Nnadi was killed by the Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram alongside Mrs. Ataga at about 29 January, 2020 after weeks of torture, following their kidnap.
The act of lighting a candle is a ritual to pay tribute to a life 'passed.' Experts informed ITREALMS that by keeping a light burning in remembrance signifies that the memory still lives on and burns bright. It is a ritual that promotes reflection and signifies remembrance.
Disclosing this at the funeral mass of Seminarian Michael Nnadi, Tuesday in Sokoto, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, despite that Michael was an orphan, he is being mourned by the world Christian community.
According to him, Maria Lozano, a staff of the Aid to the Church In Need, an organisation dedicated to the cause of the persecution of Christians around the world, called him frantically immediately after the news of the kidnapping of the Seminarians went out.
“The next day, she sent me an emotional voice message to say that she heard that Michael was an orphan and that since the kidnappers will be looking for money might his life be in danger if they realise that he is an orphan? Could she mobilise especially mothers to become parents for him, to keep him and others in their hearts and to continue to pray for him? Maria remained with us emotionally and requested for information about the burial,” he said.
On the Archbishop’s approval of the burial date, Kukah said he passed the information to her immediately and by the next day, February 5th, she sent me a message to say that when she asked people around the world to light a candle for Michael on the date of his burial, 2, 436 persons from Afghanistan, Pakistan, United States of America, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Madagascar, South Africa, Congo, Mali, Spain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia responded.
“Germany alone had a total of 3,305 persons in a matter of hours. In the light of this, I wondered, who are we to mourn? Who are we to refuse this crown of honour and glory? We ceased to mourn for Michael thereon,” Bishop Kukah said.
He described the burial as a solemn moment for the body of Christ, stressing that this should be the moment of decision.
“This is the moment that separates darkness from light, good from evil. Our nation is like a ship stranded on the high seas, rudderless and with broken navigational aids. Today, our years of hypocrisy, duplicity, fabricated integrity, false piety, empty morality, fraud and Pharisaism have caught up with us. Nigeria is on the crossroads and its future hangs precariously in a balance. This is a wakeup call for us. As St. Paul reminds us; The night is far spent, and the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast away the works of darkness and put on the armour of light (Rom. 13:12). It is time to confront and dispel the clouds of evil that hover over us,” he said.
Remmy Nweke/DoP
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