ADDRESS BY H.E. MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

ADDRESS BY H.E. MUHAMMADU BUHARI,
PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE CUMULATIVE LOCKDOWN ORDER OF LAGOS AND OGUN STATES AS WELL AS THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY ON COVID- 19 PANDEMIC

AT THE STATE HOUSE, ABUJA
MONDAY, 27th APRIL, 2020


1. Fellow Nigerians

2. I will start by commending you all for the resilience and patriotism that you have shown in our collective fight against the biggest health challenge of our generation.

3. As at yesterday, 26th April 2020, some three million confirmed cases of COVID nineteen have been recorded globally with about nine hundred thousand recoveries. Unfortunately, some two hundred thousand people have also diedpassed away as a result of this pandemic.

4. The health systems and economies of many nations continue to struggle as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

5. Nigeria continues to adopt and adapt to these new global realities on a daily basis. This evening, I will present the facts as they are and explain our plans for the coming month knowing fullyfully aware that some key variables and assumptions may change in the coming days or weeks. 

6. Exactly two weeks ago, there were three hundred and twenty three confirmed cases in 20 States and the Federal Capital Territory.

7. As at this morning, Nigeria has recorded one thousand two hundred and seventy-three cases across 32 States and the FCT. Unfortunately, these casesthis includes 40 deathsfatalities.

8. I will useam using this opportunity to express our deepest condolences to the families of all Nigerians that have lost their lives loved ones as a result of the COVID nineteen Pandemic. This is our collective loss and we share in your grief.

9. Initial models predicted that Nigeria will record an estimated two thousand confirmed cases in the first month after the index case.

10. This means that despite the drastic increase in the number of confirmed cases recorded in the past two weeks, the measures we have put in place thus far have yielded positive outcomes against the projections.

11. The proportion of cases imported from other countries has reduced to only 19% of new cases, showing that our border closures yielded positive results. . These are mostly fellow Nigerians returning through our land borders. We will continue to enforce land border arrival protocols as part of the containment strategy.

12. Today, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has accredited 15 laboratories across the country with an aggregate capacity to undertake 2,500 tests per day across the country.

13. Based on your feedback, Lagos the State Government and the FCT with support from NCDC is hasve established several sample collection centers in Lagos and the FCT. They are also reviewing their laboratory testing strategy to further increase the number of tests they can perform including the accreditation of selected private laboratories that meet the accreditation criteria.

14. Several new fully equipped treatment and isolation centres have been operationalised across the country thereby increasing bed capacity to about three thousand. At this point, I will commend the State Governors for the activation of State-level Emergency Operation Centres, establishment of new treatment centres and the delivery of aggressive risk communication strategies.

15. Over ten thousand healthcare workers have been trained. For their protection, additional personal protective equipment have been distributed to all the states. Although we have experienced logistical challenges, we remain committed to establish a solid supply chain process to ensure these heroic professionals are can work safely and are properly equipped. 

16. In keeping with our Government’s promise to improve the welfare of healthcare workers, we have signed a memorandum of understanding on the provision of hazard allowances and other incentives with key health sector professional associations. We have also procured insurance cover for five thousand frontline health workers. At this point, I must commend the insurance sector for their support in achieving this within a short period of time.

17. Nigeria has also continued to receive support from the international community, multilateral agencies, the private sector and public-spirited individuals. This support has ensured that critical lifesaving equipment and materials, which have become scarce globally, are available for Nigeria through original equipment manufacturers and government-to-government processes.

18. The distribution and expansion of palliatives which I directed in my earlier broadcast is still on going in a transparent manner. I am mindful of the seeming frustration being faced by expectant citizens. I urge all potential beneficiaries to exercise patience as we continue to fine tune our logistical and distribution processes working with the State Governments.

18.19. I have directed the Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial institutions to make further plans and provisions for financial stimulus packages for small and medium scale enterprises. We recognise the critical role that they play in Nigeria’s economy.

19.20. Our Security Agencies continue to rise to the challenge posed by this unusual situation. While we feel deeply concerned about isolated security incidents involving hoodlums and miscreants, I want to assure all Nigerians that your safety and security remains our primary concern especially in these exceedingly difficult and uncertain times. As we focus on protecting lives and properties, we will not tolerate any human rights abuses by our security agencies. The few reported incidences are regrettableregrettable, and I want to assure you that the culprits will be brought to justice.

20. I urge all Nigerians to continue to cooperate and show understanding whenever they encounter security agents. Furthermore, for their protection, I have instructed the personnel of the security agencies be provided with the necessary personal protective equipment for their own protection.
21.

21.22. As we continue to streamline our response in the epicenters of Lagos and the FCT, I remain am concerned about the unfortunate developments in Kano in recent days. Although an in-depth investigation is still ongoing, we have decided to deploy additional Federal Government human, material and technical resources to strengthen and support the State Government’s efforts. We will commence implementation immediately.

22.23. In Kano, and indeed many of other States that are recording new cases, preliminary findings show that such cases are mostly from interstate travel  and emerging community transmission. 

23.24. Drawing from these, I implore all Nigerians to continue to adhere strictly to the advisories published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. These include rRegular hand washing, social physical distancing, wearing of face masks/coverings in public, avoidance of non-essential movement and travels and avoidance of large gatherings remain paramount.

24.25. Fellow Nigerians, for the past four weeks, most parts of our country have been under either Federal Government or State Government  lockdowns. As I mentioned earlier, these steps were necessary and overall, have contributed to slowing down the spread of COVID nineteen in Nigeria.

