Nigeria! Enough purgatory?

Dr. Jarlath Uche Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com

Yesterday 2nd of November all over Catholic community souls of all the faithful departed were remembered and prayers of forgiveness of their sins offered.

It was a special moment for any devout Catholic who neither fiddles on the teaching on purgatory nor doubts the reality of the pains and suffering souls pass through, gnashing and grinding their teeth in pains and agony waiting for the intercession of the living for their liberation.

Those who kick with deep objections when purgatory is mentioned though Catholics often do so from these concepts of 1) After death judgement follows immediately 2) There is no repentance in the grave.

As seemingly true and plausible their argument could sound, the relevance of purgatory becomes a thing of absolute reality from the lenses of “nothing unholy could see God”, how then could humans in their weakness, frailties, inadequacies etc see God if nothing is provided for cleansing between heavenly bliss and eternal damnation?

Trying to solve this puzzle since God in his infinite goodness wouldn’t be that wicked to haul one into eternal hell for one stain or flaw, hence the rationale for a cleansing period called moment of purgation.

If God can’t be too wicked to allow his creatures to rot and char in hell, what is the possibility of humans being too wicked to be very unbeneficial of God’s mercy and love?

Do you believe in purgatory, hell and heaven? You may not believe, such may be your reality however, it doesn’t make them unreal. Many do believe and it is working for them.

The dynamics of human free will and the power to make choices, their inalienable right . Free to think and make choices but the consequences of ones actions beyond ones control.

To all my beloved deseased souls, yet to find peaceful repose in the bossom of the most high, recieve mercy and be liberated from the heat, groan and suffering of the consequences of your actions.

Oftentimes one have heard this cliché though often said in the humour of satire that Nigerians by the activities of a fledgling economy, volatile political system, draconic laws and regulations, harsh and dwindling food safety, improper and indecent means of livelihood are already in purgatory. Making them inmates of purgatory after death, smacks nothing but unfairness. This sounds comical, but the satirical angle to it makes a deep sense. It brings to the fore the very shattering and shrieking economic situation an average Nigerian finds himself, scraping up life, living from hand to mouth, not knowing most times where their next meal could possibly come from.

Nigeria has been described metaphorical as a hell. It may not be that hellish, but more close to purgatory in description. The heat of fire in purgatory seems milder, and the litany of harrowing experiences in purgatory a tea party compared to the minimum standard in hell.

An average Nigeria is rather in the state of socio -economic and political purgation. In a phase that is transitory but when it would end, none could possibly tell.

To all average Nigerians, happy all souls in arrears. Our souls are held hostage, trapped and caged.

However desperate one is to move from this purgatory heat of hardship one wouldn’t be able to let lose. We need the intercession of the political class to set us free through responsible and responsive leadership.

Until this is done, our lives as Nigerians will be nothing in description less purgatory. It may sound very hilarious, but in hilarity, the harsh and hardest truth is spilled.

Once again Nigerians, happy all souls!! A momentary harshness of our economic reality. This phase by God’s grace will pass and the purgation we would have received a foundation for the building of a more blissful future.