The Kukah Centre (TKC) responded to what it describes as a “mischaracterization” of Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah's remarks. TKC's executive director, Father Atta Barkindo, blamed the media for inadequate reporting of Kukah’s remarks. Barkindo stated that the media reports do not reflect Kukah’s remarks or the context of his work. Kukah reportedly reaffirmed his view that claims of genocide or systematic persecution of Christians in Nigeria are not supported by credible data.
12 days ago
Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, founder of The Kukah Centre, addressed concerns about religious freedom and violence against Christians in Nigeria during two recent events.1 At the Vatican launch of the 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom on October 21, he acknowledged unacceptable deaths targeting Nigerians based on beliefs or ethnicity.2 On November 28, speaking at the 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba in Kaduna, he questioned claims of systematic Christian genocide, citing a lack of verifiable data.3
Kukah specifically challenged unconfirmed reports of 1,200 churches burned annually, asking, "In which Nigeria?" and noting no consultation with the Catholic Church.1 He emphasized that genocide requires deliberate intent to eliminate a group, not just high death tolls, stating, "You can kill 10 million people, and it still won’t amount to genocide."2 He also cautioned against labeling all violence as "martyrdom," suggesting some incidents may stem from criminal or opportunistic motives rather than religious hatred.3
The Kukah Centre (TKC), a Nigeria-based public policy institute, issued a press release on December 1 defending Kukah against media mischaracterizations.1 Executive Director Father Atta Barkindo argued that reports failed to capture the full context of Kukah's half-century of work on religious issues.2 TKC expressed appreciation for the public interest sparked by the remarks, viewing it as a chance to highlight religious freedom challenges in northern Nigeria.3
Barkindo clarified that Kukah has never downplayed the severity of faith-based persecution or the real suffering it causes.1 The foundation reiterated its commitment to zero tolerance for religious persecution, solidarity with victims, and holding perpetrators accountable.2 It positioned Kukah's comments as part of broader advocacy, not denial of the crisis.3
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has strongly asserted that ongoing violence against Christians constitutes a "Christian genocide," with attacks deliberately targeting communities.1 CAN's stance contrasts with Kukah's emphasis on data and intent, highlighting targeted killings and property destruction.2
Critics of Kukah argue that strict focus on legal definitions like intent ignores the lived realities of vulnerable Christians who feel unsafe after losing family or homes.3 Some fear his position could reduce international attention and pressure needed to protect affected areas.1 Despite these differences, all sources agree on the urgent need to address violence in Nigeria, whether labeled genocide or persecution.2
Kukah's remarks underscore the complexity of violence in Nigeria, blending religious, ethnic, and criminal elements.3 While TKC welcomes debate, the controversy reveals tensions within Christian advocacy on how to frame and combat threats.1 The foundation's defense aims to refocus efforts on verified facts and accountability, potentially influencing global perceptions of the crisis.2
Ongoing incidents, such as kidnappings and attacks on schools, amplify calls for action amid these discussions.3 TKC's position encourages unity in supporting victims without diluting the push for justice.1
How does Catholic doctrine define genocide in religious persecution?
Catholic doctrine addresses genocide not as a standalone legal term but through the lens of moral theology, natural law, and social teaching, emphasizing the inherent dignity of every human person created in God's image. At its core, genocide is condemned as a profound violation of human life and rights, equated with crimes against God and humanity, and classified as a mortal sin. This perspective draws from Scripture, tradition, and magisterial documents, which frame such acts as deliberate attempts to eradicate groups based on shared identities—whether ethnic, national, linguistic, or religious. In the specific context of religious persecution, genocide represents the ultimate escalation of unlawful coercion against faith, where entire communities are targeted for elimination due to their beliefs, echoing historical atrocities like the Shoah while underscoring the Church's unwavering commitment to religious liberty and the protection of innocents.
In Catholic teaching, the foundation for condemning genocide lies in the Fifth Commandment, "You shall not kill," which prohibits the deliberate taking of innocent life as gravely contrary to human dignity, the golden rule, and God's holiness. This universal law binds all people at all times, extending to collective acts that destroy human communities. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explicitly denounces "the extermination of a people, nation, or ethnic minority" as a mortal sin, emphasizing that such actions contravene the law of nations and universal principles of justice. Individuals are morally obligated to resist orders commanding genocide, as blind obedience offers no excuse for participation in these crimes. This stance reflects a deep theological conviction: every human life is sacred from conception to natural death, and assaults on groups undermine the divine order of creation.
