THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF NIGERIA

OUR IDENTITY
We are a forum wherein the collegiality of Nigerian Bishops as successors of the Apostles in union with the Pope is expressed and the ideal of the Church as a family is witnessed to. In this forum, we reach out in unity, communion and solidarity first to our flock of over 20 million Catholic, then to the Nigerian people, and to all the men and women of our generation. The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria the Administrative Headquarters of the CBCN, remains the most visible symbol of the Catholic Church in Nigeria.

OUR VISION
We want to see all men and women from within and outside Nigeria led to the abundant life that is available in Christ’s kingdom of peace.

OUR MISSION
We exist to spearhead and facilitate the teaching, prophetic and pastoral care ministries of the Catholic Church in Nigeria, and to promote Christ’s civilization of love in our country and in the whole world.

OUR STRATEGIES
In order to fulfill our Mission, we will commit ourselves to praying together, studying together, working together and speaking together through the following strategies.

(a) Coordinating theological reflection, pastoral and liturgical practice, religious education, biblical apostolate, the application of Conon Law, the task of inculturation and translation, and the organization of pilgrimages, congresses, synods and jubilees. (Department of Pastoral Affairs).

(b) Coordinating the life and activities of the Clergy, Seminaries Religious and Lay Apostolate Organizations. Department of Pastoral agents).

(c) Coordinating the work of the Church as it relates to human society in general and specifically as it promotes integral human development, democracy, justice reconciliation and peace (department of Church and Society).


(d) Coordinating the Church’s missionary initiatives, including monitoring the training and sending of priests, religions and lay missionaries to the needy parts of our country and of the world, and promoting dialogue among Christians of various denominations, and between Christians and adherents of other religions. (Department of Mission and Dialogue).

(e) Coordinating all communication activities within the Church, evangelizing the mass media and ensuring that all the above stated activities are widely known through a prudent use of the media. (Directorate of Social Communications).



DEPARTMENT OF PASTORAL AFFAIRS

The Pastoral Affairs Department of the CBCN is the Office charged with issues relating to Theological Reflection, Canon Law, Religious Education, Biblical Apostolate, Catechetics, Inculturation and Translation and Organization of Pilgrimages, Congresses, Synods and Jubilees.

The Department of CBCN has five units. A Secretary heads each unit, which may comprise of one or a combination of Committees.

(1) The Director of the Department is also the Secretary of the Pastoral, Liturgical and Theological Committees. Others are:
(2) The Secretary of Religious Education, Catechetics and Biblical Apostolate Committees.
(3) The Secretary of the Pilgrimage, Synod and Congresses Committee,
(4) The Secretary of the Conon Law Committee and
(5) The Secretary of Inculturation and Translation Committees.



DUTIES

The task of the Department includes:

(i) Production and printing of annual liturgical Calendar and other important liturgical materials.
(ii) Maintaining steady correspondence with
(a) Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship
(b) Pontifical Commission for Pastoral Tourism
(c) The International Commission on English in Liturgy

(iii) Co-ordinating the work of Diocesan Spiritual Directors.
(iv) Ordering of Mass Wine for the Nigerian Catholic Church.
(v) Organizing International and National Eucharistic Congresses and other Pastoral Congresses.
(vi) Organizing National Pilgrimages ad co-operating with organizers of Provincial Pilgrimages.
(vii) Co-ordinating Jubilee Celebrations on the National level


DEPARTMENT OF PASTORAL AGENTS

The Pastoral Agents Department is set up by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) to coordinate the life and activities of the Clergy, Seminaries, Religious and Laity all of which are administered through appropriate committees. The director, through the committees ensures that CBCN as a body is intensely involved in the life and growth of the groups thus administered and that they in turn get a good opportunity to relate with the Conference. The Committees see to it that the various segments of the Church attached to them interacts effectively with their peers on national and international levels.

Under the supervision of the Director and in collaboration with the Committee Chairmen, the Secretary of the Committees for Clergy and Seminaries works hand in hand with various clergy groups within dioceses and on the national level with the National Association of the Catholic Diocesan Priests (NACDP), Also he is in touch with he heads of all Major Seminaries and formation houses and has knowledge of their staff and curriculum. He is in touch with the Spiritual Year houses and the Minor Seminaries.

In the same way under the supervision of the Director, the Secretary of the Committees for Religious and Laity in collaboration with the Committee Chairman works closely with Congregations and Institutes in Nigeria including their statistical profiles. He also works with the National Laity Council of Nigeria, the Catholic Women Organization, the Catholic Youth Organization, and helps them fulfil their vocations as part of the people of God. In summary:

LAITY COMMITIEE RELIGIOUS COMMITIEE

* Laity Council * NCCP
* Knights of St. Mulumba * Conference of men & women
* Knights of St. John * Major superiors
* CWO * Vicars for Religious
* C.Y.O.N * Religious Committee on women Trafficking 
* NFCS * Committee on Inculturation
* Catholic Charismatic Renewal
* St. Vincent De Paul and all other lay organizations in Nigeria


In co-ordinating the activities of the entire department the Director keeps contact with the universal Church through the Pontifical Commissions for the Clergy, the Seminaries, the Laity and the Religious.



DEPARTMENT OF CHURCH AND SOCIETY

The Church and Society Department is the arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) which coordinates the work of the Catholic Church in Nigeria as it relates to human society in general, and specifically as it promotes social development, human dignity, democracy, justice, equity, reconciliation and peace. Within the Department are five units namely: the CARITAS Desk; Family and Human Life; Education; Health; and the Justice, Development and Peace (JDP) Committees.

