Torchlight News

                        Beautiful sight of lunar eclipse Are you a night sky watcher? Or a natural phenomenon enthusiast? There is a good treat for you tonight. Those living across Nigeria and several other African countries will have a rare opportunity, this Sunday, September 7, to witness a lunar eclipse gracing the night sky,  a couple of hours away from now . ‎According to scientists, the eclipse will last for about 83 minutes, beginning around 8:00 p.m. Nigerian time. It will be visible across most of Africa, though some western regions may miss the early stages due to the Moon rising closer to or during totality. ‎Countries expected to witness the phenomenon include Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Benin, Togo, Niger, Chad, and São Tomé and Príncipe . ‎Experts explain that a total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon perfectly align, with Earth positioned between the Sun and the Moon,...

"PASSING SIX, NOT PASSING SENSE":  A Mirror of Self-Assessment ‎ ‎By Pascal Chimezie  ‎ ‎There is a world of difference between classroom learning, also known as, formal education, and "street sense," variously called, in local parlance, "No. 6", "native intelligence", or "common sense." In a more technical sense, it is about the difference between "acquired learning" and "infused knowledge."  ‎ ‎My late less literate father, Sir Louis, used to say, "passing six no be passing sense." He would make such a remark each time we committed one thing! (And trust us we always commit something...) My father, not really high-handed, would excoriate or chide us for our foolish mistakes. But his rebuke would not be complete without saying, "passing six, no be passing sense." The import of his words, as at that time, was lost to us. We never really understood what he meant. In our childish innocence, we were a...

Pope Leo receiving in audience altar servers Are you an altar server? Do you serve at the Mass, as a young woman, or a young man, or even as an adult? His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, has a message for you. ‎ ‎"Help lead the faithful into the Sacred Mystery of the Mass. The dignity of your service helps lead people into the sacred greatness of the Mystery," Pope Leo says to you. ‎ ‎If it needs further breakdown, the Pope is reminding you of the dignity of your ministry of service in the House of God.  He is reminding you of the great importance of the memory of Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross to save mankind which is handed down to us, by the Church, through the Eucharist and daily celebration of Mass, which you, the altar servers, assist the priest in celebrating. ‎ ‎Papa delivers this message Monday, August 25, while receiving a delegation of more than 300 French Alter Servers who are in Rome for pilgrimage as part of the Jubilee Year of Hope. ‎ Address...

‎.....Fr Fadairo takes over ‎                   Msgr. J. K. A Aniagwu  ‎At last, the news the parishioners of St Leo's Catholic Church Ikeja, Lagos, dreaded to hear is delivered to them.  Rt. Rev. Msgr. John Kanebi Asuquo Aniagwu, their darling priest,  ceases to be the Parish Priest of St. Leo's, and will soon bid good bye to the parish he has pastured for 30 years. This comes as part of a major shake up that sees the appointments and transfers of many other priests in the Archdiocese. ‎The information is contained in a circular released on Monday, August 25, and personally signed by the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins, and addressed to all the priests and religious in the Archdiocese. ‎The circular reads in part, "In keeping with the Church's mission of promoting evangelization and building authentic communities of engaged Catholics, we hereby make the following appoi...

       Pope Leo XIV worried by too many wars   As too many conflicts continue to tear the world apart, Pope Leo XIV Wednesday, August 20, invites the faithful to prayer and fasting on Friday, August 22, for peace. Addressing the faithful gathered at the Paul VI Hall, during his weekly General Audience at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the world’s many conflict zones, and called for a "disarmed and disarming peace" in all places torn by armed conflict.  Recalling the upcoming liturgical commemoration of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to be celebrated on Friday, August 22, the Pope invites the faithful to celebrate that day by praying and fasting for peace. “Mary is the Mother of the faithful here on earth and is remembered as the Queen of Peace,” the Pope said. As our world continues to be wounded by wars - in the Holy Land, in Ukraine, and in other parts of the world -  the Pope invites all the faithful to take pa...