25.26. However, such lock downs have also coame at a very heavy economic cost. Many of our citizens have lost their means of livelihoods. Many businesses have also shut down. No country can afford the full impact of a sustained lockdown while awaiting the development of vaccines or cures.

26.27. In my last address, I mentioned the Federal Government will develop strategies and policies that will protect lives while preserving livelihoods.

27.28. In these two weeks, the Federal and State Governments have jointly and collaboratively worked hard on thishow to balance the need to protect health while also preserving livelihoods, leveraging global best practice while keeping in mind our peculiar circumstances.

28.29. We looked atassessed how our factories, markets, traders and transporters can continue to function while at the same time respecting adhering to the NCDC guidelines on hygiene and social distancing.

29.30. We assessed how our children can continue to learn without compromising their health.

30.31. We reviewed how our farmers can safely plant and harvest in this rainy season to ensure our food security is not compromised. Furthermore, we also discussed how to safely transport food items from rural production areas to industrial processing zones and ultimately, to the key consumption centers. 

31.32. Our goal was to develop implementable policies that will ensure our economy continues to function with while still maintaining our aggressive response to the COVID nineteen pandemic. These same difficult decisions are being faced by leaders around the world. 

32.33. Based on the above and in line with the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on COVID nineteen, the various Federal Government committees that have reviewed socio-economic matters and the Nigeria Governors Forum, I have approved for a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos and Ogun States effective from Saturday, 2nd May, 2020 at 9am.

33.34. However, this will be followed strictly with aggressive reinforcement of testing and contact tracing measures while allowing the restoration of some economic and business activities in certain sectors.

34.35. The highlights of the new nationwide measures are as follows;
a. Selected businesses and offices can open from 9am to 6pm;
b. There will be an overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am. This means all movements are will be prohibited during this period except essential services;
c. There will be a ban on non-essential inter-state passenger travels until further notice;
d. There will be Ppartial and controlled interstate movement of goods and services will be allowed to allowfor the movement of goods and services from producers to consumers; and
e. We will strictly ensure the mandatory use of face masks or coverings in public in addition to maintaining physical distancing and personal hygiene. Furthermore, the restrictions of on social and religious gathers shall remain in place. State Governments, corporate organisations and philanthropists are encouraged to support the production of cloth masks for citizens.

35.36. For the avoidance of doubt, the lockdown in the FCT, Lagos & Ogun States shall subsist remain in place until these new ones come into effect on  Monda, 4th May 2020 at 9am.

36.37. The Presidential Task Force shall provide sector specific details and timing guidelines to allow for preparations by Governments, businesses and institutions.
37. The above are guidelines. State Governors may choose to amend adapt and expand based on their unique circumstances provided they maintain alignment with the guidelines issued  aboveon public health and hygiene.
38.
38.39. These revised guidelines do will not apply for to Kano State. The total lockdown recently announced by the State Government shall remain enforced be enforced for the full duration. The Federal Government shall deploy all the necessary human, material and technical resources to support the State in controlling and containing the pandemic.

39.40. I wish to once again commend the frontline workers across the country who, on a daily basis, risk everything to ensure we win this fight. For those who got infected in the line of duty, be rest assured that Government will do all it takes to support you and your families during this exceedingly difficult period. I will also take this opportunity to assure you all that your safety, wellbeing and welfare remains paramount to our Government.
 
40.41. I will also recognize recognise the support we have received from our traditional rulers, the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and other prominent religious and community leaders. Your cooperation and support has significantly contributed to the successes we have recorded to date. I will urge you all to please continue to create awareness on the seriousness of coronavirus among your worshippers and communities while appealing that they strictly comply with  public health advisories.

41.42. I will also thank the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Presidential Task Force for all their hard work to date. Through this collaboration, I remain confident that success is achievable.

42.43. I also wish to thank corporate organisations, philanthropists, the UN family, the European Union, friendly nations, the media and other partners that have taken up the responsibility of supporting our response.

43.44. And finally, I will thank all Nigerians again for your patience and cooperation during this difficult and challenging period. I assure you that government shall continue to take all necessary measures to protect the lives and livelihoods our citizens and residents.
39. I thank you for listening and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria »

Sid Roth: God is Using Passover, COVID-19 to Do Something 'Supernatural' on Earth

JERUSALEM, Israel – As the world continues to battle the coronavirus, many Christians are wondering what God could be saying during these troubling times.

Television personality, evangelist and host of “It’s Supernatural” Sid Roth told CBN News he believes it is no coincidence the pandemic is occurring now and says God is preparing the church for something great.

Roth points to a revelation given by Rev. Tracy Cooke from Miracle Life Tabernacle Ministries, who said earlier this year that God is using 2020 to “deal with the landscape of the church.”

Cooke said the Church has broken its vow to God and He will use this year to foster deeper intimacy with his people.

Roth said the coronavirus and other chaos plaguing the world is a sign that God will pour out his Spirit on the Church – but it starts with repentance.

“The major mark of this next move of God’s Spirit is repentance,” Roth said. He urges Christians to use this time in quarantine to do two things: repent and pray in tongues “without ceasing.”

“I’m excited about the new beginnings God is giving the church and it starts with us as individuals living in rapid repentance,” he said.  “It flat doesn’t matter what’s going on in the world. It’s what’s going on with you. It’s, ‘Are you living in rapid repentance? Are you praying in tongues every moment you have?’ That’s what’s more important because all things work together for good if you are praying in tongues and living your repentant life."