The JDP unit coordinates and facilitates at the national level the involvement of the Catholic Church and Catholics in Nigeria in the promotion of a just, equitable, democratic and peaceful society. It also coordinates the Church’s efforts in agricultural and rural development. The unit organizes seminars and workshops for the training of Church functionaries at various levels in social analysis, political awareness, civic education, prisoners’ welfare, conflict resolution and the building of a strong and virile civil society.
In this task the unit is in frequent touch with partner agencies within and outside Nigeria.

The JUP unit coordinates and facilities at the national level the national level the involvement of the Catholic Church and Catholics in Nigeria in the promotion of a just, equitable, democratic and peaceful society. It also coordinates the Church’s efforts in agricultural and rural development. The unit organizes seminars and workshops for the training of Church functionaries at various levels in social analysis, politically awareness, civic education, prisoners’ welfare, conflict resolution and the building of a strong and virile civil society. In this task the unit is in frequent touch with partner agencies within and outside Nigeria.

The Health unity coordinates and facilitates the activities of the various parishes, dioceses and religious Congregations in hospitals, mobile clinics, AIDS prevention and Care, etc, The unit also has the task of drawing up a Health Policy on a National Health Insurance Scheme for Catholics in Nigeria.

The family and Human Life unit coordinates and facilitates the work of all the individuals and groups within the Catholic Church in the protection, defence and promotion of human life from conception to natural death and in the promotion of family values. In this task, the unit is in regular touch with local and international agencies equally committed to the values of life.

The Education unit coordinates and facilities the work of the various dioceses and Congregations in the formal and informal education including the management and administration of mission-owned schools and vocational centres, and also undertakes advocacy roles on behalf of the Church with Federal and State Government, and such agencies as the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and the National Universities’ Commission (NUC).

The CARITAS Desk coordinates the Church’s efforts in Relief Services in moments of crises and emergencies. The unit sources funds and organisms the distribution of relief materials to refugees, displaced persons and victims of sundry crises. In recent years, this unit has substantially assisted local church workers in reaching out to victims of ethnic and religious conflicts across the Country.



DEPARTMENT OF MISSION AND DIALOGUE

The Department of Mission and Dialogue coordinates and facilitates the activities of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in the area of Missions and Missionary Animation, Ecumenism, Dialogue within the family of the Church and Dialogue with other religious bodies. This arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference is charged with the task of promoting the Church’s missionary initiatives, including monitoring the training and sending of priests, religious and lay missionaries to needy parts of our country and of the world. The National Director of the pontifical Mission Societies, which is an Independent Directorate of the Bishops Conference, also heads this unit in the Catholic Secretariats of Nigeria. The unit is in touch with all agencies within and outside the country that are committed to the Church’s missionary mandate.

i. Mission Committee: Focuses on animation of priests, religious and laity and on creating awareness for full participation of the People of God in the universal mission of the Church. It operates with a National Missionary Council, which draws its membership from the clergy, religious, and laity. It coordinates the missionary activities of the Dioceses and religious Congregations, especially in the area of mission gentes sending out missionaries to other dioceses and countries). It promotes the activities of the Pontifical Mission Societies. (P.M.S)

ii. Committee on Ecumenism: promotes Christian unity at both human, social political and strictly religious areas. It aims at bringing the various Christian denominations in the country together to study and understand each other better, to work together in identifying areas of agreement and deepening them, while seeking solutions to areas of disagreement.

iii. Committee on Dialogue: seeks to interact with other believers, especially of the African Traditional Religion and the Islamic Religion. Attempt is made to build bridges, and lo recognize and act as people who believe in the supremacy of God, to co-operate in the promotion of the good of all Nigeria, and to culture of respect for other people’s Religion.

The unit helps dioceses, parishes and Religious Congregations in their own efforts at ecumenism and dialogue on the local level.

This department is in touch with world bodies that deal with Mission and Dialogue, especially the relevant Vatican Dicasteries.


THE DIRECTORATE OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS

The Directorate of Social Communications of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria:

* Is the voice of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria.
* Publishers the newsletter of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, the CSN News, which feeds diocesan newspapers and other organizations local and foreign with Church information.
* Projects the image of the Catholic Church and Catholics through every legitimate medium.
* Documents and reacts to matters concerning the Church and Catholics in the public media.
* Takes responsibility for all publications in the Nigeria and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria.
* Co-ordinates all communication activities of the dioceses and parishes of Nigeria, supports and facilitates them where necessary.
* Ensures the functioning and spiritual updating of all associations of Catholic practitioners of the media in all areas of endeavor: press, electronic, audiovisual, and the artistic world.
* Organizes workshops/seminars and seeks out opportunities for funding, training and development for media practitioners of the Nigeria Church and the secular media especially those who are engaged in the day-to-day running of the dioceses’ communication activities.
* Maintains all contacts of the Nigerian Bishop’s Conference with the foreign media and foreign media organizations.
* Provides Catholic programs for Radio and Television in the country.



The Directorate also provides:
*Color/Black & White Photography services
*Creative Video coverage
*Contemporary audio recording/editing/studio facility



Every Catholic has access to the Directorate for the cleanest and most reliable services, including… a touch of heaven.