The youths of Ahiara community in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State yesterday locked the Catholic Cathedral to protest the ordination of Monsignor Peter Okpalaeke as the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese.

Okpalaeke, who is from Anambra State, was appointed bishop-elect of the diocese by former Pope Benedict XVI last December after the death of the pioneer bishop of the diocese, Victor Chikwe.

But while ordination was going on, the priests and Catholic faithful including the youths from the diocese, who preferred an indigene of Mbaise as bishop of the diocese, said the bishop-elect would not be allowed in the diocese.

The youths, who took over the church, locked up the entrance gate to the cathedral where the newly ordained bishop was to begin his 10- year tenure as the bishop of Ahiara Diocese.

The protesters, who disrupted vehicular and human movement in the area, vowed not to allow the bishop access into the cathedral, insisting that the diocese would remain without a bishop for the next 10 years. Some of protesters told journalists that “we will not allow this injustice. We don’t want the bishop who is not from our community.

That is all we are saying and we are ready to fight to finish”. Despite the protesters’ threat, Pope Francis directed Catholic authorities yesterday to ordain the bishopelect.

The ordination, which was carried out amid tight security at the Seat of Wisdom Seminary in Ulakwo in Owerri North Local Government Area, was held several miles away from the Ahiara Diocese.

This, according to a source, was to prevent the breakdown of law and order. However, many Catholic faithful and other dignitaries within and outside the country, including John Cardinal Onaiyekan, the archbishop of Abuja, attended the ordination. In his sermon, the Catholic Bishop of Umuahia Archdiocese, Lucius Ugorji, said: “Only the Pope has the final say in the appointment of bishops.

There is no provision for quota system in the appointment of bishops.” According to him, the acceptance of the appointment is a respect for the Pope, while rejection, inflammatory statements and protests are spiteful and disrespectful to the Papal authority. Ugorji urged the people to work with the new bishop for the progress of the diocese.

dplomaticVal: Pls
What
Do
They
Stand
To
Loose
If
Their
Fellow
Easterner
Is
Appointed

Bishop



IHERE MEGBUKWA
UNU!!
NDI IMO!!!

Abagworo: Most of you are ignorant of this issue and should 1st of all study the entire situation before commenting. You cannot have a particular session imposing themselves on others for nearly 80years and claiming justice. This might be the beginning of the end of Catholicism in the Southern Igbo area if the issue is not handled with care.

feelamong: shame on these bigots!

You want Quota in the Church again!!

Why not just go and open up ur own church where only Mbaise people will be bishops!

Bunch of twats!

Lilimax: The Pope's command/order ought to be the final in Catholicism? Isn't it?
Why going against it?

Chanchit: I must confess, I'm ashamed of these people, and they call them selves christians..? What would they now do if a Yoruba man is being appointed.
Shame shame shame on you.
Later they would say they want to be governor of Lagos state and Eze1 of Nairaland.

Abagworo:

They will gladly accept a Yoruba man. That is the reality. They will accept an Ngwa man or an Ijaw man but not that particular man from that particular zone.

Abagworo:

They will gladly accept a Yoruba man. That is the reality. They will accept an Ngwa man or an Ijaw man but not that particular man from that particular zone.

Wily,Wily:

why

Abagworo:

http://dailyindependentnig.com/2013/01/ahiara-catholic-faithful-protest-reject-appointment-of-bishop/

The protesters added: “Should the appointment of Okpalaeke succeed, half of the Ecclesiastical Province would be controlled by bishops from Onitsha Province,” stressing that, “till date, no priests or bishops from Owerri Province have been assigned as bishops, whether auxiliaries or substantive, in Onitsha.”

Members of the diocese, who were in solidarity protest with the aggrieved priests, noted that the appointment of a bishop outside priests from the diocese would weaken the people’s faith. “Our opposition to the appointment of Okpalaeke draws from our perception of the paramount importance of the salvation of the souls of our people.”

Also speaking, the president of the Ahiara Diocesan Catholic Women Organisation, Mrs. Felicia Nwogu, noted that their position was not driven by chauvinism, but by equity, justice and fairness.

She added: “We believe we have credible priests who can be made 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.”

The angry faithful, who barricaded the gate to the big 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’.

dplomaticVal: Pls
What
Do
They
Stand
To
Loose
If
Their
Fellow
Easterner
Is
Appointed

Bishop



IHERE MEGBUKWA
UNU!!
NDI IMO MBAISE!!!

Abagworo: Most of you are ignorant of this issue and should 1st of all study the entire situation before commenting. You cannot have a particular session imposing themselves on others for nearly 80years and claiming justice. This might be the beginning of the end of Catholicism in the Southern Igbo area if the issue is not handled with care.