Roth believes God is using the timing of Passover to do wonders on the earth.

“Around Passover, there will be something supernatural that will happen that will change everything in a good way,” he said.

“I think this is God’s time to have believers operate in all of the promises of the New Testament. The truth is we know how to stand on the Word. We’re experts about that. But how would you like to see the minute you speak, like God spoke everything into creation?”

Roth said that despite the chaos happening in the world, God’s glory is “erupting now” and the church will be invited to fulfill Jesus’ words in John 14 that his followers will do greater things than He.

“I believe many should set their day to operate in the glory because it’s not going to be a superstar movement. It’s going to be one where the church knows we already have a superstar. His name is Jesus or Yeshua, and it’s Yeshua in us the hope of glory.”

Under Fire from Many, Samaritan's Purse Finds an Unlikely Champion

(RNS) — Whitney Tilson and his wife, Susan, were out walking their dog early one Sunday morning when they noticed workers unloading trucks and stacks of blue tarps in the East Meadow of Central Park, right outside their Fifth Avenue apartment building.

Later that afternoon, Tilson saw some white tents rising up out of the ground bearing a name he had never heard of: Samaritan’s Purse.

After learning the group was setting up a series of tents for a 68-bed field hospital to treat overflow coronavirus patients from Mount Sinai Hospital, Tilson agreed to lend a hand.

He hasn’t stopped since.

In the course of the past four weeks, Tilson, who is not religious and had never heard of Franklin Graham, the conservative Christian leader of Samaritan’s Purse, has become one of the field hospital’s most dedicated volunteers and champions.

He’s befriended many of the staff, donated shovels and sleds to help spread 2 tons of mulch across the muddy lawn in between the tents, and gifted thousands of dollars worth of bananas, apples, Starbucks Frappuccinos, soda, potato chips and other snacks to those looking after the sick.

“It’s an incredibly impressive organization,” said Tilson, 53, a retired hedge fund manager who writes an investment newsletter. “I have no doubt they are delivering world-class critical care to my fellow New Yorkers stricken with COVID-19. Every single person I’ve met has been a genuinely nice person and very competent and good at their job.”

New Yorkers haven’t quite known whether to embrace or rebuff the evangelical humanitarian relief organization from North Carolina. As soon as it became clear that New York City was becoming the epicenter of the pandemic, Samaritan’s Purse struck an agreement with the overstretched Mount Sinai Hospital to treat a surge of patients needing immediate medical help.

But even before the field hospital accepted its first patient, old culture war issues, with no connection to the coronavirus, broke open. For one, New York’s mayor, its council speaker, even the state’s attorney general, were immediately pressed to assure New Yorkers the field hospital would not discriminate against Muslims or LGBTQ people in offering care.

All contracted staff at the evangelical field hospital — nurses, doctors, pharmacists and lab technicians — must sign a statement of faith that includes a clause opposing same-sex marriage. The organization’s 11-point statement of faith declares, “we believe that marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female.”

(Graham has also made controversial statements about Islam in the past and is staunchly anti-abortion.)

That’s an anathema to many liberal New Yorkers who pride themselves on living in one of most gay-friendly cities in the world as well as one of the most culturally diverse.

Last week, activists with the Reclaim Pride Coalition held a protest just yards from the field hospital bearing signs saying, “help, not hate.”

Plans to turn the Cathedral of St. John the Divine into a field hospital were abruptly shelved, in part because the cathedral, the seat of the liberal Episcopal Church in New York City, did not want to partner with Samaritan’s Purse on the project.

The city’s Commission on Human Rights has demanded that Samaritan’s Purse explain in writing how it offers aid to ensure it does not violate the city’s nondiscrimination laws. Samaritan’s Purse, which has treated 153 patients since it opened April 1, says it does not discriminate in who it treats, and says it has never done so in its 50-year history.

In this time of growing polarization and identity politics, Tilson has stood his ground, even as it has cost him some friendships.

He and his wife, who is Jewish, have been members of Central Synagogue, one of the city’s oldest Jewish congregations, for 20 years — rearing their three daughters in the faith.

When his synagogue put a notice online that Tilson was collecting boots and socks for the medical teams and Bluetooth speakers for patients, some congregants were incensed.

“The values harbored by this group and its founder just completely fly in the face of what Central stands for,” one congregant told The Forward, an online Jewish publication.

But Tilson, who said his views about same-sex marriage (as well as his views on Muslims and abortion) are “polar opposite” those of Graham, has continued to defend his volunteer work.

“I’m supporting a hospital that is saving people’s lives,” he said. “I’m not endorsing the ideology of the founder of the organization.”

In recent weeks, Tilson has offered the use of his address for any of the field hospital crew who would like to receive mail while they’re working at the hospital. He’s also made available four bicycles for their use and emailed them some trails they might like to use around the park.

Last week he took a call from Graham, who wanted to thank him for his volunteer efforts.

“He’s a great human being,” Graham said of Tilson. “He might disagree with me, and I might disagree with him, but that’s not going to stop us from working together to help people.”

Graham even invited Tilson to come down to North Carolina to tour the organization’s headquarters.

Tilson said he plans to take him up on the offer. He’s a businessman and he likes to study what he called “high-performing organizations.”

