Nigerian Ambassador on Pope's speech to Diplomatic Corps

(Vatican Radio) The continent of Africa was one of the main points of the Pope’s speech on Monday to 180 Ambassadors accredited to the Holy See. Pope Francis spoke of the suffering and violence in Nigeria and the Central African Republic. He also expressed his concern about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in South Sudan. Noting the promising moves towards the restoration of democracy in Mali, the Pope stressed the Catholic Church would continue to work to build reconciliation and peace.

Present at the audience was the Nigerian Ambassador to the Holy See, Francis Okeke who told Lydia O’Kane that the Holy Father takes a keen interest in his country. “ He has”, the Ambassador said, “often mentioned our country…The worries of the Holy Father understandably of course is the insurgency we have in Nigeria which I think we have managed to put a lid on in the past year”.

Asked about ways in which Nigeria has been co-operating with the Holy See, Ambassador Okeke said high on the agenda was the issue of interreligious dialogue in a bid to promote “love and brotherhood” among the different religions in the country. Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Ambassador Francis Okeke