The Catholic Church in Nigeria is part of the worldwide

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

, under the spiritual leadership of the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

, the

curia Curia (Latin plural curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally likely had wider powers, they came ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). The present president of the CBCN is

Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, Most or Möst or ''variation'', may refer to: Places * Most, Kardzhali Province, a village in Bulgaria * Most (city), a city in the Czech Republic ** Most District, a district surrounding the city ** Most Basin, a lowland named after the city ** ...

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdio ...

Owerri Owerri ( , ) is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland. It is also the state's largest city, followed by Orlu, Okigwe and Ohaji/Egbema. Owerri consists of three Local Government Areas including Owerri Municipal, ...

, who was preceded by the Archbishop of

Benin city Benin City is the capital and largest city of Edo State, Nigeria. It is the fourth-largest city in Nigeria according to the 2006 census, after Lagos, Kano, and Ibadan, with a population estimate of about 3,500,000 as of 2022. It is situated ap ...

Catholic Diocese, Augustine Obiora Akubeze . The Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches comprise the world's largest Christian Church, and its largest religious grouping. In 2005, there were an estimated 19 million baptised Catholics in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. In 2010 the Catholic population accounted for approximately 12.6% of the population. Nigeria, together with

Congo Democratic Republic The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

, boasts of the highest number of priests in Africa. The boom in vocation to the priesthood in Nigeria is mainly in the eastern part (especially among the Igbo ethnic group) which accounts for over 70 percent of the country's Catholic population. The second papal visit to the country in 1998 witnessed the beatification of

Blessed Blessed may refer to: * The state of having received a blessing * Blessed, a title assigned by the Roman Catholic Church to someone who has been beatified Film and television * ''Blessed'' (2004 film), a 2004 motion picture about a supernatural ...

Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi.

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

proclaimed him blessed at Oba, Onitsha Archdiocese, a local Church established by the apostle of eastern Nigerian, Bishop Joseph Shanahan, CSSp. The official patron saints of Nigeria are: Mary, Queen of Nigeria and Saint Patrick of Ireland. Nigeria sm02

List of dioceses

Within Nigeria the hierarchy consists of: *Archbishopric **Bishopric *

Abuja Abuja () is the capital and eighth most populous city of Nigeria. Situated at the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is a planned city built mainly in the 1980s based on a master plan by International Plan ...

(Cardinal Archbishop) ** Gboko **

Idah Idah is a town in Kogi State, Nigeria, on the eastern bank of the Niger River in the middle belt region of Nigeria. It is the headquarter of the Igala Kingdom, and also a Local Government Area with an area of 36 km. Idah had a population ...

** Katsina-Ala **

Lafia Lafia is a town in North Central Nigeria. It is the capital city of Nasarawa State and has a population of 330,712 inhabitants according to the 2006 census results. It is the largest town in Nasarawa state. History Lafia, also known as Lafian ...

Lokoja Lokoja is a city in Nigeria. It lies at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers and is the capital city of Kogi State. While the Yoruba (Oworo), Bassa Nge and Nupe are indigenous to the area, other ethnic groups of Nigeria, including th ...

Makurdi Makurdi is the capital of Benue State, located in central Nigeria, and part of the Middle Belt region of central Nigeria. The city is situated on the south bank of the Benue River. In 2016, Makurdi and the surrounding areas had an estimated popul ...

** Otukpo *

Benin City Benin City is the capital and largest city of Edo State, Nigeria. It is the fourth-largest city in Nigeria according to the 2006 census, after Lagos, Kano, and Ibadan, with a population estimate of about 3,500,000 as of 2022. It is situated ap ...

Auchi Auchi is a city in Edo State, Nigeria. Auchi Sacred Kingdom (ASK), which is part of Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, serves as the Local Government headquarters. Other towns in the Etsako West local government area include: U ...

Bomadi Bomadi is an Ijaw local government area in Delta State, Nigeria. The town lies on the bank of the Forcados River. It has eleven communities, namely: Ogriagbene, Esanma, Akugbene, Ogbein-ama, Bomadi, Kpakiama, Ekamuta-gbene, Azebiri, Ogodobi ...

Issele-Uku Issele-uku is an ancestral city in Nigeria's Delta State and headquarters for the Local Government Area of Aniocha North. It is also the Episcopal See of the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku. It has its own post office and is s ...

** Uromi **

Warri The city of Warri is an oil hub within South-South Nigeria and houses an annex of the Delta State Government House. Warri City is one of the major hubs of the petroleum industry in Nigeria. Warri and her twin city, Uvwie are the commercial ...

Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language. The city is adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers and c ...

Ikot Ekpene Ikot Ekpene, also known as The Raffia City, is a historic town in south-southern state of Akwa Ibom. It is the political and cultural capital of the Annang ethnic group in Nigeria (Nair, 1972). The town is located on the A342 highway that par ...

Ogoja Ogoja is a Local Government Area in Cross River State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is Ogoja town in the northeast of the area near the A4 highway at. It has an area of 972 km² and a population of 171,901 at the 2006 census. Its St. Benedict ...

** Port Harcourt **

Uyo Uyo is the capital city of Akwa Ibom in South South Nigeria. Ibibio is the language spoken in Uyo. It became the capital on September 23, 1987 when Akwa Ibom was created from the former Cross River State. According to the 2006 Nigerian Cen ...

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6 million people within its ...

** Ekiti **

Ilorin Ilorin is the capital city of Kwara State in Western Nigeria.. Retrieved 18 February 2007 As of the 2006 census, it had a population of 777,667, making it the 7th largest city by population in Nigeria. History Ilorin was founded by the ...

** Ondo **

Osogbo Osogbo (also ''Oṣogbo'', rarely ''Oshogbo'') is a city in Nigeria. It became the capital city of Osun State in 1991. Osogbo city seats the Headquarters of both Osogbo Local Government Area (situated at Oke Baale Area of the city) and Oloru ...

** Oyo *

Jos Jos is a city in the north central region of Nigeria. The city has a population of about 900,000 residents based on the 2006 census. Popularly called "J-Town", it is the administrative capital and largest city of Plateau State. During British ...

Bauchi Bauchi (earlier Yakoba) is a city in northeast Nigeria, the Administrative center of Bauchi State, of the Bauchi Local Government Area within that State, and of the traditional Bauchi Emirate. It is located on the northern edge of the Jos Plate ...

Jalingo Jalingo is the capital city of Taraba State in north eastern Nigeria , named in fulfulde (The word jalingo meaning superior place and has been estimated with population of 118,000. and the city is mainly dominated by Fulanis and others small eth ...

Maiduguri Maiduguri is the capital and the largest city of Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria. The city sits along the seasonal Ngadda River which disappears into the ''Firki'' swamps in the areas around Lake Chad. Maiduguri was founded in 1907 as a mi ...

Pankshin Pankshin is a Local Government Area in Plateau State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Pankshin. It has an area of 1,524 km and a population of 191,685 at the 2006 census. Pankshin is popularly known for its trade hub as most o ...

Shendam Shendam is a Local Government Area in Plateau State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Shendam. It is bordered by Ibi Taraba State to the south, Qua'an Pan to the east, Pankshin to the north, and Mikang to the west. Shendam town is ...

** Yola *

Kaduna Kaduna is the capital city of Kaduna State, and the former political capital of Northern Nigeria. It is located in north-western Nigeria, on the Kaduna River. It is a trade Centre and a major transportation hub as the gateway to northern Nige ...

Kafanchan Kafanchan ('' Fantswam'': A̠byin Fantswam; '' Nikyob'': Manɡyanɡ) is a town located in the southern part of Kaduna State, Nigeria, which owes much of its development to the railway development in the area, being situated at a particular jun ...

** Kano ** Kontagora ** Minna **

Sokoto Sokoto is a major city located in extreme northwestern Nigeria, near the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2006 it has a population of over 427,760. Sokoto is the modern-day capital of Sokoto State and was previously the ...

Zaria Zaria is a metropolitan city in Nigeria which at the present time lies within four (4) local government areas in Kaduna state; it happens to be the capital city to the Zazzau Emirate Council, and one of the original seven Hausa city-states ...

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

(Cardinal Archbishop) **

Abeokuta Abeokuta is the capital city of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria. It is situated on the east bank of the Ogun River, near a group of rocky outcrops in a wooded savanna; north of Lagos by railway, or by water. , Abeokuta and the surrounding a ...

Ijebu-Ode Ijebu-Ode is a town in Ogun State, South Western geopolitical zone in Nigeria, close to the A121 highway. The city is located 110 km by road north-east of Lagos; it is within of the Atlantic Ocean in the eastern part of Ogun State and p ...

Onitsha Onitsha ( or just ''Ọ̀nị̀chà'') is a city located on the eastern bank of the Niger River, in Anambra State, Nigeria. A metropolitan city, Onitsha is known for its river port and as an economic hub for commerce, industry, and education. I ...

