Vatican-based Catholic Archbishop Decries Killings of Christians in Nigeria, Calls CPC Designation “shameful” – aciafrica.org

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By Abah Anthony John
Abuja, 09 November, 2025 / 11:49 pm (ACI Africa).
The Secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Evangelization, Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, has described the suffering and persecution of Christians in Nigeria as “painful” and urged authorities to focus on ending the persistent killings rather than debating the designation of the West African nation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
Speaking to ACI Africa on the sidelines of his conferment with an honorary doctorate degree by Veritas University Abuj, Archbishop Nwachukwu said insecurity has become “unbearable” for many Nigerians across the country.
“It is a painful thing to see my people being killed by bandits and insurgents. Of course, I am Nigerian. I cannot take myself away from this reality. The suffering of my people is also my suffering; the pains of our people in Nigeria are my pains,” he said during the November 8 interview.
Reflecting on the ongoing debate about Nigeria’s designation as a CPC over religious persecution, Archbishop Nwachukwu, who previously served as the Holy Father’s representative in Nicaragua, said discussions about classification are meaningless if the killings continue.
“It is shameful. We should all be ashamed; I mean, Nigerians should be ashamed that we have come to the level of this type of classification being given to us. Instead of wasting time on whether we should be classified or not, we should focus that energy on stopping the killings,” he said.
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For him, “If you remove the cause, you remove the effect. If we don’t want to be classified, then let us stop the killings.”
The Secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Evangelization emphasized that the lives of Nigerians should be treated with equal value, irrespective of their faith or background. “No killing should be permitted. We should stop all this waste of energy on debates and focus on how to stop the killings,” he reiterated. 
The Vatican-based official noted that international recognition of Nigeria’s security challenges should serve as motivation for both the government and citizens to act decisively.
“If you remove the cause of the killings, you remove the basis for classification,” he reiterated, and continued, “If you want to stop the classification, and then let us do everything possible to stop the killings.”
“Every life lost, even one life lost, is too much. Every life matter, no matter the religion they profess,” he emphasized. 
Archbishop Nwachukwu lamented that the growing insecurity, corruption, and failure of leadership have not only damaged lives but also tarnished Nigeria’s image globally. 
According to him, the judgment the world passes on Nigeria because of the conduct of its people affects every citizen, including those living abroad.
“When people do not give the right witness, from the point of view of politics or the professions, it is the image of Nigeria that is put in the trench,” he said. 
He continued, “That affects every Nigerian, wherever we are. If the people at home are not behaving well, every Nigerian in any part of the world suffers the consequence.”
He expressed hope for Christians and all victims of violence, assuring them that the global community is paying attention.
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“The message of hope is that you are not alone. Thanks to God, it is now being talked about globally. We hope that those who have the means to stop the killings will do something about it instead of wasting energy debating whether or not Nigeria should be classified, or the debate that it’s not only Christians that are being killed,” he said. 
Abah Anthony John is a Nigerian Catholic journalist with passion for Church communication and media apostolate. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Benue State University, Makurdi in Benue State Nigeria. He has a background in print, electronic and multi-media production.
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