Angelus Blog

In certain regions of Africa, notably Nigeria, there exists a cultural belief that a man may suffer illness as a consequence of his wife’s wrongdoing. For example, if a married woman commits adultery, it is believed that her husband may fall ill. To restore the man’s health, the community often requires the woman to publicly confess her infidelity. This confession is seen as a necessary act to alleviate the husband’s sickness. Once she admits her fault, the man is believed to recover. This longstanding tradition is widely accepted and practiced, with many asserting that it plays a crucial role in promoting faithfulness within marriages and maintaining social order. Another traditional practice involves the suspicion cast upon a wife when her prominent husband dies under mysterious circumstances. In such cases, the wife may be subjected to spiritual trials to prove her innocence. These tests might include drinking the deceased husband’s bath water or performing ritualistic movements aro...

Photo Credit: Plateau Watch   Dialogue is often hailed as the most effective path to conflict resolution. Yet, the idea of negotiating peace with bandits in a sovereign nation remains deeply controversial.   Since the Boko Haram sect—formally known as Jama'at Ahl al-Sunna Li al-Da'wa wa al-Jihad—emerged in northeastern Nigeria in 2003, the country has suffered the loss of thousands of lives to their violent campaigns, particularly in the northern regions. Despite repeated efforts by federal, state, and local governments to suppress the group, military offensives have yielded little success. In fact, the harder the military pushes, the more destruction these insurgents unleash. They raid military bases, seize vehicles and weapons, and turn those same resources against the nation.   Beyond direct assaults, the bandits frequently bomb government facilities, kidnap citizens and foreigners, and extort massive ransoms—sometimes killing their victims even after payment...

Photo credit: freepik.com In Africa, particularly in Nigeria, the color black is often negatively associated with witchcraft. Despite black symbolizing power, authority, and elegance, many Nigerians—especially in rural areas—frequently label elderly, dark-skinned women as witches. This perception is unjust and harmful. It is rare to find a fair-skinned woman suspected or accused of witchcraft in Africa. This is largely because fair complexions are often associated with innocence and harmlessness. I recall an incident years ago when a spirit was consulted to identify the witch or wizard responsible for the death of a two-month-old baby boy. To the surprise of many, a fair-skinned woman was accused of being behind the tragedy. In many African cultures, colors carry profound symbolic meanings connected to nature, spirituality, and societal values. The symbolism of black and white is far more complex than a simple good-versus-evil contrast often seen in Western cultures. Black frequently r...

The daily conversations with a loved one   become cherished memories that never fade.   Each morning, the first instinct is to reach for the phone,   to hear the voice of that one dear soul.   And before night falls, you cannot rest   without sharing words with the same beloved presence.   That person may be a spouse, a close friend, a child,   or a member of your family near or far.   Whoever they are, once your thoughts remain fixed on them,   their absence reshapes your emotions,   leaving your very being unsettled when they suddenly vanish from your world.   No matter how hard one tries to silence the thoughts of the departed,   they linger stubbornly, refusing to leave.   Yet somehow, we must learn to release them,   lest our minds suffer endlessly under their weight.   Oh, my dear one—why could you not resist nature’s cal...

https://fb.watch/z34DrR81HB/?mibextid=Nif5oz Watch the Good Friday Passion Play performed at St. Peter's Parish Ota Ogun State Abeokuta Diocese .

In Nigeria and across many parts of Africa, the phrase Village People immediately evokes thoughts of sinister acts believed to be driven by mystical or supernatural powers. These so‑called Village People are often blamed for a wide range of misfortunes—failed businesses, broken marriages, financial hardship, academic struggles, and more. How they supposedly carry out these acts remains shrouded in mystery to outsiders, yet those who claim to have suffered their influence insist on their existence. According to such accounts, jealousy over someone’s success or progress in life can provoke their wrath, leading them to inflict harm. This belief is especially common among city dwellers, who often suspect relatives in rural communities of orchestrating their setbacks from afar. Village People are thought to operate remotely, wielding powerful forms of magic that rarely miss their intended target. Popular opinion holds that these forces monitor their victims from their own domain, striking...

Man Accuses Pastor of Adultery  Recently in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, Nigeria, a pastor was accused of engaging in an affair with a married female member of his congregation. Following the allegation, he was paraded through the streets, while some aggrieved individuals vandalized chairs and equipment in his church. Public reactions have been divided. Many online commentators condemned the pastor’s alleged conduct as irresponsible, while others criticized the actions of his accusers, describing their behavior as equally reckless. A short video circulating online shows a young man gripping the pastor by the trousers and, in his local dialect, accusing him of the alleged affair. The pastor remained silent, looking away, as though dismissing both the accusation and the suspicions of onlookers. Drawing a parallel with the biblical account where Jesus refused to condemn a woman accused of adultery without the man being presented alongside her, this case highlights ...