Abakaliki Abakaliki is the capital city of Ebonyi State in southeastern Nigeria, located southeast of Enugu. The inhabitants are primarily members of the Igbo nation. It was the headquarters of the Ogoja province before the creation of the Southeastern ...

Awgu Awgu is the Headquarters of Awgu Local Government Area (LGA) in Enugu State, Nigeria and the Headquarters of Awgu Catholic Diocese. The Catholic Cathedral is said to resemble a space ship when viewed with Google Earth. The town is also the Or ...

Awka Awka () is the capital city of Anambra State, Nigeria. The city was declared capital on 21 August 1991, after the creation of Anambra and Enugu state, which moved the capital from Enugu to Awka (an administrative center since pre.-colonial times). ...

Ekwulobia Ekwulobia is an Igbo-speaking town in southeastern Nigeria. It is the one of the largest cities in Anambra State after Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi and their respective conurbations. It is the headquarters of the present Aguata local government an ...

Enugu Enugu ( ; ) is the capital city of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in southeastern part of Nigeria. The city had a population of 820,000 according to the 2022 Nigerian census. The name ''Enugu'' is derived from the two Igbo words ''Én ...

Nnewi Nnewi is a commercial and industrial city in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria. It is the second largest and second most populous city in the southern part of the country. Nnewi as a metropolis has one local government area, which is Nnewi Nort ...

Nsukka Nsukka is a town and a Local Government Area in Enugu State, Nigeria. Nsukka shares a common border as a town with Edem, Opi (archaeological site), Ede-Oballa, and Obimo. The postal code of the area is 410001 and 410002 respectively re ...

** Aba **

Ahiara Ahiara is a city in Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria. The city stands about 16 miles between Owere and Umuahia. It was the location of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu's Ahiara Declaration during the Nigerian Civil War. It is the location of the Catholic d ...

Okigwe Okigwe is the third largest city in Imo state in Nigeria after Owerri and Orlu. Okigwe is located in the Okigwe Local Government Area of Nigeria. The city lies between the Port Harcourt-Enugu-Maiduguri rail line, being the nearest city to the b ...

** Orlu **

Umuahia Umuahia () is the capital city of Abia State in southeastern Nigeria. Umuahia is located along the rail road that lies between Port Harcourt to its south,and Enugu city to its north. Umuahia has a population of 359,230 according to the 2006 Nige ...

Immediately subject to the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

: * Maronite Catholic Eparchy of the Annunciation

Episcopal conference

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria is the Nigerian

episcopal conference An episcopal conference, sometimes called a conference of bishops, is an official assembly of the bishops of the Catholic Church in a given territory. Episcopal conferences have long existed as informal entities. The first assembly of bishops to ...

. Its current President is Archbishop of Owerri

Catholic traditionalism

A more traditionalist subset of the Catholic Church is also present in Nigeria and embodied by the

Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter ( la, Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Petri; FSSP) is a traditionalist Catholic society of apostolic life for priests and seminarians which is in communion with the Holy See. The society was founded in 198 ...

(Nne Enyemaka Shrine,

Umuaka The Umuaka Autonomous Community is a city in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Umuaka is situated almost mid way between Orlu and Owerri Owerri ( , ) is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland. ...

). There also exists a community of the irregular status

Society of St. Pius X The Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) ( la, Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Pii X; FSSPX) is an international fraternity of traditionalist Catholic priests founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, a leading traditionalist voice at the Seco ...

( Saint Michael's

Priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of ...

Catholic universities in Nigeria

* Caritas University, Amorji-Nike * Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu * Madonna University (Ihiala), Okija * Our Saviour Institute of Science and Technology, Enugu *VUNA, Veritas University Abuja (The Catholic University of Nigeria), Abuja * Augustine University Ilara * Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos

Major seminaries in Nigeria

Seminary of Saints Peter and Paul, Ibadan, Oyo State, NigeriaSt. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, Makurdi
* St. Augustine's Major Seminary, Jos
National Missionary Seminary of St. Paul, Gwagwalada
* St Joseph Major Seminary Ikot Ekpene * Blessed Tansi Major Seminary Onitsha, Anambra State * St Albert The Great Major Seminary Abeokuta * St. John of the Cross Spiritual Year Seminary, Ekpoma * Seat of Wisdom Major Seminary, Owerri * Seat of Wisdom Major Seminary, Umuahia Campus * JohnPaul II Major Seminary, Awka * Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kaduna * Claretian Institute of Philosophy, Nekede Owerri * Spiritan Institute of Theology Attakwu Enugu * Spiritan Institute of Philosophy, Isienu Nsukka * Don Bosco Institute of Philosophy Affiliated to Salesian Pontifical University (Rome) * Dominican Institute

