by Akan Ido

The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) has denied stories that it has pulled out of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

The Communications Director of CSN, Rev. Fr. Ralph Madu reportedly said the alleged pull out was false.

According to Madu: “The Catholic Church has not pulled out of CAN. We have not pulled out. We have so many states where our bishops are chairmen.

“These include Cross River, Imo and many others states. We have not pulled out of CAN, and that is the truth.

“Whoever made the allegation that the Catholic Church is pulling out of CAN is entitled to his opinion, and that is what it means. It has been in the news that  the Catholic Church has pulled out of CAN.

“I think, perhaps what he wanted to say was that the Catholic church had put on hold activities at the national level of CAN because of certain issues that needed to be ironed out by way of dialogue. That was what he meant, which  was interpreted by the media to mean pull out.

“If we had pulled out of CAN, all these bishops, who are chairmen of CAN at the state level, would not be there. That is the tradition, when you talk about pull-out, it sends a very strong meaning. To pull out means that we are no longer members of CAN. It is generic and the word, pull-out is not correct. I have seen his text; the church has not pulled out. He might have been misinterpreted.”

The Catholic Church had reportedly decided to pull out of the CAN alleging that the association has derailed from its initial set objectives.

The statement attributed to the Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Abeokuta, Monsignor Christopher Ajala, accused the leadership of the association of being an extension of government.