‎"Even if it ends, the desires for revenge will persist, and we will have to struggle with the consequences of this war on people’s lives for a long time to come.” ‎This was the heart-rending response to the question on the intractably knotty conflict between Israel and Palestine, which has claimed thousands of lives and rendered millions homeless in recent times, by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, in his homily during the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, August 15. .        Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa The prelate, whose diocese covers both Israel, those living in the Palestinian territories of Gaza, and the West Bank, stated that while everyone wants an end to the conflict, its end will not mark “the end of hostilities and the pain they will cause,” as the desire for revenge will persist, and “we will have to struggle with the consequences of this war on people’s lives for a long time to come.” ‎ His vintage positio...

‎- Seeks Church's help for peace  building  ‎               Paul Biya of Cameroon Ahead of Cameron's general election coming up in October, the government is widening its consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders, including leaders of the Catholic Church, for peace building efforts. ‎The 92 years old Paul Biya, Africa’s second-longest-serving president after Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, in July announced that he would be running for the presidency in October for the 8th time, even as he shuttles abroad frequently for medical tourism.  Last year, it was rumoured that he had passed on, prompting the government to publicly deny the rumors. Paul Biya is Cameroon’s second president since independence from France in 1960, and has been in power since 1982. There have been widespread discontents among the populace as a result of myriad of socio-economic challenges pushing the people to the brink. ‎Cameroonian Mi...

‎"The world can be a better place for all of us, if we can, individually, overcome personal interests, so that we can focus on serving the common good. Only then can those living in war zones, who continue to suffer and endure deprivation, (will) once again begin to hope for life marked by dignity and safety." These are the words of the Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on Saturday, August 16, in continuation of his five days state visit to Burundi, East-central Africa. ‎ ‎Cardinal Parolin is in Burundi to celebrate the Holy Mass of the Solemnity of the Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary, which coincided with the elevation of the Parish of Saint Anthony of Padua —located within the territory of the national Marian shrine of Mugera, part of the Archdiocese of Gitega—to the status of Minor Basilica, as well as to inaugurate a monument at the site where Papal's Apostolic Nuncio, Monsignor Courtney, was assassinated in December 2003. ‎  ...

  T he United States has strongly condemned the recent wave of brutal attacks on Christians in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa, calling the violence "horrific" and pledging to work with international partners to address the crisis. The condemnation follows a series of deadly attacks in recent times, including the massacre of 27 Christians in Bindi Ta-hoss, a community in Riyom LGA of Plateau State, by Islamist Fulani militants. Trump's led administration, through the White House and the State Department, has vowed to respond with decisive actions to end the senseless killings that seem to have no end. “The Trump administration condemns in the strongest terms this horrific violence against Christians,” the White House said. It emphasised that religious freedom is both a moral duty and a U.S. foreign policy priority. The State Department Spokesperson told newsmen that “The Department of State is working closely with the White House to identify opportunities to furt...

The 3rd Pan-African Catholic Congress on Theology, Society, and Pastoral Life, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, ended on Sunday, August 10, with a strong solidarity message from Pope Leo XIV, to the participants, urging them to give more attention to what he calls the "family of local Churches." His Holiness charged the participants and Church leaders at the Congress, which started on Tuesday, August 5, "to continue making the local Churches in their respective countries places where members feel loved and supported." In his recorded video, the Holy Father underlined the importance of building a network of support for Church members, especially on the continent that he admitted faces “its own set of particular difficulties.” “The family is usually the first place where we receive the love and support we need to move forward and overcome the trials we face in life,” Pope Leo XIV told participants, adding that,, “For this reason, I encourage you to keep building up the fami...

  The Lagos Provincial Teaching Ministry of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Nigeria on Saturday, August 9, assembled its ministers for a capacity building workshop, with the theme, "Awakening the Giants", at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Ojota , Lagos. The well attended gathering was graced by the Lagos Provincial chairman of the CCRN, Bro. Fowode, who doubles as Assistant National Coordinator of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Nigeria.  In his goodwill message, Bro. Fowode praised the Provincial teachers for their unwavering commitment and diligence to the service of the Renewal in the Province and to the Church. "The Renewal is a gift to the Church," he said, "and the Church recognizes it,"  As key to successful ministry, he encouraged the teachers to sustain their good prayer life, maintain devotion to our Mother Mary, and ensure deep Eucharistic worship, as well as "taking good care of your health." On the forthcoming Provincial ...