On Sunday (April 19), Tilson and two of his daughters took a break from New York City to hike up Breakneck Ridge, a mountain along the Hudson River. A fitness buff, he said his goal this year is to rope climb to the nose of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot rock formation in Yosemite National Park.

Tilson said he has tried to teach his daughters, aged 23, 21 and 17, how to keep active and fit, but even more to do good in the world.

The coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 10,000 people in the city alone (about 20,000 have died in the Tri-State region of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut), has moved him deeply.

In a video he posted to YouTube explaining his unflagging support for the field hospital, he chokes up talking about the toll the virus has taken on his fellow New Yorkers.

On Sunday, just before heading to Costco to fill up his Volvo hatchback with more snacks for the medical workers — this was his fifth trip — he reiterated why he thinks New Yorkers ought to be grateful to Samaritan’s Purse, given the selfless work they are doing to help save lives.

“Their primary mission in life is not to go out and have hatred toward gays,” he said. “They believe what the Bible says, that homosexuality is a sin — yes. But it is not what drives them. What drives them is, ‘How can I do God’s work by healing people and saving lives?’”

New Barna Survey: More Americans Believe in Satan Than Believe in God

ABOVE:  Dr. George Barna appeared on the Friday edition of CBN News's Faith Nation to talk about the results of the survey. Faith Nation is seen weekdays on the CBN News Channel.

We've heard how people are searching for answers and turning to faith during the pandemic, but a new study reveals shocking information about what exactly Americans believe.

It found that roughly half – 51 percent – of American adults have a traditional, biblical view of God as the all-powerful, all-knowing Creator – a dramatic decrease from 73 percent in 1991.

Of those who believe in Jesus, more say he sinned than didn't – 44 to 41 percent. And more people believe in Satan – 56 percent – than believe in God.

George Barna, director of research at the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University and founder of the Barna Group, writes:

"Tens of millions of Americans consider themselves to be Christian but do not believe that God is really in control or cares what happens to them."

Meanwhile, 51 percent of pastors on Barna's Church Panel said church attendance, in terms of virtual attendance, is up compared to typical Sunday in-person worship. Could that uptick change the worldview inventory trend – if more people are in church and gaining a more biblical, traditional perspective of God?

Six-hundred Protestant senior pastors in America serve on Barna's Church Panel. According to the survey, more than 51 percent of pastors answered that virtual attendance has actually been greater than the typical physical Sunday gathering.

If you're struggling to find hope, remember what God has already done

I've been re-reading some familiar New Testament passages over the past couple of weeks, and I am not alone it seems, as the recent report in Christian Today showed a growing number of people turning to the Bible for comfort and guidance.

YouVersion, the popular Bible reading app, revealed that engagement with its reading plans during Holy Week was 54 per cent higher than last year, and whereas 26.4 million Bible Plan days were completed during Holy Week 2019, that figure has risen to a staggering 40.6 million this year.

Like most of us of course, I have my favourite bits. For example, I have found myself being drawn back to Luke's well-known account of those two disillusioned disciples, one of whom may well have been Jesus' uncle, making their way to a village called Emmaus.

I reckon we could sum up their feelings in one word: heartbroken. They had entertained such high hopes for Jesus, but they had been shattered in the most horrifying way by his brutal execution. All they had left were their precious memories and their faded dreams. But suddenly, everything changed. Jesus suddenly turned up. I'm tempted to suggest they encountered the original 'dead man walking'!

I've been strolling down memory lane over these past few weeks too. One or two memories are a little embarrassing, such as the time I asked God to let Father Christmas bring me some presents even though it was still the middle of July. To be fair I was only seven at the time.

Then there was the earth-shattering afternoon when a nurse turned to my heavily pregnant wife and said, "Yep, there's the second head." Now that did come as a shock; the doctor had said nothing about twins. Until then, we all thought her dates were a little askew!

"Does it matter?" she asked. It most certainly did. We had both resigned our jobs and were about to spend the next three years 'living by faith' (i.e. with no guaranteed income) while I prepared for Baptist ministry. That had come as a complete shock too. Little did I realise that Jesus would 'turn up' at a small prayer meeting and turn a Bible reading into a personal challenge that would change my life.

Then there was the night I baptised a lady named Jo, only to have her sister approach me at the end of the service to tell me that she had been healed of her terrible arthritic pain. That came as a complete surprise too because no one had prayed for her!

And there was that unforgettable Friday morning when we received a request from some Christian friends in the former Yugoslavia. It was the height of the civil war and they told us that they desperately needed ambulances. Within hours of beginning to pray, we received an unexpected call from the West Glamorgan Health Authority informing us that they had four ambulances they no longer needed, so could we use them?

If I'm honest, I have to tell you that I've simply lost count of the number of times I've seen God meeting people's material needs, including my own. I can truly say that He has taken care of us over the years, often in the most incredible ways.

My recent strolls down memory lane have been anything but depressing. However, they have been incredibly challenging too. I have been asking myself what "memory making moments" I will create during this critical moment in this world's history.

The apostle Paul seems to hit the nail on the head when he says, "So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly but understand what the Lord wants you to do."

Challenging, yes. But exciting too, because I've discovered that you never know what might happen when you have the Risen Jesus journeying with you

Kanye West donates to megachurch food drive that has served 350,000 free meals during pandemic

A megachurch in LA has served up some 350,000 free meals during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Dream Center in Echo Park, run by the Pentecostal megachurch Angelus Temple, launched its food drive last month as social distancing measures and business closures threatened to plunge many families into economic hardship and uncertainty. 

