Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025)

Michael Ufok UDOEKPO is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Ikot Ekpene, Nigeria, and is Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology at Veritas University, Abuja. Udoekpo has lectured in several Institutions in Nigeria and in the United States, is widely published, and currently serves as the General Secretary of the Catholic Biblical Association of Nigeria (CABAN) and as the Vice‑President of Pan African Association of Catholic Exegetes (PACE).

Gregory EZEOKEKE, CMF, a Claretian priest, is a scripture scholar. He is a member of the Faculty of Theology in Veritas University Abuja and the Dean of the Institute of Consecrated Life in Africa (InCLA). He has had some previous teaching experience in SS Peter and Paul Major Seminary Bodija Ibadan, Dominican Institute Ibadan, and National Missionary Seminary of St Paul Gwagwalada in Abuja. His publications are usually scripture oriented, especially around themes relating to Deuteronomistic History and the Prophetic Literature of the Old Testament.

Celestine Chibueze UZONDU, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Orlu, Nigeria, is a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, Veritas University, Abuja. He is an international scholar, researcher, teacher and author.

Michael McCABE, from Ireland, is a priest of the Society of African Missions (SMA) who worked for many years as a missionary in Zambia, Liberia and Kenya. He was Dean of Studies and Head of Systematic Theology at St Paul's College‑Seminary in Liberia from 1981‑'89, lectured in Mission Studies at the Kimmage Mission Institute Dublin from 1996‑2001, and in Tangaza College Nairobi from 2008‑2013. He has served in leadership at congregational and provincial level and is currently residing in Cork where he is Director of the SMA Mission Department.

Maria Natalia A. AJAYI, IHM, has a PhD in Religious Studies from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. She has a licentiate in Catechesis from the Salesian University in Rome and Masters in Theology from Duquesne University, USA. She is a member of the Nigerian Association of Church History and Missiological Studies (NACHAMS ) and of the Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria (CATHAN). She lectures in the department of Pastoral Theology in the Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA), Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Chukwudumebi Norbert ATTA is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka, Nigeria. He is a lecturer in the Faculty of Theology in Veritas University, Abuja, and also teaches in the Department of Religious and Intercultural Studies and in the Directorate of General Studies. His research interests are in pastoral theology, religion and society, ecology and ethics, and communication ethics.

Peter H KAMAI is Priest of the Catholic Diocese of Jalingo, Nigeria. He holds a Doctorate Degree in Biblical Theology with specialization in the New Testament. He is a lecturer in Veritas University, Abuja.

Yohanna Yariyok JACOB is a priest of Minna Diocese, Nigeria. He holds a Masters Degree in Moral Theology and is currently a Doctoral candidate in Saint Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth, Republic of Ireland.

Barnabas Sama'ila SHABAYANG is an ordained priest of the Catholic Diocese of Kano, Nigeria. He is specialised in Systematic/ Dogmatic Theology. He lectures at the Department of Christian Theology, Veritas University, Abuja. He is the HoD & Dean of the Faculty of Theology.

Idara OTU, MSP, is the Vice Rector and lecturer in Dogmatic Theology at the National Missionary Seminary of St. Paul, Abuja. He is also the President of the Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria (CATHAN). He specializes in ecclesiology, the Teachings of Vatican II and African Synods. He is the author of Communion Ecclesiology and Social Transformation in African Catholicism꞉ Between Vatican II and African Synod II (2020).

