VoiceAfrique: Perspectives on Faith , Life and Politics from Africa and the Diaspora

Voice Afrique
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Celebrating the stories of faith in action and the voices of Christians from the African heartland, the emerging center of gravity of World Christianity, and from black Christians in the United States, Canada and the Diaspora.

  1. NOV 6

    You can be healed and made whole again

    Send us a text Dr Otunla continues her discussion on how you can find healing and the need to allow that process to begin by seeking help and acknowledging your need for healing and restoration. Sometimes we breakdown or we we are weighed down by the challenges of life, but wherever you are and whatever the burdens you carry, Dr Otunla has a message for you: You can be made whole again.

    25 min

  2. NOV 3

    The Blood of Nigerian Christians: Trump’s Threats, the Vatican’s Voice, and our Cry for Justice

    Send us a text Nigeria bleeds — and the world is finally taking notice. Once hailed as Africa’s giant, Nigeria has become a graveyard of broken promises and buried dreams. Over fifty thousand Christians have been murdered, entire villages wiped away, priests and worshippers slaughtered at the altar, and millions displaced while the powerful trade blame and excuses. The United States once again has placed Nigeria on its list of “Countries of Particular Concern.” President Donald Trump threatened sanctions, and military attack calling out the government’s failure to stop the killings. In The Hague, the International Criminal Court opened investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity. And in Rome, the Vatican spoke with moral clarity: no government can claim legitimacy while its people perish in ungoverned spaces. This episode  confronts Nigeria’s crisis through faith and prophetic denouncement. It explores what the U.S. designation means, why the Vatican’s voice carries the greatest moral authority, and how Nigeria’s leaders — blinded by greed and corruption — are turning the nation into a valley of tears.“The Blood of Christians” is not just about religion; it is about a people’s cry for justice, a nation’s moral collapse, and the Church’s call to prophetic courage. Listen, reflect, and join the movement to restore Nigeria’s soul.

    33 min

  3. NOV 1

    Engaging Bishop Kukah on Christian Persecution, the Blood of the Faithful in Nigeria and Tinubu's Corrupt and Insensitive Government

    Send us a text Welcome to VoiceAfrique's special edition on the suffering of Christians and the poor in Nigeria which we have titled “Engaging Bishop Kukah on the Blood of the Faithful in Nigeria and Tinubu’s Corrupt and Insensitive Government.” This episode dares to ask difficult questions and tell difficult truths about the state of our nation and the suffering of God’s people. It is not a defence of Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, nor is it an attack on him. Rather, it is a space of honest dialogue—a moral conversation among Christians who love their country and desire its healing. Nigeria today bleeds from open wounds of corruption, insecurity, and moral decay. The cry of the innocent and the tears of the persecuted Christians rise daily to heaven, while those entrusted with leadership wallow in luxury and indifference. This episode confronts these uncomfortable realities: the betrayal of the poor, the failure of governance under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the silence of many in the face of evil. But above all, it is a call to conscience, Gospel non-violence, and Christian resistance against this cycle of persecution and violence and suffering. Our salvation as a people will not come from Washington, London, or Paris. Nigeria’s redemption lies in the courage, faith, and solidarity of Nigerians themselves and commitment to live together in an inclusive and just country where the common good is protected, promoted and available to everyone everywhere without regard to religion, ethnicity, or class. Here, we speak truth to power, with compassion, faith with courage, and hope with responsibility.

    43 min

  4. OCT 23

    Sent to Heal a Wounded Nation – Sierra Leone’s Journey of Faith and Restoration

    Send us a text Welcome to Voice Afrique, a space where faith meets the deep wounds and hopes of Africa. I’m your host, Fr. Stan Chu Ilo, inviting you into a moment of reflection, healing, and encounter. In this episode, we turn our gaze to Sierra Leone — a nation once scarred by war, disease, and poverty, yet resilient through the power of faith. Through the eyes of faith, we discover that Sierra Leone’s post-war recovery is not just political or economic, but a spiritual pilgrimage of restoration. Joining me is Agnes Ainea, an acclaimed African journalist and author of “Sent to Heal a Wounded Nation: The Story of Father Peter Konteh” (Paulines Africa). Together, we explore the prophetic witness of Fr. Peter Konteh — a Catholic priest whose ministry through Caritas Freetown embodies the Church’s healing mission: rebuilding communities, restoring dignity, and renewing hope. From the ruins of civil war and the scars of Ebola to the promise of peace and education, this story captures what Pope Francis calls “the polyhedron of hope” — a people whose faith and solidarity transform suffering into grace. 📖 In this conversation, you’ll hear: How the Church in Sierra Leone became a sanctuary for the woundedThe transformative power of faith-based humanitarian workWhy Africa’s story of resilience is also a theology of hopeLessons for building peace, healing trauma, and empowering communities💡 “Faith is not just belief—it is action. It is love walking among ruins.” 🙏 Stay tuned until the end for a prayer for peace and renewal in Sierra Leone and across Africa. #VoiceAfrique #FrStanChuIlo #AfricaFaith #SierraLeone #CatholicChurch #Caritas #PeterKonteh #AgnesAinea #PaulinesAfrica #AfricanHope #PostConflictHealing #PeaceAndFaith #AfricanPodcast #FaithInAction #JusticeAndPeace #Reconciliation

