Members of the Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria (CATHAN) pledged to uphold the “theological and pastoral legacy” of the late Pope Francis, in a statement issued during their 39th annual conference and 40th anniversary commemoration. / Credit: CATHAN

ACI Africa, May 1, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Members of the Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria (CATHAN) have pledged to uphold the “theological and pastoral legacy” of the late Pope Francis, who was laid to rest on April 26.

In a communiqué issued after their 39th annual conference, which also coincided with the association’s 40th anniversary, CATHAN members mourn the late 266th pontiff, giving thanks to God for the gift of his 12-year pontificate and his “courageous witness to the Gospel in our time.”

“We pledge to carry forward the theological and pastoral legacy of the late Holy Father with renewed zeal and fidelity,” CATHAN members say in the April 25 communiqué following their conference at the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre in Nigeria’s Benin City Archdiocese.

Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, April 21. He was laid to rest on April 26 in his “beloved” Basilica of St. Mary Major as he explained in his testament. The late pontiff suffered a stroke that was followed by a coma and irreversible cardiovascular collapse. He had been hospitalized recently with double pneumonia and a respiratory infection.

The April 26 celebration was a global farewell to a humble shepherd, who was at the helm of the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years.

In the communiqué shared with ACI Africa on Tuesday, April 29, the Catholic theologians in Nigeria reaffirmed their fidelity to the Church and the successor of St. Peter “in this moment of solemn transition.”

During the April 22–25 annual conference under the theme “Theology and Contemporary Approaches to Religion in Nigeria,” CATHAN members said they reflected on the need to integrate African traditional religions (ATR) with Christianity as “potential sources of theological insight in houses of formation and tertiary institutions.”

“We propose inclusive curricula that engage the complexities of religious pluralism head-on, integrating ATR and Christianity not as antithetical systems but as potential wellsprings of theological insight,” Nigeria’s Catholic theologians say in their communiqué.

They continued: “Informed by the imperative for a more profound evangelization, we emphasize the urgent need to reimagine theological formation within the vibrant context of lived African religious experiences.”

CATHAN members explained that the “reimagined” theological formation will empower “future Church leaders, especially those serving in missionary and formative roles, to engage Nigerian religiosity with both critical acumen and profound respect.”

Such “reimagined theological formation,” they say, will go a long way in helping Church leaders to stay “steadfast in orthodox doctrine while achieving pastoral relevance within an increasingly pluralistic African society.”

“This approach fosters a deeper understanding of the spiritual landscape and empowers effective intercultural and interreligious dialogue,” CATHAN members said, referring to what they described as the “urgent need to reimagine theological formation within the vibrant context of lived African religious experiences.”

To foster meaningful intercultural and interreligious dialogue in Nigeria’s increasingly diverse and pluralistic society, the Catholic theologians said they will have input in the development of theological formation curricula for evangelization that “inclusively engage the complexities of religious pluralism.” 

“We call for holistic scholarship that transcends polemics or mere apologetics,” CATHAN members say in the four-page communiqué, going on to acknowledge that “responses to (ATR), Christianity, and Islam are often influenced by historical wounds, cultural memory, theological presumptions, and sociopolitical interests.”

For them, “this deeper study must be integral to theological formation, equipping leaders to discern the profound spiritual, ethical, and sociocultural currents shaping religious life in Nigeria today.”

Following the four-day annual conference, CATHAN members expressed their commitment to “fostering a theology of encounter that informs interreligious dialogue, community engagement, and the pursuit of peace and justice.”

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.