THE NATURE AND ROLE OF CONSECRATED LIFE IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIAN POLITICS: AN EXISTENTIAL APPROACH

Abstract

Man is a political being who naturally exists in a given society, that is, he is born within a given polis, interacts with others at various dimensions, helps to organize his community and partakes in the decisions of how well to live in it. The Consecrated Persons are not left out. They are also men and women living in the society with others and having shared responsibilities for the good of one another and for the common good of the larger society. Part of this responsibility is political in nature. Therefore, this paper gives an insightful existential approach to the nature and role of Consecrated Persons in contemporary Nigerian politics. As it tries to respond to the question of what does the life of Consecrated men and women hold for Nigerian nation especially given the tensed political atmosphere of the moment, it takes into considerations the nature, meaning and unique role of consecrated life in the society. The paper elucidates that throughout the history of the Church, holy men and women have always been source of renewal in difficult situations. Therefore, their active participation in the political life of their society is necessarily and urgently needed to demonstrate that politics is at the service of peace. The study also highlights various factors that militate against their effective discharge of such political role. However, it recommends serious renewal of commitments of both personal and common lives of the consecrated persons so to live up to their political role in the society for which no one can comfortably feel excused in the spirit of patriotism.