Pope Francis has intervened in an ethnic crisis involving the Nigerian town of , Imo state , whose bishop, Peter Ebere Okpaleke, appointed by Benedict XVI in 2012, is unwanted by lay people and priests of the diocese. Though Okpaleke is an Igbo from Anambra State, the Catholic leaders in Ahiara rejected him because he is not an Igbo man from Mbaise.

The Vatican Insider said the pope received on Wednesday a delegation from the Diocese of Ahiara, accompanied by Archbishop of Abuja and apostolic administrator of Ahiara, Cardinal John O. Onaiyekan.

Others at the meeting were Metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri, Monsignor Anthony Obinna, Archbishop of Jos and President of the Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Monsignor Ignatius Kaigama, and the Bishop of Ahiara, Bishop Okpaleke.

Priests Clement O. Ebii, Jude N. Uwalaka, Uhuegbu Innocent Olekamma, Sister Bernadette O. Ezeyi and Stanley Pius Iwu, chief of the staff were also part of the delegation.

After a pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul and a visit to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Nigerian delegation attended the Pope’s private Mass celebration.

The delegation had previously met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Fernando Filoni, and the superiors of the same dicastery, with whom the Church’s situation in Ahiara was widely examined.

Pope Francis spoke of the inadmissibility of the situation in Ahiara and reserved to take the appropriate measures.

He said he was entrusting the Diocese of Ahiara to the motherly care of Mary.”

It was Benedict XVI who appointed Monsignor Okpaleke in 2012, only to meet a storm of opposition by the leaders and congregation. He was not even allowed to hold mass in the church.

His predecessor, late Victor Adibe Chikwe, came from Mbaise and was accepted by the worshippers, because he was son of the soil.

Pope Francis appointed John O. Onaiyekan apostolic administrator since July 2013. But the crisis has lingered.

Since Okpaleke’s appointment in 2012, the priests and Catholic faithful from Mbaise had insisted they wanted a Bishop of Mbaise extraction.

Nonetheless, Okpaleke was ordained a Bishop on May 21, 2013 in Owerri, the mother Diocese to Ahiara Diocese.

NAN

Source; https://www.nationalhelm.co/2017/06/ahiara-church-crisis-pope-francis-meets-nigerian-archbishops.html

cc; lalasticlala

r

chai see f.up

I book space finish I no come know when we reach front page.

Anyways I was born and raised a Catholic in this Ahiara diocese but this division in the church we were thought is one..... Ainoonoo.

Anti-biafrans una food don ready make i cocoma park well

Igboa always have internal fights among themselves ..seriously I wonder how Biafra is going to work...when a man from imo does not like a man from anambra

When it comes to religious tolerance give it to the Yoruba's. It is only in Yorubaland that you will find a Church, a Mosque, and a Shrine in the same street. I stand to be corrected, but you cannot find such anywhere else in Nigeria. It is only in a Yoruba family that you will find memebers of different faith living peacefully together. Others should emulate the Yoruba's in the area of respect and peaceful coexistence


A friend of mine who served in Anambra State, Aguata Local Goverment presicely, told me about the sharp divison and hatred that exist between the igbo churches in igboland.


Anglican igbos versus Catholic igbos
Methodist igbos versus Baptist igbos
Lutheran igbos versus Presbyterian igbos
Reformation igbos versus Protestant igbos
Orthodox igbos versus pentecostal igbos

Wonderful...!

The Pope Must Hear This!

mbaise people, fear them o
Naw they want to dedicate who will be bishop in their diocese

anyway there is an adage that says
''if u see snake and an mbaise man,kill the mbaise man first before the snake''

no be me talk am o

Small time they will say they want to own their own Republic abi..... Thank you Pope

good one

Nice one from pope.

LifeofClinton:
Igboa always have internal fights among themselves ..seriously I wonder how Biafra is going to work...when a man from imo does not like a man from anambra

U are always talkin balderdash..
As if yorubas are at peace.. the last i check.
Ur oba Lilwayne and oone of ife ar fighting.

And ijebu man seeing himself as the REAL yoruba man while ekiti man is an inferior yoruba.
Dnt be a hypocrite bro.

Yawns... *walks outta thread*

Anambra against Enugu, Imo against Abia, All of them against Ebonyi. Within Abia, you have Ngwa against Abriba. In Imo, Owerri against Mbaise.
You can't live in peace with others and you're up in arms against your own brothers.

That is exactly why the Hausas have given the igbos quit notice to go back to the SE and learn home training.

Hmmm even among them oooo

Evablizin:
Anti-biafrans una food don ready make i cocoma park well

Wetin carry Biafra matter for church matter?

You this tribal e-warrior...abeg go and take your boyfriend or is it girlfriend out for Guinness and roasted suya tonight...I think you need it well well.

On a more serious note....tribalism is a serious issue in the Nigerian Church and not just the Catholic Church. And not only that...serious infighting amongst followers of Cleric A vs Cleric B. We are witnesses to the infighting in Assemblies of God church in Nigeria..to give an example .....and how it almost rent that church/denomination apart.

The Church of God must face the sin of tribalism today. Kudos to Pope Francis for beginning to sort out the issue in the Nigerian Catholic Church. Other churches/denominations should follow suit.

Because in Chirst...there is no Greek, Jew, slave, etc...but Christ is in all (Colossians 3 VS 11)

So ethnic colouration has been brought into priest selection and posting in Catholic Churches too??

For the fact that he's an Igbo man, his fellow Igbo men and women still rejected him on the bases that he's not frm their town....

What would Jesus do if he were to be alive

Igbos at war with themselves, na like this una one get Biafra?

Daddy yo

Boi Boi 4 life.

Gaudium cum pace

They hate themselves that much and complain of marginalisation outside. . .go put youq homes in order first

maynation:
Igbos at war with themselves, na like this unable one get Biafra?

Skull miners will soon mine ur brain

Pope should just respect himself.

Ahiara Catholics no get joy

Church and politics 5 and 7.

See below for data shaa.