‘Israel/Hamas War Compelled Rome/Greece Pilgrimage’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas as well as concern for the safety and welfare of Nigerian citizens has necessitated a change from Israel and Jordan to Biblical sites in Rome and Greece, according to Rev Yakubu Pam, the executive secretary of Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC).

Speaking with reporters in Abuja yesterday, Rev explained that the Christian pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan scheduled for December 2023 was suspended solely due to such concerns, adding that it is now being replaced with pilgrimage to Rome and holy sites in Greece by the end of January.

Pointing out that it took years before NCPC under him began to consider visits to remarkable Biblical sites in Jordan, which is a Muslim country, he said that after a prolonged wait for the Israel/Hamas conflict that began on October 7, 2023 to end, his team’s previous researches on Biblical sites in Greece and Rome were properly analyzed while he had personally led teams to inspect accommodation facilities and existing biblical sites among other tasks.

“We have discussed extensively with government and local authorities and security, accommodation and good hospitality is assured as the very first batch of Nigerian Christian pilgrims visit these places to connect physically with New Testament locations of the gospel and do spiritual exercises, including meditation and prayers for our dear nation.

“Also, arrangements for smooth flight, good meals and local transportation have been concluded for the 2023/2024 main pilgrimage; state governments, states’ offices of Christian Pilgrims Welfare Boards, churches and individuals have been formally informed about the modalities and the N3 million cost that only requires some augmentation of payment previously made for the Israel/Jordan trip.”

Pam explained that unknown to many, Apostle Peter, St Paul, and the early Christians are why there are Christian sites in Rome and that it was from there and Greece that Paul, Peter, and the early Christians founded several Christian communities in Asia Minor and Europe from the mid-40s to the mid-50s AD, beginning the spread of Christianity across the world.

A statement from the NCPC indicates that the new N3 million pilgrimage cost covering return flight ticket, hotel accommodation, three-course meal per day, tours of holy sites in executive luxury buses for six nights and seven days, is exclusive of pilgrims travelling allowances while states and private pilgrims are expected to meet up with payments before the last day of January 2024.

According to Rev Pam, the new pilgrimage sites will include places where Apostle Paul, otherwise known as Saint Paul, passionately spread the teachings of Jesus Christ, converting polytheists and idol worshippers through extensive physical journeys and remarkable contributions that remain very significant parts of the New Testament till date and his epistles or letters to early Christian communities have remained very relevant as words of instruction till date.

“St. Paul is often considered to be the most important person after Jesus in the history of Christianity, his epistles (letters) have had enormous influence on Christian theology; he wrote the epistle to Ephesians in a prison in Rome and his journey through Greece included stops at Samothrace and Kavala (Neapoli), where he initiated Christian churches and fostered relationships and he later visited Philippi, Thessaloniki, Veria, Athens, and Korinthos (Corinth), spreading the word of God and facing both acceptance and opposition in these cities,” he said.