Minor seminaries in Nigeria

* St. Augustine's seminary, Amechi Ezzamgbo, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State * Queen of Apostles Seminary, Afaha Obong, Abak, Akwa Ibom State * Immaculate Conception Seminary, Mfamosing, Cross River State * St. John Vianney Minor Seminary, Barkin-Ladi, Plateau State * St. James' Junior Seminary, Yandev Gboko * St. Jude's Minor Seminary, Kuje Abuja * St Theresa's Minor Seminary Oke-Are Ibadan * Sacred Hearts Minor Seminary Akure * St. Clement's Minor Seminary, Adankolo-Lokoja, Kogi State * St Paul's Seminary Ukpor, Nnewi Anambra State * All Hallows Seminary, Onitsha Anambra State * St Joseph's Seminary Special Science School, Awka-Etiti Anambra State. * Mercy Seminary, Bende Abia State * Immaculate Conception Seminary, Ahiaeke Umuahia, Abia State * St. Dominic Savio Seminary, Akpu, Anambra State * St John Bosco Seminary, Isuaniocha, Anambra State * Holy Martyrs of Uganda seminary Effurun, Delta State * Annunciation Seminary Amaudara, Abia State * St John-cross minor seminary, Isienu-Nsukka, Enugu state * St Charles Borromeo seminary, Imiringi, Bayelsa State. * St Mary's Seminary Umuowa, Orlu, Imo State. *Bonus Pastor Seminary Osina, Ideato North, Imo State. *Assumpta Minor Seminary, Owerri Archdiocese. * Mater Ecclesiae Seminary, Nguru Mbaise, Ahiara Diocese * St Peter Claver's Seminary Okpala Owerri Archdiocese * Pope John Paul II Seminary Yala Okpoma Ogoja Diocese * St. Peter's Seminary Ogii, Okigwe Diocese * Sacred Heart Seminary, Rumuebiekwe Port Hacourt, Port hacourt Diocese * St. Felix Seminary Ejeme-Anigor, Delta State * St. Joseph Seminary Basawa, Zaria, Kaduna State. * St. Charles Borromeo Minor Seminary, Madakiya Kaduna State * St Peter's Minor Seminary, Katari Kaduna State * St Peter's Minor Seminary, Yola Adamawa State * St Joseph's Minor Seminary, Shuwa Adamawa State * Sacred Heart Minor Seminary, Jauro Yinu Taraba State * St. paul minor seminary, benin city, Edo state.

Nigerians who have been canonized or beatified

* Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, from

Anambra State Anambra State is a Nigerian state, located in the southeastern region of the country. The state was created on August 27, 1991. Anambra state is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi St ...

Beatified by Pope John Paul II, 22 March 1998

Catholic religious congregations founded in Nigeria

* Daughters of Divine Love
New Evangelization Sisters of Mother of Perpetual Help)Sons of Mary, Mother of Mercy CongregationDaughters of Mary, Mother of Mercy Congregation
*Holy Family Sisters of the Needy *Missionary Sisters of Divine Mercy, Nnewi, Nigeria. Website: www.divinemercysisters.net Sisters of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, Ikeja, Lagos-State. *Sisters of Jesus Crucified, Uratta, Owerri, Imo State *Missionary sister of Jesus and Mary, Warri

Missionary societies active in Nigeria

The Spiritans (Congregation of the Holy Spirit, C.S.Sp.)The Augustinians (Order of Saint Augustine, O.S.A.)Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of ApostlesSt. Louis SistersSalesians of Don Bosco
Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB)]
Missionaries of AfricaPontifical Mission Societies of Nigeria (PMS Nigeria)Aid to the Church in Need

Missionary Society of St. Paul
* Order of Preachers (Dominicans) * Order of Discalced Carmelites * The Franciscans *

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

(Jesuits) * The Cleratian Missionary Fathers * The Oblates Of St Joseph * The Redemptorists

The Society of Divine Vocations (Vocationists)
Daughters of St Paul (Missionary Sisters of Divine Mercy P. O. Box 611 Nnewi Nigeria. Cell: +2348033802674)Oblates of the Virgin Mary
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate - Website: www.omiworld.org

References

External links

Catholic Secretariat of NigeriaCatholic Bishops' Conference of NigeriaCatholic News Service of Nigeria

* ttp://www.fides.org/ "Agencia Fides" Information Service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927 {{DEFAULTSORT:Catholic Church in Nigeria