TROUBLE IN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF AHIARA

Priests and members of the Catholic church in Ahiara Diocese, Imo State have rejected the Pope’s choice of Monsignor Peter Okpalaeke as the Bishop-elect for the diocese.Monsignor Okpalaeke is from Anambra State. The protesters who assembled at St. Brigid’s Catholic Church, Ahiara, said that the appointment of the Bishop-designate will not “promote the spiritual wellbeing and the precious faith of our people”.

The President of Ahiara Diocesan Priests’ Association, Rev Father Austin Bernadine Ekechukwu who spoke for the group told reporters that the rejection of Okpalaeke’s appointment was not a sign of disrespect for the Pope or the hierarchy of the Church, explaining that “we strongly contest his (Okpalaeke) suitability for Ahiara Diocese given its uniqueness and pastoral realities”. Okpalaeke’s appointment, he added, sent a “reprehensible signal about the status and reputation of the about 500 Catholic Priests that trace their origins to the soil of Mbaise, a Diocese that has been globally acclaimed as the Ireland of Nigeria”. “Should the appointment of Okpalaeke succeed, half of the Ecclesiastical Province would be controlled by Bishops from Onitsha Province. Till date no Priests or Bishops from Owerri Province have been assigned as bishops whether auxiliaries or substantive in Onitsha,” he said.The President of the Ahiara Diocesan Catholic Women Organization, Mrs Felicia Nwogu, said their position was not driven by chauvinism but by equity, justice and fairness. “We believe we have credible Priests who can be made a Bishop, instead of imposing someone who does not understand the culture of the people and we have an obligation to reject anything that imperils the faith of our people,” she said. The angry Church members who barricaded the gate to the Cathedral, displayed placards with inscriptions like “We don’t want Okpalaeke as Bishop”; “The Pope should rescind his decision and appoint one of our Priests”; “Cardinal Arinze should leave our Diocese alone”.