The International Society for Civil Rights and Rule of Law, Intersociety has condemned the exclusion of Nigeria from Pope Leo’s ongoing visit to some African countries.
The organization described the development as a fundamental omission.
Intersociety, in a statement made available to reporters, expressed sadness over exclusion of “Super Catholic/Christian States: Congo DRC, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia And Kenya” from the visit.
The statement was signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Head Intersociety, Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam, Head, Dept. of Campaign and Publicity, Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Head, Dept. of Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Engr. Ekene Bede Umeagu, Head, Dept. of Int’l Freedom of Religion and Worship.
It said the development highlights other fundamental missing points and reforms, including “demanding for appointment of four Cardinal-Electors for Uganda and Kenya (two each), two each for Cameroon, Angola and Tanzania; and three each for Congo DRC and Nigeria to encourage, strengthen and save Africa’s largest but severely threatened Catholicism and Christianity.”
The rights group expressed hope that as Pope Leo preaches World Peace, it should not translate to “Peace of The Christian Graveyard, Jews and other Peaceful Religions and other religious minorities, especially in the hands of global Islamic Jihadists who have consistently vowed to continue to target Christians and Jews until they are converted or hacked to death”.
It stressed that “more concrete reforms are very strongly and urgently needed to strategically and strongly reposition the Mother Church as the common umbrella and “General Overseer of the global Christendom”.
“Among such reforms needed are ‘Charity Must Begin at Home Reforms’, including tasking Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin to sit up or resign, as was similarly the case in the April 10, 2026 resignation of Archbishop Claudio Dalla Zuanna of the Mozambique’s Archdiocese of Beira and Archbishop Pascalis Bruno Sukur, who declined an early 2026 appointment by Pope Leo XIV as a cardinal, choosing to remain in his role as Bishop of Bogor in Indonesia.
“Exclusion Of Africa’s Five Super Catholic States From Pope’s Maiden Visit: We have observed a fundamental omission in the Holy Father’s African visit, covering only countries of Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea; excluding super Catholic/Christian populated countries of Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya-with combined Catholic population of estimated 141m, as well as Ethiopia-Africa’s third largest Christian State with 77m.
“Out of the four countries pencilled down for papal visit, only Angola has a large Catholic population of about 10m as against Cameroon’s 9m Catholics and Equatorial Guinea’s 1.4m Catholics.
“Our careful study of the current patterns and trends of genocidal attacks by Islamic jihadists against Christians in Africa has clearly indicated that except Cameroon, Catholics and general Christian population face less jihadist threats and attacks in Angola and Equatorial Guinea than the five major Catholic countries of Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya and allied others like Ethiopia.
“From available records, Algeria is partly populated by just 4,200 Catholics with a serving Cardinal, out of an estimated 100,000 Christians in the country of estimated 47m and Africa’s largest landmass country of 2.382m km2.
“Algeria is only consoled and included in the papal visit by the fact that it is the country of birth of the Biblical Saint Augustine.
“While we hold no grudges against the choice of the four African countries, the five most threatened and attacked African countries ought to have been included in the itinerary of the Pope.
“The five affected Africa’s Super Catholic States included: Congo DRC-with estimated 55m Catholics and 115m Christians, Nigeria-with 30m-35m Catholics and 113m Christians, Tanzania-with 19m Catholics and 31m Christians, Uganda-with 18m Catholics and 30m Christians and Kenya-with 18m Catholics and 40m Christians-totaling 141m Catholics and 329m Christians, in addition to Ethiopia-with estimated 77m Christians; also one of the Africa’s oldest Christian countries.
As a matter of fact, these six African countries should have been scheduled as “First Among Equals” in the Pope Leo XIV’s maiden African visit, more so when such Holy Father’s visit is importantly and urgently needed to encourage and strength the Christian faith believers in dangerous places like Nigeria, Congo DRC, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya where if extreme care is not taken, their teeming Catholic and other Christian populations will not only be wiped out by local and ISIS and ISIL-linked Islamic jihadists in the next 50-100 years but their incoming generations will no longer have traces of Christianity and Christian names linked to their lineages.
“Another fundamental missing point was the imbalanced appointment of Catholic Cardinals in Africa-especially countries with large Catholic population. These countries have been grappling with an inadequate number of “Cardinal-Electors” (those under 80 years’ old who exercise voting right during papal conclave and other cardinal decisions.
“We hereby call for appointment of two new Cardinal-Electors for Nigeria, specifically to be appointed from the country’s North-East, especially among Catholic Dioceses in Taraba State, as well as from among Catholic Dioceses in Benue State.
“Going by our recent findings, there are very brave and bold Catholic Bishops in the area that have stood their grounds against widespread Jihadist Fulani and their allied Boko Haram and Fulani Bandits’ attacks including massacre of thousands of members of their Catholic Faith and destruction of hundreds of churches, especially since 2015 till date.
“For internationally speaking out in USA in March 2025, Bishop Anagbe was targeted and his village razed and dozens of his kinsmen and women massacred by Fulani Jihadists. More than 90,000 Catholics have been forced to flee, with hundreds killed and dozens of church parishes razed or sacked in Wukari Diocese in 2024 till this date of April 2026 alone; likewise, in Makurdi Diocese where hundreds have been killed and dozens of parishes razed or sacked.
“There are 60 Catholic Dioceses in Nigeria, including 59 full-fledged Dioceses and a Suffragan, located in Ibadan, Oyo State, out of which 27 are presently dying and 17 inches away from diocesan emptiness.