Since the food drive launched in mid-March, pastor Matthew Barnett told Fox News that a number of donors have stepped forward to support the effort, including rapper and Christian convert Kanye West, and fast food chain Chick-fil-A. 

Angelus Temple is one of the many churches across the US that have closed their doors since the pandemic started to take hold.

The megachurch is streaming its services online and focusing its efforts on running the food ministry to support families in need. 

In addition to giving out free meals at the Dream Center, it is making deliveries of essential goods to older locals and contributing food to local outreach sites, including one on Skid Row, an impoverished neighbourhood in downtown LA with many homeless. 

Barnett shared a message on Instagram this week thanking donors for making the huge outreach possible. 

"Next car pulling up 350,000 meal!!!!!" he captioned the post. 

"A milestone made because of you. 37 days ago we put a few bags of food on a table and just started. Yesterday 17,000 were fed. I love you!!! You're a part of this story. Every 50,000 we're going to celebrate a milestone." 

God is using Covid-19 to 'prune the Church' - Francis Chan

God is using coronavirus to "prune the Church and cut off branches that aren't bearing fruit", Francis Chan has said. 

The pastor and evangelist told the Q 2020 Virtual Summit that the Church would become a lot more fruitful because of it. 

In a bold address, he said that Christians can still be "fearless" in the face of death because even if they die from coronavirus, they are going to Heaven to receive their reward. 

Livestreaming from his home in Hong Kong, he addressed the question of whether the Church will survive the pandemic.

The Crazy Love author said that where the Church is true, it is "going to be fine".  He added that even in such a time as this, Christians are still called to "move forward and go". 

"I hear a lot of talk of people being concerned about whether their church is going to survive," he said.

"The illustration I think of is, if I had a diamond right here, and I just smash it with a hammer, what would happen to that diamond? Nothing. If it's a real diamond, if it shatters, it wasn't real."

Referencing Matthew 16:18, in which Jesus says, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it," Chan said it was important to trust in these words.

"This is going to be a group that the gates of Hell can't stand against," Chan said of Christians.

"No virus, no government, no economic this or that, life, death, nothing.

"And so we as believers are supposed to trust the words of Jesus and go.  The Church is going to be fine. If anything, this is the time where God is going to prune the Church and cut off branches that aren't bearing fruit, but it's only going to become more fruitful.

"And so with that type of confidence, we have to move forward and go, what's the worst thing that happened to me? I die and receive the award I've been ... longing for my whole life. We can be fearless."

Chan went on to suggest that it is in such a crisis as the coronavirus pandemic that Christians can shine.  Likewise, the outbreak hasn't come as any surprise to God, he said. 

"We were literally made for this, prepared for this," he said. 

"Jesus promised that there would be this Church that would rise, and He told us that in the latter days, there would be the signs and wonders and that that this Church really would be that unified and that in love with one another."

He added: "God knew this day was coming. And here it is. And so let's move forward. And trust the change."

A Mixed Virus Bag in Iran for Persecuted Prisoners: 'I Was Forced to Endure all Kinds of Torture'

WASHINGTON - In Iran this week, Iranian Christian and human rights activist Mary Mohammadi was handed a suspended sentenced of three months in prison and 10 torturous lashes.

The 21-year-old was arrested in January during an anti- government protest over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard's attack on Ukrainian Flight 752 that killed 176 people.

"It should be mentioned that even before the verdict was handed down, I was forced to endure all kinds of torture, none of which was sanctioned by law, and which ought to be considered crimes in themselves," Mohammadi tweeted.

"I am proud of sympathizing with human beings in the real harsh environment of the streets. This is my conviction and the cost," she continued.

Her sentence comes as Iran has released scores of prisoners due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, it's a mixed bag for people of faith who become targets of the Islamic regime.

Last month Mohammed Ali Taheri, a Shiite mystic, was granted asylum in Canada after a harrowing prison journey through Iran.

Arrested in 2011 for "touching the wrists of female patients, blasphemy, interfering in medical science," among other charges, Taheri would be sentenced to death twice before being released last year.

He was kept under house arrest and forbidden from discussing his religious beliefs until he fled to Canada along with his family.

The US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) featured Taheri in its Prisoners of Conscience Project, a list of people facing persecution around the world because of their religious beliefs.

Commission Vice Chair Gayle Manchin adopted him. She's thrilled he's been released and can now obey his conscience without fear of reprisal.

"The fact that he was able to come out and gain asylum in Canada is a wonderful thing, but on the flip side there are still many in his faith community in Iran that are still in prison," Manchin tells CBN News.

"And there are several that have been vetted and actually would be allowed to leave and come to this country and so I encourage the White House, if we truly believe in religious freedom, then we need to be bringing these individuals that have been vetted and given permission to leave to be brought out safely," she continued.

While there's no way of knowing if including Taheri in USCIRF's Prisoner of Conscience Project protected his life or affected his release, Manchin says it's clear countries pay attention to the commission's work.

"We have found that countries really care what the United States thinks about them and so the fact that we are showcasing people that they have imprisoned or detained or harassed, mistreated in some way, simply because of their faith, is a wake-up call," she explains.

Conservative Group Calls for 'ReOpen Church Sunday'

(RNS) — A conservative law firm launched a “ReOpen Church Sunday” initiative this week, calling on churches to begin gathering in person again despite reports of the deadly novel coronavirus being spread during worship services.

