Vindicating and Defending Lay Church Workers’ Rights against Poor Remuneration in the Catholic Church in Nigeria

Abstract

Right must not only be theoretical but practical. If there is right, there should be means for its vindication and defence. The paper aims at creating awareness of canonical provisions for the vindication and 
defence of right and dignity of human person. It identified the following problems: (i) ignoble respect for human dignity, (ii) ignorance, (iii) exploitation, (iv) injustice, and (v) insensitivity. The following 
approaches were applied; expository, analytical, exegetical and deductive. The findings of this paper revealed the poor economic situation of the country and the fact that most of the salaries paid to lay Church workers could not meet even their basic needs. One wonders how the Church as the voice of the voiceless and the beacon of hope in social justice, in defending the rights of the poor and the oppressed in the society can fall victim of the very injustice she stands often to condemn. The paper examines canon 221 and its implications for vindicating and defending lay Church workers’ rights against poor remuneration in Nigeria. Finally, it recommended the following: creating awareness of canonical provisions, entrenching the culture of vindication and defence, remuneration policy for lay Church 
workers, periodic review of workers remuneration as well as setting a monitoring team and establishment of arbitration and ethics office.