces and the Queen of Nigeria. (2) Election Year, 2019 We note that 2019, being an election year, is a very delicate year for Nigerians and our dear country, Nigeria. We call on all eligible Nigerians to carry out their civic responsibility and participate actively in the forthcoming elections. In spite of the difficulties being faced, all who have registered should pick up their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and refuse the temptation of selling their voters cards for any amount of money. We should all vote and elect only credible, God fearing and qualified candidates with the requisite expertise to turn around, for good, the fortunes of this great nation Nigeria. We call on the eligible voters not to allow themselves to be induced to sell their votes but to vote according their conscience and ensure that they defend their votes so that they can truly count. We say no to electoral rigging, thuggery and intimidation. Free and fair, elections should be the watch word for INEC. All contesting candidates should be allowed a level playing ground to test their popularity so that at the end of the day, the will of the majority of Nigerians would prevail at the polls. In the same vein, we call on the Security Agencies to ensure that they are not used by any political party to intimidate or short-circuit the electoral process. (3) Catholics in Politics We reiterate our call for more Catholic lay faithful to get involved and be active participants in the political space beginning at the grassroots, the ward level. We encourage all to deepen their Christian formation by availing themselves of the values inherent in the Social Teaching of the Church so that they can be prepared adequately for good governance and therefore help to effect positive changes in the polity. We affirm that the numerous challenges facing the nation such as corruption, nepotism, incompetence, injustice and numerous other vices that have since taken the centre stage of our national life, would have been reduced drastically were there more God-fearing people especially Catholics with heightened spirituality at the helm of affairs in the public service. The elections this year 2019 should therefore serve as a wake-up call for more Catholics to come out en-mass and be active in party political activities. (4) Curbing Insecurity & Killings Last year 2018 was largely characterized by insecurity across several parts of the country but especially in the North Central and the North East. The Boko Haram sect continued to terrorize the nation, killing and maiming innocent Nigerians, including soldiers. Kidnappings and ritual killings were at an all-time high as many Nigerians, including the clergy and religious were randomly abducted by gun men with little help in sight. In this election year, we note with dismay the persistent rise in incidents of Yahoo boys activities and ritual killings, casting fear and apprehension in the minds of law-abiding citizens. We therefore call on Security Agencies saddled with the task of safeguarding the lives and properties of Nigerian citizens to double up their efforts in putting an end to insecurity in the land. We call for the strengthening of all security apparatus and the procurement of adequate arms and ammunitions and other equipment needed by the military to successfully exterminate all forms of hostilities in the country before the commencement of the national elections. In recent times, there have been allegations of corruption in the procurement of arms and ammunitions. Soldiers fighting the Boko Haram are said to have been exposed to danger due to inadequate or obsolete equipment at their disposal. We call on government to ensure that those allegations are not disregarded but that they are investigated properly and whoever may be indicted be punished according to the laws of the land. This is the least we can do to encourage the young men and women who put their lives on the line for the security of their fellow Nigerians. Conclusion In this election year, we reinforce our call for all to intensify their prayers for peaceful elections. We believe in the unity of this country and call on those nursing divisive ideas to have a change of mind and allow the plans of the Almighty for this country to manifest seamlessly. We abhor war or shedding of innocent blood because life is sacred. We also call on the political class and their ardent supporters to embrace peace before, during and after the elections. Politics should never be a do-or-die affair, but a call to serve. At the end of all the electoral activities, may the wishes of the people be allowed to prevail. We therefore commit the affairs of this great country and our individual affairs into the loving hands of our Mother Mary, the Queen of Peace and Patroness of Nigeria. May she continue to intercede for us. Amen. ……………………………………………………………. Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins Archbishop of Lagos and President, LEP Bishops’ Conference Bishop Peter Odetoyinbo Bishop of Abeokuta Diocese and Secretary, LEP Bishops’ Conference
By Chioma Nnagbo It is wonderful to have kids in the kitchen helping out with some small chores while cooking is going on, it’s also good to catch them young. But In all, when certain precautions are not taken, the reserve will be case. I find this very interesting, lets help to make cooking interesting and safe for children Here ...
Read More »Southeast PDP and Peter Obi: My Take
By Okey Enekwe I was afraid earlier that our people from Southeast would not support Atiku’s running mate and our brother, former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi. With the help of God, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party is the next President of Nigeria, come next month. The indicators are very ...
Read More »FIDES KITCHEN – TOASTED RICE
By Chioma Nnagbo How do you cook your Jollof rice? Do you parboil your rice first? Have you ever tried toasting your rice before cooking? I tell you the flavour, the texture, the colour and aroma is out of this world. Interestingly, you need just one ingredient to make this work. RECIPE 4 cups of Rice 1/2 cup of butter ...
Read More »Back to School
By Paschal Chisom Obi Yesterday morning, as I strolled down the street of Abuja for my usual early Monday morning exercise, I observed that the street were busy unlike before. I saw smiles on the faces of young students as they resume for a new term. As they match to their various schools, some were carrying their lockers and chairs ...
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