The campaign is organized by Liberty Counsel, which created a website for the initiative encouraging Christian leaders to begin holding in-person worship the weekend of May 3 — just days ahead of the National Day of Prayer on May 7.

“There’s a lot of practical ways that churches can begin thinking through the process of reopening and, at the same time, protecting the health of all of its participants in the community — and then giving other alternative options,” Mat Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, told Religion News Service.

Staver’s campaign suggests churches take a phased approach, allowing some worshippers to gather in person while maintaining social distancing but also providing options for people to participate from their cars or, if they belong to an at-risk population, at home via livestream. The campaign’s website also contains a list of suggested safety measures, such as sanitizing worship spaces and checking temperatures at the door.

“We’re encouraging this to begin the process of reopening, not to fill the sanctuaries to maximum capacity,” he said.

Staver, whose group also represents a Florida pastor recently arrested after continuing to hold large worship services despite local regulations, pointed to the Trump administration’s new “Opening Up America Again” initiative as inspiration for ReOpen Church Sunday. He noted that the president’s plan lists places of worship as one of several “large venues” that could “operate under strict physical distancing protocols.”

Pressed about the concern that gathering for worship could result in infection and death, Staver was dismissive, arguing that responsibility should lie with individual worshippers, not government.

“There’s a risk walking out of the door no matter what, COVID-19 or no COVID-19,” he said. “People take precautions: If someone is not comfortable going to an in-person service, then by all means choose a different alternative.”

He added: “(Just) because you had one choir somewhere in the United States that sang together closely and some people got COVID-19 is no reason to punish the rest of the 500,000 churches.”

Incidents of worshipping communities spreading the novel coronavirus are not uncommon. In early April, more than a third of COVID-19 cases in California’s Sacramento County were linked to houses of worship. Multiple coronavirus cases were also linked to a single March 22 event hosted by a Durham, North Carolina, church. Some have expressed concerns that Jewish Purim celebrations in early March jump-started the virus’s spread in New York City. And in Virginia, a pastor who defied social distancing orders and continued to pack his church recently died after contracting COVID-19.

Staver’s views contrast sharply with those of many other religious leaders, who have insisted on keeping houses of worship closed to protect people from infection. When Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced he would allow churches to gather in person this weekend as part of a larger effort to reopen the state, Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, the presiding prelate in Georgia for the African Methodist Episcopal Church, instructed the state’s roughly 520 AME congregations not to gather.

“This decision by the governor puts economic interest above the safety and well-being of the citizens of Georgia,” Jackson told The New York Times.

On Thursday (April 23), liberal religious advocacy group Faith in Public Life teamed up with the Center for American Progress’ Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative to convene a Facebook Live session for clergy, calling on participants to oppose religious exemptions to stay-at-home orders.

“There are a few people who are using this false flag of religious freedom to argue that they can continue to meet,” CAP fellow Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons said while presenting during the livestream.

Meanwhile, some states continue to resist efforts to return to houses of worship. On Wednesday, a federal judge refused to grant a temporary restraining order that would have prevented state and county officials from enforcing California’s ban on in-person worship services during the pandemic.

The case was filed last month by three pastors and one parishioner who alleged the ban violated their First Amendment right to religious freedom.

Even the National Day of Prayer, which often features large crowds in places across the country as people gather to pray and mark the occasion, has undergone reevaluation. In a video posted in early April, National Day of Prayer Task Force President Kathy Branzell said that barring a "miracle" allowing people to meet in person, organizers are preparing to congregate virtually.

"We can shelter in place and still ... pray in agreement and unity with one another," she said.

Nigerian Christian Student Killed, Two Villagers Abducted During Attacks by Islamic Fulani Militants

New reports out of Nigeria say Muslim Fulani militants have launched more murderous attacks against Christians. 

There were reports that the Islamic militants killed Sebastine Stephen, a Christian student, and abducted two villagers on April 16. 

Stephen was visiting his home in Kaduna after his college in northwest Nigeria closed down over concerns with the coronavirus.

Area residents say the armed attackers shot and killed Stephen, then kidnapped Jack Nweke and his wife, who are also Christians. 

"Sebastine Stephen was shot when the armed Fulani herdsmen attacked Gbagyi Villa area in Chikun Local Government Area in the southern end of the city of Kaduna," area resident Hosea Yusuf said. "Stephen raised alarm, warning residents about the invasion of our community as he was still outside at the time the herdsmen came to attack the community. The herdsmen instantly shot him and then proceeded to enter one of the houses close to them, where they kidnapped a couple."

These attacks come just one week after Pastor Stephen Akpor was slain while he was praying for and counseling five couples at Breakthrough Cathedral in southern Nigeria.

"The herdsmen shot the pastor several times and then stabbed him to death," said senior church leader, Isaiah George.

Attacks on Nigerian Christians have steadily risen over the past few years.  Almost 1,000 Christian believers were murdered in the country in 2019.

The Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART), headed up by a member of the British House of Lords, Baroness Cox, estimates that 6,000 Christians in Nigeria have been murdered since 2015.

Nigeria is ranked 12th on Open Doors' 2020 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution.

Easter 2020 and COVID-19: High in spirit, low in funfare

Tomorrow, majority of Christians across the globe will not congregate to sing Robert Lowry’s popular Easter hymn, ‘Low in the grave He lay’ with its victory-inspiring refrain, ‘Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o’er His foes; He arose a Victor from the dark domain; And He lives forever with His saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!” They will do that in their homes.

