SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHURCH IN DEEPENING DEMOCRATIC IDEALS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The making of any great society is the responsibility of every part of the society. Social justice demands that all who are members of a given society should justly make contributions towards the welfare of the society. Democracy as a system of government with its ideals has been widely accepted in the world over for its human face. It has not been a hitch-free process in developing countries like Nigeria which returned to the system in 1999. Using functionalist theory, this work examines the responsibility of the Church in Nigeria, with particular reference to the Catholic Church towards building and sustaining democracy in Nigeria. The data used are from secondary source of information including Church documents. The work holds that the active participation of the church in democratic processes is paramount. This, the Church should do by conscientizing her members, remaining voice to the voiceless, promoting good virtues, encouraging those doing well in political offices. The paper recommends that the Church should always engage her members who are into political offices to guide them on their expected responsibilities which would promote democracy in Nigeria.