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Pius Nsabe
A Roman Catholic Cleric, Rev. Fr. Eric Akinboboye, has charged men to rise to the important assignment of raising responsible families in order to produce a better society. Rev. Fr. Akinboboye believes that the high rate of moral decadence today is a clear indication that most fathers have failed in the responsibility of building good families.
The cleric spoke on Saturday, May 3, 2025, during a retreat organised by the Archdiocese of Ibadan Catholic Men Organisation, AICMO, which was held at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
“To be a father comes with immense implications. As a father you have responsibility in the home and in the church. Fatherhood is beyond just having children. There is the spiritual and moral aspect. A father should be a guide to his family in both the spiritual and moral aspects of their being”, he said in his retreat talk.
Speaking on the theme: Pilgrim of Hope: Fathers as Beacon of Hope in the Church and in the Family, Akinboboye urged men to embody virtues worth emulating by their families and other members of the society: “Your role as a father is in the family and in the community of faith. Fathers are seen as pilgrims towards holiness and guiding their family through uncertainties of life. As beacons of hope, you must embody strength, stability, wisdom, compassion”, the cleric said.
Speaking further, the Priest, who is also the Provost of the Selesian of Don Bosco Centre in Ibadan, berated men who lack compassion for their families, saying such men provoke rebellion from their children, which may lead them into social vices. “You provoke your children by not caring for their future and treating their mother badly. Bring your children up in discipline and in the way of the Lord. Fathers are supposed to be teachers and spiritual mentors to the family. Don’t give up on your children. You must have time for them no matter the pressure of work,” he added.
The cleric expressed the view that men are in the best position to change the society for good because they occupy more privileged positions. He noted that if more men exhibited good qualities such as uprightness, truth, integrity and honour, there would be more transparency and accountability in governance.
In a remark, the President of the Catholic Men Organisation in Ibadan Catholic Archdiocese, Sir Felix Adoroh, while speaking on the essence of the retreat, said it was an event that served as prelude to the celebration of the Church’s Father’s Day which is marked every first Sunday of May to coincide with the observance of St. Joseph the Worker’s Day on May 1, annually.
Adoroh called on men to emulate the life of Joseph, the father of Jesus Christ, who led an exemplary life by caring for his family and also providing for them through hard work.
He charged men in the Archdiocese to take advantage of the men’s umbrella body to improve their spiritual life which, according to him, is significant for their overall growth.
The men, who gathered in their numbers for the exercise, discussed sundry issues bordering on marriage, finances, children, governance and their spiritual lives.