Words from the Editor

This Maiden edition of the journal Truth and Unity, of the Faculty of Theology, Veritas University Abuja, is a manifestation of the essential vocation of a Catholic university and its peculiar mission of service to Truth, as was so eloquently and brilliantly espoused by John Henry Cardinal Newman (cf. The Idea of a University, 1852). Inspired by this spirit of 'seeking the truth', which is in fact the motto of our University, through this journal we seek to advance theological reflection relevant to these contemporary times, with a focus on mission to the Church in Africa and to the world today. The journal provides a forum for people to share knowledge and informed perspectives on questions of a theological or religious orientation relating to the search for truth and for unity. It also creates an avenue for research for a more contextualized and inculturated theology relative to contemporary society and culture. In this maiden edition we present a collection of articles covering different areas of theology in their relevance to Church and society, with particular reference to the Church in Nigeria and the African continent. A Catholic university, undoubtedly has a distinctive and unique character by virtue of its nature and mission. This affirmation is addressed in the journal, drawing from the Carta Magna of Catholic Education in John Paul II's "Ex Corde Ecclesiæ" (1990) fully complemented in Francis' Apostolic Constitution, "Veritatis Gaudium" (2018), to demonstrate the organic unity of the magisterial teachings of the Church and, in this context, as it relates to Truth and Justice, 'fruits' of Catholic education. What remains a front burner question today in the Church is how the Church would avail herself the use of the new 'Digital Media' as a positive phenomenon and tool that must be fully employed in the service of the Proclamation of the Word꞉ Evangelization. It is a challenge the Church must embrace despite the hurdles on the field fraught with "dangers" but with a prospect of invaluable gains. While making a plea for the necessity to use the New Media as a legitimate platform for evangelization, the complexities and ethical implications must be considered. The absolute necessity to apply ethical principles to the New Media in a New Digital Age cannot be overemphasized. Our time is witnessing a complexity and sophistication in the area of information technology that challenge the very core of socio‑cultural values upon which the society is built. The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) undoubtedly compounds this challenge from which we cannot shy away. It is obvious that the Synod on Synodality is Pope Francis' legacy to the universal Church. For this legacy to bear fruits and become impactful in the life of the Church, there must be a process of acceptance and appropriation. This cannot be without a painstaking study and incisive gaze into the Final Document of the Synod on Synodality. The message of the document must be explicitly highlighted and its relevance for the future of the Church in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, be deliberately reflected upon through a collaborative process for the reception of the spirit and vision of the Synod. As the ongoing Jubilee Year of Hope is gradually winding to an end, there's need for a reflection and a certain level, a systematic theological exposition of the Year of Prayer (2024) and the ongoing Jubilee Year of Hope. Hope is that Nexus of the supernatural virtues of Faith and Charity from which we can understand and appreciate the celebration of the ongoing Jubilee Year of Hope which was preceded by the Year of Prayer. Since the Church affirms that her existence is predicated on her mission of evangelization, theological discourse must be a continuous exercise on how the Church must be a missionary Church in the world today. Theology has the function to bring to our consciousness the perennial nature of the Church as essentially 'missionary' but which must be embraced beyond the traditional understanding of numerical increase. Grasping the full import of what a missionary Church entails implies a more radical and fundamental paradigm shift that engages the Church at the deepest level. Youth apostolate is an integral and vital part of the Church's mission to which pastoral theology must confront. A most concerning issue is the pertinent question of the mental health of young people. It is more of a pastoral issue than theological. But pastoral theology stands a good chance to provide a good pastoral framework based on sound theological principles to proffer solutions to the varied identified factors responsible for the crisis surrounding the mental health of the Youth that invariably determine the general health of the society. The anticipated success will largely depend on how much the Church and various state‑run‑social institutions are able to collaborate for the formation of Youth and the society in general. Ecological crisis engages the attention of all understandably because it affects the survival of our planet; the home for all. To appreciate the enormity of this crisis, all ramifications of the problem must be taken into cognizance. One of it is to investigate the relationship between religious traditions, most specifically, Christianity and the volatile issue of the Ecological crisis in the world. A research that exposes what has been the supposed contributions of religions, especially, Christianity to the state of the question regarding the Ecological crisis and what probably Christianity might have to offer as a remedy should be a novelty. The concept of the "Church of the peripheries" was inspired by the ecclesial.pastoral vision of Pope Francis, who wanted a new ecclesiological perspective that is not exclusively concentric but universal, by placing premium on the so.called "peripheries." The aggregation of these "peripheries" makes up the Church in her totality. The peripheries are as important as the Church at the centre. Among other objectives, Pope Francis had envisioned the Synod on Synodality as an instrument to promoting the "peripheries" and making this part of the Church to have the sense of being part of the whole, especially, at the centre. To many, "African theology" remains largely an unknown quantity, an under.explored area in a state of process that must constantly attempt to define and project itself. Pope Paul VI's exhortation to the Church in Africa to be bold and courageous in taking seriously her cultural context in theologizing and in the proclamation of the Word is instructive and telling. To understand what African theology entails implies that the sociocultural milieu of the African peoples cannot be dispensed with. Therefore, soundings in African theology are decipherable to researchers who apply themselves to the study of African cultures and are able to appreciate the "capsules of truth" that are present therein. The Editorial Board recognizes and appreciates the contributors who have availed us their well.crafted Papers on varied areas of theological enterprise as an invaluable contribution to making this Maiden edition of the Veritas Theological Journal a reality. We will not fail to thank all those who peer.reviewed each paper, as well as all the members of the Theology Faculty, staff and students, for their support in bringing this Maiden edition of our Theological Journal to fruition. Our sense of fulfilment stems from this Journal being a modest contribution and service to the development of theological enterprise in the Church in Africa.

Fr. Dr. Cyril OBANURE
Editor.in.Chief