The Church's social doctrine further elaborates that attempts to eliminate entire groups—national, ethnic, religious, or linguistic—constitute "crimes against God and humanity itself," for which perpetrators must face justice. Drawing from the tragic history of the twentieth century, including genocides against Armenians, Ukrainians, Cambodians, and those in Africa and the Balkans, the Compendium highlights the Holocaust (Shoah) as a paradigmatic "night of history" marked by "unimaginable crimes against God and humanity." Here, genocide is not merely a political or legal offense but a sacrilege that profanes the sacredness of life, echoing biblical prohibitions against slaying the innocent and righteous. Pope John Paul II reinforced this by describing widespread destruction of human lives—whether in the womb, old age, or through state-sanctioned violence—as a "slaughter of the innocents," blurring moral consciences and eroding the distinction between good and evil. Such acts, when legally endorsed by states, perpetuate a vicious cycle of confusion, demanding a forceful reaffirmation of life's inviolability rooted in Scripture and tradition.
Religious persecution, in Catholic doctrine, is defined as "unlawful coercion of another's liberty or his unlawful punishment... for religion's sake." It encompasses hindrances to Christianity's growth by paganism, heathenism, or even other Christians, but the most deplorable instances involve intra-Christian conflicts, such as those during the Inquisition or Reformation. While historical Church responses sometimes involved force in self-defense, modern teaching rejects any justification for coercion based on religious difference, viewing it as inconsistent with the Church's mission as God's sole messenger. Genocide elevates this persecution to its most horrific degree: the systematic extermination of religious groups, not for punishment of irreligion, but as an assault on their very existence.
The Compendium explicitly includes religious groups among those targeted in genocides, obligating the international community to intervene when survival or basic rights are threatened. States cannot invoke national sovereignty to evade this duty; if non-violent means fail, it becomes "legitimate and even obligatory" to disarm aggressors, provided actions respect international law and equality among states. This aligns with just war principles, where protection of religion is reframed not as advancing a specific faith but safeguarding a fundamental human right to belief and practice. Contemporary Catholic thought, as articulated by the U.S. Catholic Bishops, condemns religious violence—such as murders, rapes, or ethnic cleansings in religion's name—as "crimes against God and a scandal for religious believers," denying the shared imago Dei and eternal destiny of all humanity. Pope John Paul II echoed this in rejecting structures that unjustly divide groups, emphasizing that no Christian can foster such attitudes.
Historically, Catholic views on coercion evolved significantly. Early theologians like Thomas Aquinas argued against compelling unbelievers (e.g., Jews, Muslims, pagans) to faith, as belief requires free will, though they permitted compulsion to prevent hindrances like blasphemy or persecution. Alternative voices, such as Hostiensis or Duns Scotus, justified force against infidels for dominium or baptizing children, but the mainstream position—affirmed in Dignitatis Humanae (1965)—prevailed: spreading faith through violence is "incompatible with the nature of God and the soul." This development marks continuity in just war theory, excluding offensive force for religious promotion while allowing defensive measures against persecution. Past canonical practices, like temporal penalties for heresy (e.g., imprisonment or execution), bound Church welfare to religious unity but were abandoned by the eighteenth century, with no provisions in the current Code of Canon Law. Today, the Church upholds religious liberty as a natural right, immune from state constraint within just limits, even for those erring in truth. Genocide in religious persecution thus violates this liberty at its root, targeting not just individuals but the communal expression of faith.
Recent papal and Holy See statements reinforce this. Pope Francis has called human trafficking and organized crime "true crimes against humanity," urging recognition by all leaders and legislation. Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, in 2023, affirmed that crimes against humanity, including those rooted in religious targeting, are peremptory norms of international law, calling for a multilateral treaty to codify prevention and punishment while respecting sovereignty and complementarity. He stressed maintaining definitions like "gender" from the Rome Statute to address crimes disproportionately affecting women and girls, such as rape in genocidal contexts, underscoring an accurate view of human nature. These interventions highlight the Church's role in promoting global cooperation without overreaching into domestic affairs.
Catholic doctrine thus defines genocide in religious persecution as the intentional destruction of religious communities through extermination, a mortal sin and crime against divine order that demands resistance, intervention, and justice. It builds on historical shifts away from coercion toward protecting religious freedom as a human right, with the International Criminal Court praised for prosecuting such acts. While sources like the Compendium and Catechism provide robust moral condemnation, they align with—rather than redefine—international customary law, noting gaps where further codification could enhance cooperation. No source offers a novel doctrinal definition diverging from global norms; instead, they infuse legal concepts with theological depth, viewing genocide as an assault on God's creation.
In conclusion, Catholic teaching unequivocally portrays genocide amid religious persecution as an abomination that profanes human dignity and divine law, obligating believers and nations to defend the vulnerable. By reaffirming life's sanctity and religious liberty, the Church calls for renewed moral clarity to counter this "slaughter of the innocents" in our time. This fidelity to tradition urges interdisciplinary efforts—legal, political, and ethical—to restore justice and prevent future atrocities.