    27 min

  5. OCT 8

    Healing the Mind, Restoring the Soul with Dr Anthonia Otunla

    Send us a text  This Voice Afrique conversation series between Fr Stan Chu Ilo and Dr. Anthonia Otunla brings to you stories and a Gospel of healing and strength. We provide  a safe and communal a space of faith and positive psychology for healing, and hope for people who are suffering from trauma, wounded memories, hunted by their past and other burdens that weigh down the soul, mind, body, and spirit. I’m Stan Chu Ilo, and in this special series, I invite you to join me and Dr. Anthonia Otunla — a compassionate physician, counselor, and faith-filled woman — as we explore the hidden wounds of the mind and the heart that many in Africa and across the world quietly carry. This series, Healing the Mind, Restoring the Soul, is our response to the growing mental health and trauma crisis that touches every family, community, and church. Together with Dr. Otunla, we will listen to the stories of pain and resilience that too often go unheard — the struggles with depression, anxiety, violence, loss, and the silent battles of everyday life. But more importantly, we will also seek paths toward healing and wholeness — discovering how faith, community, and compassionate care can restore dignity and hope to those who suffer. From Scripture to lived experience, from the wisdom of psychology to the language of the Gospel, this series invites us to see that God walks with us even in our brokenness, and that healing begins when we dare to speak, to listen, and to love again. So, wherever you ar — in your home, your car, your parish, or your place of work — take a deep breath, open your heart, and join us on this sacred journey toward healing and renewal. This is a series where faith meets mental health, and hope finds a voice.

    28 min
  6. Why are Nigerian Catholic Priests being Murdered? In Memory of Fr. Matthew Eya

    SEP 27

    Why are Nigerian Catholic Priests being Murdered? In Memory of Fr. Matthew Eya

    Send us a text In this special episode of Voice Afrique, Fr. Stan Chu Ilo and Fr. Nnaemeka Ali, O.M.I., reflect on the tragic killing of Fr. Matthew Eya, a young priest from Enugu State, Nigeria. Together, they explore the deep wound his death leaves for his parish, his family, and the entire Church. They ask: What does it mean to live as people of hope when priests and ordinary citizens alike are unsafe?How should the Church and society respond to the culture of impunity, corruption, and neglect fueling violence?Can gospel nonviolence lead us beyond anger and fear into justice and healing?Through lament, testimony, and prophetic challenge, this conversation honours the life of Fr. Matthew and all victims of senseless violence. Above all, it insists that God never abandons His people, and light will overcome darkness. 📖 Scripture echoes: Exodus 32 | Luke 15 | Isaiah 1:18 #VoiceAfrique #AfricanChurch #FaithAndJustice #Nigeria #StopTheViolence #CatholicPodcast #Nonviolence #Hope #Enugu

    35 min

  7. SEP 21

    Ending Hate, Political Violence and War: Memory, Conversion, and the God of Love

    Send us a text In a world scarred by political violence, wars, and divisions carried out in the name of God, this episode of Voice Afrique dares to speak truth. We challenge those who invoke God to justify violence, hatred, and extremism—reminding our listeners that such distortions betray the very heart of faith. This episode is a call to memory—because we cannot build peace by forgetting. It is a summons to conversion—because true transformation must begin in our hearts before it can reshape our societies. And it is an invitation to collective action—because only together can we break the cycles of vengeance and hatred. We reflect on the urgent need to embody God’s love and to see God in one another, across every difference, across every border. We explore how communities of faith and conscience can resist the seduction of violence and rediscover the humanity that unites us. Voice Afrique brings prophetic voices, stories, and reflections that remind us: peace is not naïve, it is necessary. Ending wars fought in the name of God begins with daring to live in the name of love.

    29 min

  8. JUL 29

    Hope in the Midst of Suffering

    Send us a text In this episode, we explore what it means to hold onto hope when life hurts. As we look around at a world marked by war, poverty, ecological destruction, and spiritual fatigue, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. But Christian hope is not wishful thinking—it is rooted in the Resurrection, in the promise that love is stronger than death, and that God is always at work, even in the ashes of our suffering. Fr. Stan Chu Ilo and Susan Hookong-Taylor reflect on how hope is not the denial of pain, but the courage to believe that something new can emerge from it. Drawing from African wisdom, Catholic theology, and real-life stories, they remind us that we do not suffer alone. We are part of a communion—a community of wounded healers—and in Christ, our suffering is never wasted. Hope, then, is leaning on God and on one another, knowing that even in the darkest night, the light still shines. Ask ChatGPT

    32 min
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Celebrating the stories of faith in action and the voices of Christians from the African heartland, the emerging center of gravity of World Christianity, and from black Christians in the United States, Canada and the Diaspora.

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