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By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja

The Primate, Church of Nigeria, (Anglican Communion), Archbishop Henry Ndukuba, has said the convictions of Queen Elizabeth II on marriage, morality and the dignity of human life are rooted in the Scriptures.

He also described the late British monarch as a ‘‘Defender of the Protestant faith,’’ whose faith and personal belief in Jesus Christ were unshakeable yet she accommodated and respected other creeds and racial backgrounds..

The Primate stated this in his sermon at a Service of Remembrance for the Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, held in Abuja.

”Her convictions on marriage, morality and the dignity of human life are rooted in the Scriptures, yet she accommodated and respected other faiths and peoples. She indeed fought a good fight of faith till the very end,’’ he said.

Archbishop Ndukuba recounted how the Queen publicly declared her devotion to Jesus Christ at her ascension to the throne, seventy years ago.

”Queen Elizabeth II shall be remembered for being indeed a defender of the Protestant faith which she swore at her ascension to the throne.

”At her coronation when she processed into the Church, she first went to the high altar to kneel in prayer and personally surrendered her life to the almighty God before she came down to the pomp and pageantry of the coronation.

”Her message of August, 3rd 2022 expressed this clearly when she said ‘throughout my life the message and teachings of Christ have been my guide and in them, I find hope. 

”If this be her public speech indeed, she, like a soldier of Christ Jesus, fought the good fight of faith. She, like an athlete, has run the race to the finishing Line and has kept the faith.” 

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Liang, who led members of staff of the Commission to the Service, lauded the Anglican Communion for honouring Queen Elizabeth II and identifying with the people of the United Kingdom in their period of mourning.  

”We share a common heritage in the Anglican faith and as we heard in the sermon, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II was the defender of that faith,” she said.

The High Commissioner recounted her previous audience with the Queen as her representative to Nigeria, where she spoke so fondly of her two visits to Nigeria in 1956 and 2003.

”King Charles III also has great interests in Nigeria, has visited and will visit again,” she said.