A great event in Christendom, Easter is usually celebrated with fanfare. In this part of the world, churches organise a lot of spiritual activities during the period. Businesses boom as families shop to ensure they celebrate in grand style. Tourists seize the opportunity to visit choice destinations even as people travel far and wide to meet loved ones. Individuals schedule social events like wedding, house warming, fund raising, community meeting and even burial in the Easter week. But all that will not happen this year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has literally put the world on pause and Nigeria is not left out. With 96,783 deaths globally as at 2.00pm yesterday, out of which Nigeria accounts for seven, most countries are presently on lockdown in a bid to stem the spread of the virus.

The impact of March 29, 2020 broadcast of President Muhammadu Buhari ordering a two-week lockdown of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and Ogun states with only essential services providers allowed to operate is felt by both animate and inanimate objects. Most states of the country have since toed the same path, consequently cancelling many events/plans scheduled for the Easter period.

A member of Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM), Onyegbule Chidozie, told The Christian News Network through E-mail in Lagos that the COVID-19 lockdown forced his church to postpone its yearly Easter retreat. “Our yearly Easter retreat which was billed for April 9-12, 2020, has been cancelled. I am 35 years old; I was born into DCLM. In my 35 years of existence, not once have I heard that the Easter retreat or any of the other basic retreats of the church were ever canceled for any reason, not even during the Ebola crisis.

“This coronavirus pandemic is an unfortunate situation for everyone all over the world. But what is more unfortunate is how some of us had hoped that the pandemic would pass before this Easter. But as it is now, no one can really tell when the virus will give way for normalcy. So at this time, we can only pray for God’s intervention and redemption of the entire world, which is what Easter signifies,” he said.

A member Regina Mundi Catholic Church, Mushin, Lagos, who identified himself simply as Mr Alabi, spoke in the same vein, saying even though the church was into the Holy Week that ushers in Easter, all the usual activities could not hold. He said: “This time last year, I was at the church in preparation for the Holy Thursday (washing of the feet) but as it is now, no much preparation would be needed concerning it. This week doesn’t feel like a Holy Week that would have ushered us into the Easter festivities.

“The COVID-19 lockdown has led to the postponement of the first Holy Communion, Confirmation and the Adult Baptism. All these activities would have been done on Holy Saturday, the day before the Easter Sunday. As it is now, I just hope this whole situation will eventually come to an end.”

Another member of the Roman Catholic Church, Mrs Mba, also said: “I know the lockdown is for our benefit, but as human beings, I wish normal activities would be restored. My daughter’s wedding, which is supposed to be held at the church towards the end of this month, has been put on hold till further notice due to the lockdown and closure of the church. I have never experienced this kind of situation; I have never experienced the closure of the church, especially during this Holy Season. During the time of the Ebola crisis, the church and the country itself carried on with their normal activities perfectly. Few measures were taken to prevent the spread of the virus but this time around, the situation is seriously appalling.”

At Easter, Buhari seeks prayers to pull through COVID-19 pandemic

• Says Stay-At-Home Order, To Save Country From Calamity
President Mohammadu Buhari has declared that a combined fervent prayer by the Christian faithful and other Nigerians will aid the nation to quickly pull through the ravaging coronavirus pandemic besetting the country.

He said: “There is no better opportunity than now for all Christians in particular, and Nigerians in general, to remain faithful and hopeful that with intensified prayers backed by personal and collective responsibility, the nation shall pull through this most difficult trial.”

President Buhari, who also urged citizens to avoid getting infected through observing regular hygiene and sanitary practices, as there was currently no known vaccine against the virus, spoke yesterday in his message to Nigerians on the occasion of the commemoration of this year’s Easter, amid the grip with which Covid-19 has held the entire world.

Describing the pandemic as “unprecedented in living memory,” the President lamented the situation where majority of Christians have found themselves marking Easter in a subdued manner, away from the usual congregation in churches.

“This is unusual and very unfortunate,” he added.

While enjoining Christian compatriots to rekindle their faith in Christ who overcame persecution, sufferings and displayed endurance, steadfastness and above all piety, President Buhari noted that, “Jesus Christ represented man’s ability to withstand temporary pains in the hope of everlasting glory.”

Continuing, the President urged all Nigerians to imbibe and live the values of humility, discipline, perseverance, sacrifice and obedience which Jesus Christ demonstrated during His stay on earth.

His words: “There is no better opportunity than now for all Christians in particular, and Nigerians in general, to remain faithful and hopeful that with intensified prayers backed by personal and collective responsibility, the nation shall pull through this most difficult trial.

“I have no doubt that if all stakeholders- individuals and groups-play their part to the fullest as advised by our scientists and medical experts in confronting Covid-19, the inherent resilience and determination of our people will enable us to pull through.

“As I stated in my national broadcast on Sunday, March 29, 2020, since there is currently no known vaccine against the virus, the best and most efficient way to avoid getting infected is through regular hygiene and sanitary practices as well as social distancing.

“May I use this opportunity to commend the encouraging containment and ameliorating strategies put in place by members of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19.

“I am very much aware of the personal and collective inconveniences suffered by our people due to measures such as restriction of movements and closure of business premises. Being ‘a matter of life and death,’ these sacrifices are in everybody’s interest to save our country from calamity.

“The welfare of our people is paramount. Accordingly, the most economically vulnerable in our communities will continue to be uppermost in our plans, and efforts will be made to supply them with basic means of survival.

