Rev. Fr. Paschal Ononuju, Parish Priest, St. Joseph Mukasa Catholic Church, Gidan Mangoro, Abuja, has urged parents to refrain from cursing or abusing children, which could impact negatively on their future.
Ononuju, Society of Jesus (SJ) Priest, gave the advice on Sunday in Abuja while celebrating mass to mark the 2019 Parish Cultural/Children’s Day celebration in the church.
The celebration with the theme: “Children as Gift from God”, was organised by the church as part of its activities to mark the 2019 Children’s Day on May 27.
He advised parents to stop exerting pressure on their children by insulting them or subjecting them to different kinds of abuse in life.
The priest further urged parents to avoid cursing their children, saying they should rather use their position as parents to declare blessings and prosperity on them instead.
“Children are special gifts from God. You prayed for the fruit of the womb and God blessed you with children with different gifts, but many times we fail to glorify God and abuse them.
“It is your responsibility to take good care of the children by tutoring, guiding and inculcating morals in them as they grow to be useful in the society,” he said.
According to him, every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of humanity. Every child you encounter is a divine appointment.
“Jesus Christ loves little children for their simplicity and innocence; Jesus sanctified childhood by passing through it himself as a little kid, child and adolescent,” he said. ( NAN)
