By Isyaku Dikko

Recently, Pope Leo XIV appealed against the recent senseless killings of people in Benue State, Nigeria. He said:

“On the night of 13th/14th June, in the town of Yelwata in the Guma Local Government Area, in Benue State in Nigeria, a terrible massacre occurred in which around 200 people were killed with extreme cruelty, most of whom were internally displaced persons hosted by the local Catholic mission. I pray that security, justice and peace will prevail in Nigeria, a beloved country so affected by various forms of violence. And I pray in a special way for the rural Christian communities in Benue State, who have been unceasingly the victims of violence.”

It is good that the Pope spoke against the senseless killings of Christians in Nigeria. He is a Catholic leader but to the credit of the Vatican, it has been speaking for world peace. The Christians value their lives, if other Nigerians don’t.

In fact, the Vatican has consistently identified with the problems of the Palestinians, although about 90 per cent of them are muslims. The Catholic Church has its challenges and problems but there are some lessons the world can learn from it. After all, the prophet of Islam said that knowledge and wisdom are the property of the believer. Therefore, he should seek and take them, even if it requires going to China, a country that had nothing to do with Islam at that time. Perhaps, to date.

This piece is about papacy, an office and institution. And I’m fairly conversant with the papacy as an institution because I offered European History in the university, where we examined the origin and development of Christianity, including the rebellion of Martin Luther and his 95 allegations called Theses, against the Catholic Church in 1517, based on which he was excommunicated (disowned) in June 1520 by Pope Leo X.

I have also read a number of books on contemporary issues in the Vatican and papacy. The one I found most engaging and intriguing is titled, “In God’s Name – An investigation Into the Murder of Pope John Paul I” by David Yallop. Over six million copies were sold, and The Economist (London) described it as, “Excellently done… an engrossing and disturbing book”. Indeed, like all other religious groups, the Catholic Church has its share of challenges. But this is not our focus.

For clarity, the pope refers to “the individual leader of the Catholic Church, the Bishop of Rome, who serves as the spiritual leader and Head of State of Vatican” while the papacy refers to “the office, dignity, and jurisdiction of the pope, encompassing the institution, authority, and tradition of the papal office”.

Now, the lessons. First, let me start with power. If there is to be president of the world, based on global acceptance of his followers, the pope is eminently qualified, as a spiritual leader and head of government (Vatican) whose about 1.4 billion followers cut across all countries, races and continents.

Interestingly, it is an enormous power which the Pope doesn’t use to massage his (not her) ego or acquire material wealth. I put “her” in bracket because there has never been a female Pope, and the struggle now is for an African, not female Pope.

With a population of 882 people, and as an enclave in Italy, the Vatican is the smallest country in the world but with sovereignty, independence and self-government. Thus, the pope is a strong leader, as head of government and at the same time spiritual leader in the world. But I cannot recall reading about an instance where the pope used this ENORMOUS POWER against humanity.

Secondly, all the four occupiers of the office of the pope in my life, were paragons of humility, the climax of which was the kissing of the feet of warring faction leaders of Southern Sudan. You may recall that John Garang took up arms for the freedom of Southern Sudan from the Arabs of Sudan who they accused of racism. However, Pope Francis knelt down and kissed the feet of their leaders. This may not mean anything in some cultures but the pope succeeded in sending a powerful message to them pleading for peace.

The president of Southern Sudan, Salva Kirr, stated in his tribute to Pope Francis that:

“His act of kindness and humility demonstrated during our visit to Rome in 2019, when he knelt down to kiss our feet was a turning point for us, the peace partners. I was almost trembling” (Agnes Aineah, ACI Africa, Juba, April 23, 2025)

Thirdly, all the popes preached peace and love for humanity regardless of religion, gender or race. And they matched their words with action. For example, they never abandoned the Palestinians who are predominantly Muslims and Arabs. Imagine the set back the Palestinians may have experienced if any of the Popes had called on Catholics in the world to support Israel.

Of course, only God knows the pressure put on them to do so. But Pope Francis died calling for ceasefire and humanitarian intervention for Palestinians in Gaza. To the dismay of war mongers, I believe.

The Catholic Church is known for effective organisation and management based on which it successfully runs thousands of dioceses and parishes all over the world. It does this by engaging in productive businesses to generate wealth to cater for its officials and followers. This commitment to social services like education, health etc earned it the respect of its followers which makes management and discipline easier.

Also, their officials are constantly trained and retrained to discharge their duties effectively. For example, see the address of Pope John Paul II to the plenary session of the congregation for the clergy entitled, “The Priest, Pastor, and Leadership of the Parish Community”, delivered on Friday November 23, 2001.

He specifically stated that, “in fulfilling his duty as guide, which is his personal responsibility, the pastor will surely obtain help from the consultative bodies foreseen by canon law”.

In the same vein, the Vatican has been teaching the world how to conduct free and fair elections. No petition. No tribunal. No court case.

For us in Nigeria, the lessons are important, because there will always be Muslims and Christians in the country. Therefore, they must learn to live in peace on the basis of justice and fairness. We must also continue to pray for peace in the country. Even if Nigeria is to break, let the new countries have something to show for wasting their time in Nigeria.

Be that as it may, it would be interesting, for example, just as the Muslims were persecuted in Mecca and the prophet of Islam sent them to present day Ethiopia where there was a just Christian king called Najashi of Aksum empire, if some Muslims are to be persecuted in Nigeria today, they will find peace in the Vatican. And the Sultan of Sokoto should be comfortable enough to send them there.

Finally, it will be good if the Vatican examines the possibility of changing the colours of the smoke they use as symbols of election of a new pope; with black indicating mourning, and white victory for the election of a new pope. All colours are innocent but people will continue to attach meanings to them.

There appears to be light at the end of the tunnel in Benue. For example, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed frustration that he directed the Inspector General of Police to relocate to Benue during a similar attack but he refused. Today, the Inspector General of Police and Chief of Defence Staff are there already before President Bola Tinubu directed them to go.

Should we all say Shalom?