The Catholic Bishop of Jalingo Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Charles M. Hammawa, has offered a Lenten message with a call on the people of God to embrace faith, hope and compassion.
In a message obtained by Advocatus Africa, the Prelate maintained that because “the Church celebrates the Year of St. Francis of Assisi, Christians should imitate his humility, simplicity, and love for the poor.”
He urged the faithful to “use Lent to renew their faith, live with hope, practice charity, fight injustice, and care for the poor, following the example of Christ and St. Francis,” who lived between the 12th and early 13th centuries.
The 63-year-old Bishop stressed that, as people of hope, beyond the Jubilee Year of Hope, Christians should “live with hope, because our hope comes from God who calls us from darkness into His light and promises victory over sin and death.”
Catholic Bishop of Jalingo Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Charles M. Hammawa. Credit: Istifanus Rokoba
According to him, “Our hope comes from God, who calls us from darkness into His light and promises victory over sin and death.”
He noted that the first Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Leo XIV, “Dilexit Te” (I Have Loved You), released on 9 October 2025, reminds believers to practice love and charity.
Explaining the relevance of Lent, the former Rector of St. Augustine’s Major Seminary, Jos, emphasised that “Lent is a special time for spiritual renewal through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.”
He charged Christians to strengthen their faith and turn away from sin, stressing that the fact that Lent and Ramadan occurred at the same time signifies the values of “peaceful coexistence, fairness, and respect for human dignity.”
The third Bishop of Jalingo diocese, after Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama and his immediate predecessor, the late Bishop James Daman, OSA, clarified that “Christian poverty does not reject material goods but calls believers to avoid greed, acquire wealth honestly, and use resources for charity, development, and the common good.”
The cleric encouraged the faithful to root out sin in their lives by acting justly, adding that the Christian life entails “overcoming personal sin, living holy lives, and working together to eliminate injustice and oppression” towards establishing a better society.
He urged believers to embody the virtues of faith and practical love through compassion as well as service to the poor, leading up to a grace-filled Easter festival.
Job well done padre, for all your efforts on giving us update about the Church in Nigeria and using your platforms to pass powerful messages to us. God bless all your efforts Father.
Amen. Thank you for your encouragement and warm wishes. Kind regards!