Pope Leo the fourteenth wants Nigerian leaders to take advantage of the nations diverse ethnic and religious differences to strengthen communal strength for national peace and development.
The Pope who made the call through his representative in Nigeria, Michael Francis Crotty, also advised the authorities in Nigeria to take deliberate actions that will promote peace and religious tolerance across the West African country.
According to our correspondent, Kadenojo Okoliko, the Papal Nuncio to the Pope was speaking during the priestly ordination of twelve Deacons of the Missionary Society of St Paul in Nigeria on Saturday in Abuja.
The successful candidates for ordination made a vow of allegiance to serving the Lord Jesus Christ through the bishop and his successors.
They were then consecrated through the laying of hands, the invocation of the Holy Spirit, anointing with Christmas oil and the vesting in the priestly attire,
The Missionary Society of St. Paul (MSP) is a society of apostolic life with the aim of spreading the Gospel and serving the Church.
(Editor: Okechukwu Eze)