“While we see the Covid-19 pandemic as a global challenge, this administration is not oblivious of the constant threat posed to our national security by terrorists and insurgents. They may take this opportunity to perpetrate attacks.

“But our armed forces and other security and intelligence services will remain vigilant and continue to contain these threats and consolidate efforts to eradicate them completely.

“As we mark this year’s Easter, whatever the circumstances, I encourage you to make the most of the situation, and to keep safe.

“I wish you all a Happy Easter.”

Epidemics, quarantines, empty churches: historical precedents

The conditions under which Easter of 2020 is being celebrated are not unprecedented. Popes and bishops over the centuries have promoted extraordinary measures to contain contagion. The plague of 1576 in Milan and in Rome in 1656 are examples.

Millions of Christians in the world are about to experience a unique Easter this year.  Because of the lockdown to avoid the Covid-19 infection, it will not be possible for the faithful in several countries to participate in the solemn liturgies of the Triduum [3 days preceding Easter] which commemorate the institution of the Eucharist and the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. 

There was no lack of discussions and even controversies in Italy against the bishops who complied with the decisions of the government.

A quick look at the history of past centuries helps to understand how the dramatic situation we are going through is.  It is not the first time that thousands of victims have been killed by a virus, with curbs on the ordinary life of Christian communities and limitations to churches and celebrations.

The plague of 1656

During the plague of 1656, Pope Alexander VII had acted with great determination to contain the contagion that would lead to one million deaths throughout the Italian peninsula. In a historical account reported in the volume, “Descrizione del contagio che da Napoli si comunicò a Roma nell'anno 1656" (Rome, 1837), we read: "Not only the civil communities [...] but also the sacred ones were abandoned, namely, the pontifical chapels, the usual processions, the pious congregations, the solemnity of the offices in churches; closing those extraordinary festive occasions much loved by a lot of people”.

The Pope "promulgated a universal jubilee, without processions or visits to a few specific basilicas, so as to avoid crowding of people”.  

Marco Rapetti Arrigoni, the Italian journalist, writer and author of articles on pandemics in history and the attitude of religious authorities, notes in his blog that the “Congregation of Health” [of the city of Rome dealing with the plague] had a system of quarantine based on the strict separation of the hospitalized in different parts of the city.  There were separate arrangements for the sick, the suspected cases and those convalescing.  “The purpose was swift isolation and transfer of those infected, with the compulsory quarantine of all those whom they came in contact with.”  

In addition, Arrigoni notes, "the Congregation of Health, on the Pontiff's mandate, also intervened to regulate the religious life of the city by introducing considerable limitations.” “Community Eucharistic adoration in the context of the celebration of the Quarantore [40 hours of adoration] was suspended and processions and sermons in the streets were banned. Celebrations and ceremonies were held behind closed doors and the ecclesiastical authorities were limited to private and personal forms of devotion and prayer."

Despite the restrictions, Romans continued to visit the Church of Saint Mary in Portico, that housed the icon of the Blessed Virgin of the Portico, the protector of the city from plagues. Fearing that crowding could lead to the spread of the infection, the Congregation of Health ordered the church closed.

The plague of 1576

Just as the Rome of the Pope was concerned about the salvation of souls as well as the health of its people, so too were the authorities of the Ambrosian Church [in Milan].

When Milan was hit by a plague in 1576, the Governor of the city, Antonio de Guzman y Zuñiga, introduced restrictions on pilgrimages.  Arrigoni recalls that entry into the city was allowed only to small groups of a dozen people in possession of a “bill”, a document, issued by the health authorities of the territory of origin, certifying the absence of the symptoms of the pestilence.

Cardinal Charles Borromeo, Archbishop of the Ambrosian diocese, urged priests to help the sick, himself doing the same.  Arrigoni notes some interesting facts about the cardinal.

Aware of the risks of contagion and to avoid being a vector of the disease, the cardinal maintained a safe distance while conferring with his interlocutors.   He changed his clothes often and washed them in boiling water.  He purified everything he touched with fire and a sponge soaked in vinegar that he carried with him always.  While visiting his diocese, Cardinal Borromeo kept coins for alms inside jars full of vinegar.

To ask God to stop the epidemic, the Archbishop of Milan convoked four processions.  They could only be attended by adult men, divided into two rows, with a distance of 3 meters from one another.  The infected and those suspected of the contagion were barred. 

Barefoot and with a rope around his neck, Cardinal Borromeo himself led the first procession from the Cathedral to the Basilica of Saint Ambrose. 

The archbishop also proposed a general quarantine on all the citizens who had to lock themselves in their homes for 40 days.  An old report on the saintly archbishop notes that the cardinal did everything that could benefit the sick and the poor.

On 15 October 1576, the Court of Providence, accepted Cardinal Borromeo's proposal and decreed a general quarantine for all the inhabitants of Milan.  

On October 18, the cardinal issued a similar edict for the secular and regular clergy, ordering "ecclesiastics to stay at home", exempting only priests and religious who took care of the spiritual and material assistance of the population.

The people of Milan in quarantine could not go to the church to pray or attend Mass. Saint Charles Borromeo made sure that the crossroads of the city were marked with crosses and altars, where Masses could be celebrated, with the faithful participating from far from their windows.

From mid-December, 1576, the spread of the epidemic seemed to slow down.  Despite the improvement in the situation, the authorities decided to extend the quarantine.  Even though the cardinal consented to the extension, he was sorry that the people could not go to the churches, not even for Christmas.