THE SPIRIT OF THE ANTI-CHRIST AND THE CHALLENGE OF CHRISTIAN UNITY: A REFLECTION ON THE OLD CATHOLICS AND ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES COEXISTING IN NIGERIA

AI generated image of Apostles Paul and Peter

By MOST REV. DR. JOHN A. ADEYEMO, DD - PRESIDING ARCHBISHOP, ORCC-LR, SUI IURIS & PRESIDENT, INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC BISHOPS' CONFERENCE

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views and does not necessarily represent the official stance of INSIDE CATHOLIC

Nigeria’s rich Christian landscape hosts a variety of denominations, among which the Old Catholic Churches and the Roman Catholic Church notably coexist. Despite sharing roots in the historic Catholic tradition, these two bodies face tensions and hostilities, primarily from the Roman Catholic side, related to issues of authority, doctrine, and influence. The Old Catholic Apostolic Church in Nigeria was formally established in approximately 2014 through the leadership of Bishop Raphael Fagbohun, as a movement devoted to upholding what it sees as the original Catholic teachings apart from the dogmatic innovations of the Roman Catholic hierarchy. Despite this, both Churches coexist within Nigeria, managing a relationship characterized by a blend of collaboration and tension

Division in the Body of Christ: A Biblical and Spiritual Concern

This tension reflects a deeper spiritual challenge that transcends organisational disputes. The New Testament calls for the Church as one Body, unified despite diverse members and functions. Paul’s metaphor in 1 Corinthians 12 clearly affirms the mutual dependence of all parts of the Body: “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’” (1 Corinthians 12:21). Fighting among parts of the Body is self-defeating and contrary to the mission of Christ.

Jesus also warned against divisiveness, stating, “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:39-40). Such division among believers, especially when rooted in denominational pride or fear of losing influence, reflects the spirit of the anti-Christ. This spirit opposes the unity Jesus prayed for: “that they may all be one... so that the world may believe” (John 17:21).

Hostilities and the Illusion of Church as Business

One of the saddest distortions fueling hostility is the conception of the Church as a business or power institution rather than a spiritual family. Some fear that new Christian expressions, such as the Old Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church of England and Wales, Celtic Cross, Canonical Catholic, Anglo Catholic, Evangelical Old Catholics, Charismatic Old Catholics Church, Ecumenical Catholic Church, The Old Catholic Church, etc, all being Old Catholics, threaten their influence and “market share.” However, the body metaphor teaches that the losing member harms the entire organism. Leaders are called not to wage war but to shepherd their flocks toward Christ’s sheepfold.

The Patristic Vision: Orthodox Church Fathers on Unity and Ecumenism

The Orthodox Church Fathers provide profound insight into this spiritual dynamic and offer a vision for healing breaches and promoting unity.

St. John Chrysostom declared, “There is but one altar for the whole Church, and one bishop, with the presbytery and deacons... one faith, and one baptism; and one Church which the holy apostles established from one end of the earth to the other by the blood of Christ... therefore, perform all things with harmony in Christ.” This calls Christian bodies to visible unity in faith, worship, and ministry—a unity fundamental to authentic Christian life [11].

The 1920 Encyclical of the Ecumenical Patriarchate urged Churches “to rekindle and strengthen love among the churches, so that they should no longer consider one another strangers or foreigners, but as relatives and part of the household of Christ, and as fellow heirs, members of the same body and partakers of the promise of God in Christ.” Such a call resonates deeply for Nigeria’s various Old Catholic jurisdictions to move beyond suspicion to fraternal love [12].

St. Cyril of Alexandria emphasised, “Since there is one God, one Lord Jesus Christ, one Spirit, one faith, one baptism, and one Church, it is through this unity that we find salvation and strength.” Unity in faith and truth is inseparable from the Church’s mission and growth [11].

Moreover, the Apostle John’s admonition rings clear: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar” (1 John 4:20). True Christian faith entails love for fellow believers, regardless of denominational identity.

Historical and Contemporary Context of Catholicism in Nigeria

Historically, Catholicism in Nigeria began in the 15th and 16th centuries through Portuguese Capuchin missionaries, with established churches such as St. Anthony’s Monastery in Ode-Itsekiri. Over centuries, the Roman Catholic Church took deep root, spreading notably in southeastern Nigeria through missionary efforts in places like Onitsha and Igboland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Old Catholic Churches in Nigeria, in contrast, are a more recent emergence, initiated officially in 2014 under Bishop Raphael Fagbohun, who sought to restore what he perceived as historical Catholic teachings apart from doctrinal developments such as Papal infallibility [3]

Finally, Toward Reconciliation and Shared Witness in Nigeria

Christian unity

The coexistence of Old Catholics and Roman Catholic Churches in Nigeria, despite occasional hostilities, presents an opportunity to embody the call to Christian unity and ecumenism as envisioned by the Orthodox Fathers and Scripture. Mutual recognition of one another as parts of Christ’s Body and intentional efforts toward healing, forgiveness, and collaborative witness can help overcome divisions. The unity that Christ prayed for—not uniformity in every practice but harmony in faith and love—is both the gift and task of the Church.

As St. John Chrysostom exhorts, living out one faith with harmony is essential, as is the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s call to treat one another as fellow heirs and members of the same spiritual household. Healing these breaches will promote the growth of God’s kingdom in Nigeria and beyond, displaying a united Church that truly reflects Christ’s love to a watching world.

Bibliography:

[1] Ode-Itsekiri, the birthplace of Christianity in Nigeria affirmed https://warrikingdom.org/ode-itsekiri-the-birthplace-of-christianity-in-nigeria-affirmed/

[2] Brief History - Catholic Diocese of Ekwulobia https://ekwulobiadiocese.org/history-of-diocese

[3] About OCAC Nigeria https://ocacnigeria.org/pages/about-us/about-ocac-nigeria/

[4] African Catholicism: The Birth of the Liturgical Vernacular in Igboland https://churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/african-catholicism-the-birth-of-the-liturgical-vernacular-in-igboland/

[5] Nigeria, The Catholic Church in | Encyclopedia.com https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/nigeria-catholic-church

[6] Catholics beware of this church founded by ex catholic priest ... https://catholicsinglesandmarried2015.wordpress.com/2015/12/30/catholics-beware-of-this-church-founded-by-ex-catholic-priest-ralpheal-fagbohun-because-it-is-not-in-union-with-the-holy-catholic-church/

[7] Catholic Church in Nigeria - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Nigeria

[8] The Roman Catholic Mission in Nigeria https://religiondatabase.org/browse/2200

[9] Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Lagos

[10] 125 years of Catholic Church in Eastern Nigeria - Vanguard News https://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/12/125-years-of-catholic-church-in-eastern-nigeria/

[11] Other Quotes From the Fathers on the Visible, Unified Church http://orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/quotes.aspx

[12] [PDF] Orthodox Handbook on Ecumenism https://www.ocms.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Orthodox-Handbook-on-Ecumenism-WCC-version-FINAL.pdf







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