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 ofthe 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 ofour Priests”; “Cardinal Arinze should leave our Diocese alone”.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/imo-catholics-reject-popes-choice-of-bishop/

It is such a shame that the people uttering this rubbish also call themselves christians. Has politics and EVIL duo of ethnicity and sectionalism invaded the church too?
Nigeria!

If Awo had allowed Zik to be premier of the west, perhaps things would have taken a different turn.

Unfortunately, when selfish politicians lose political power they resort to premordial sectional and ethnic sentiments.

This is where we are today. Even the church is not spared. Some of these things make me so ashamed to be a Nigerian.
SMH!

This is more or less as a result of culture and language differences. Ahiara is a rural diocese and mass services are conducted in the traditional dialect which the Awka man cannot speak.

Abagworo: Thanks for shedding light on the matter and correcting Sincere 9gerian's brainless post.

sign of end time.

abagoro: This is more or less as a result of culture and language differences. Ahiara is a rural diocese and mass services are conducted in the traditional dialect which the Awka man cannot speak.

So are you saying that all the priests in IMO are from IMO and all the priest in AWKA are from AWKA?

ekt_bear: Abagworo: Thanks for shedding light on the matter and correcting Sincere 9gerian's brainless post.

To be honest, you are the one being brainless here. The parties involved have made it clear that their reason for this rejection is based on the fact that non of their own have held that post in Onistha or AWKA. Do you mean that IMO people doesn't understand AWKA language again? So AWKA language is now french?

Sincere 9gerian: It is such a shame that the people uttering this rubbish also call themselves christians. Has the politics and EVIL duo of ethnicity and sectionalism invaded the church too?
Nigeria!

If Awo had allowed Zik to be premier of the west, perhaps things would have taken a different turn.

Unfortunately, when selfish politicians lose political power they resort to premordial sectional and ethnic sentiments.

This is where we are today. Even the church is not spared. Some of these things make me so ashamed to be a Nigerian.
SMH!

Thanks, you made a correct observation. Religion, Ethnicity and Tribalism is our major problem in Nigeria today.

abagoro: This is more or less as a result of culture and language differences. Ahiara is a rural diocese and mass services are conducted in the traditional dialect which the Awka man cannot speak.

Bro, they are protesting against the apointment of a 'bishop'of a whole dioces not a 'priest' of a local parish, that could have been understandable in terms of communication problems. Who says the bishop must say mass in their local dialect? What has culture got to do with that? Cardinal Okogie is from Edo but has been the bishop of Lagos since I was born till now, Cardinal Onayekan is from Kogi and has been the bishop of Abuja since I can remember, when I was in school in minna till presently, the bishop of minna dioces is an igbo man, I can go on and on with examples. Do not try to justify people who bring in tribalism,politics into the house of God. The catholic church over the years have being a model for other churches in the world. Issues like this can send the wrong signals to people.

wat then shall we say....Ave maria

'Religion is politics' --- Majek Fashek

Maybe they discovered that the Bishop elect is an 'OSU'. Igbo people get shit brain,I swear.

seanet01: InSincere nigerian. YOU ARE A B.A.S.T.A.R.D. For dragging Awolowo's name into this.
Ediot

Back to sender, the Defender-of-Awo-in-Chief

Before we jump into conclusions, it has to be determined what this Imo catholics have against the pope's choice of Bishop.

According to them, they see politics at play here which to them is inspired by Cardinal Arinze who is from Anambra and who imposes Bishops from Anambra on them.

If the Pope has the right to choose a Bishop and it followed due process then i don't see what the problem is.

The sentiment that Bishop Okpalaeke does not understand the idiosyncrasies of the diocese is pure bunkum. If this the first time that a non-indegene will be appointed the Bishop of any diocese?

kokoA: Bro, they are protesting against the apointment of a 'bishop'of a whole dioces not a 'priest' of a local parish, that could have been understandable in terms of communication problems. Who says the bishop must say mass in their local dialect? What has culture got to do with that? Cardinal Okogie is from Edo but has been the bishop of Lagos since I was born till now, Cardinal Onayekan is from Kogi and has been the bishop of Abuja since I can remember, when I was in school in minna till presently, the bishop of minna dioces is an igbo man, I can go on and on with examples. Do not try to justify people who bring in tribalism,politics into the house of God. The catholic church over the years have being a model for other churches in the world. Issues like this can send the wrong signals to people.

Let me play the devil's advocate for a bit...

These Bishops you named were all based in Lagos and those other places before they were appointed Bishops but i think this Okpalaeke guy was moved from Anambra to Imo where he probably has never worked as a priest before.

God have mercy on us! I still don't understand why jornalists turn stories around just to sell themselves. This is not the true story. The true story is that, the catholics in Ahiara diocese are simply saying that Pope's chioce of a Bishop for them is definitely not going to lift the spiritual life of catholics there due to one or two things that cannot be made public. Which they have related to the right authority. Catholics are now out to bring true chriatian values into the church. So no one should misunderstand them as being political or watever.

How did pope pick d guy? Pope sabi all d priest for all country? I smell foul

Afam4eva:
Let me play the devil's advocate for a bit...

These Bishops you named were all based in Lagos and those other places before they were appointed Bishops but i think this Okpalaeke guy was moved from Anambra to Imo where he probably has never worked as a priest before.

It is not in any way an Imo or Anambra thing. I doubt if an Ngwa man is catholic Bishop of Aba or an Ikwerre man is catholic Bishop of PH either. Ahiara is a rural diocese.

What a waste of time! People make alot of mistakes when they don't know the History of The Holy Roman Catholic Church. Now know this, "PROTEST" has "NEVER" solved any problem in the Catholic Church, the "PROTESTANTS" know this more than many catholics do. If you doubt me, go and ask the people of Benin what they achived after protesting, when Most Rev Dr Augustine Akubeze was appointed the Archbishop of Benin Archdioces. They gained ABSOLUTLY NOTHING. The Holy Roman Catholic Church is The UNIVERSAL Church and The MOST ORGANISED INSTITUTION on Earth. If you doubt that just google it. This has nothing to do with politics, besides it is The Catholic Bishops Confrence of Nigeria [CBCN] that makes the recomendations and not Cardinal Arinze and before anybody is appointed out of those recomended a proper accessment of the person's virtue and credibility is done by The Holy See and noelse, with this, the best person ends up being appointed. This is not like the so called "free and fair" election we conduct here in Nigeria. Also ethnicity has no business in the Catholic Church, that is the reason why Most Rev Dr Ignatus Kaigama who is not from Plateau State is the Archbishop of Jos, Most Rev Dr Jude Okolo a Nigerian (from Anambra State) is an Archbishop in Mali aswell as the Papal Nuncio of Central Afrian Repoblic and ofcause, his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI [Joseph Ratzinger] from Germany is the Bishop of Rome. So these people in Imo State should stop WASTING their TIME.

Good morning,

I really do not believe in the cause of these individuals. It is not a MUST for the Bishop of a diocese to come from that locality. Cardinal Okojie is from Edo state but was made the Arch bishop of Lagos, his successor, Arch Bishop Martins is not from Lagos. Even Cardinal Olaiyekan the Arch Bishop of Abuja is a Yoruba man.

Those protesting might have the best interest of the Diocese at heart but the way a Bishop is selected is not upto them. If we are to choose for God, it would imply that Judas Iscariot and even St. Peter would not have been made Apostles.

I strongly urge them to put down their placards, embrace the appointed Bishop as one of their own, then pray and work for the success of their Diocese.


Thank you!

Hypocrites