CHRISTMAS MESSAGE BY BISHOP FRANCIS ADESINA TO ALL NIGERIANS AND THE WORLD AT LARGE

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” (Isaiah 9:2)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, dear people of God in Ijebu-Ode Diocese and in Nigeria,

I bring you greetings of peace as we celebrate the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christmas proclaims to the world that God has not abandoned humanity. In the birth of Jesus Christ, our hope is not merely promised; it is fulfilled.

1. Christmas in the Context of Our National Reality

This year’s celebration finds our nation burdened by deep economic hardship, rising inflation, unemployment, food insecurity, and persistent insecurity across many regions. Families struggle to survive, young people wrestle with despair, and many ask in silence: Where is hope?

The prophet Isaiah speaks directly to our situation:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone” (Isaiah 9:2).

Christmas announces that darkness, whether economic, political, or social, does not have the final word. Christ enters history precisely where pain is deepest. He is born not in a palace but in poverty, insecurity, and vulnerability. In Him, God identifies with Nigeria’s suffering masses.

2. A Child Is Born for Us

Isaiah further proclaims:

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us… and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). This Child reveals that true governance is rooted in justice and compassion. In a nation yearning for credible leadership and good governance, Christ challenges our leaders to see authority as service. As the Fathers of the Church remind us, “Christ reigns not by force, but by love” (St. Augustine, City of God).

Peace, therefore, is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of justice. Without justice, security efforts will remain fragile. Without compassion, economic reforms will wound the poor.

3. Salvation Has Come to Our Streets

Isaiah declares:

“Say to daughter Zion: Behold, your salvation comes” (Isaiah 62:11).

This salvation is not abstract. It must touch our markets, our highways, our farms, our schools, and our homes. Psalm 96 invites the whole nation to rejoice:

“Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice… for He comes to rule the earth with justice” (Psalm 96:11–13).

Christmas calls Nigeria to moral renewal. Corruption, greed, violence, ethnic hatred, and religious intolerance contradict the joy of the Gospel. As Gaudium et Spes teaches, “The joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the people of this age… are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ” (GS 1).

4. Mercy Made Flesh

St. Paul reminds us:

“When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us… by the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4–7). Christmas is God’s mercy embodied. In a society quick to condemn and slow to forgive, Christ teaches reconciliation. Families must heal, communities must rebuild trust, and our nation must rediscover solidarity. The Church Fathers saw Christmas as the great exchange: “God became man so that man might become godlike” (St. Athanasius).

This dignity of the human person demands that every Nigerian life be protected, especially the poor, displaced persons, victims of violence, and unborn children.

5. God Has Spoken to Us in His Son

The Letter to the Hebrews proclaims: “In these last days, God has spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1–2). Jesus Christ is God’s final word to Nigeria: a word of truth in a culture of lies, a word of light in darkness, a word of hope in despair. St. John’s Gospel affirms: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

God pitches His tent among us. He is present in our pain and active in our struggle. Like the Magi (Matthew 2:1–12), we are invited to rise above fear, follow the light, and offer Christ the gold of justice, the frankincense of prayer, and the myrrh of sacrificial love.

6. A Call to Hope and Responsibility

Dear people of God, hope is not passive optimism. Christian hope is active responsibility. As Lumen Gentium reminds us, the Church is “a sign and instrument of intimate union with God and of the unity of the whole human race” (LG 1).

I therefore call on Leaders to govern with conscience and compassion. Security agencies should protect the life of Christians and non-Christians alike, indeed all citizens of the nation. Citizens should reject violence, corruption, and despair. Christians should be the light, salt, and leaven in society.

Conclusion

Christmas assures us that God is still at work in Nigeria. The hope fulfilled in Bethlehem continues to unfold in history. No darkness is too deep, no wound too painful, for the Light of Christ. May the Prince of Peace heal our land, restore our economy, secure our nation, and renew our hearts.

I wish you all a blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with faith, courage, and hope.

✠ Most Rev. Francis Obafemi ADESINA

Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Ijebu-Ode

Christmas 2025