Breaking News: Pope declares seat of Bishop of Ahiara Mbaise Catholic Diocese vacant, appoints Sole Administrator
By News Express, www.newsexpressngr.com, on 03/07/2013


Ahiara Mbaise Catholics in Imo State, South-East Nigeria, appear to have won their war against the bishopry of Father Peter Okpaleke. This afternoon, the Catholic website Catholicculture.org announced the appointment of the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, as the apostolic administrator of Ahiara Diocese. This has apparently aborted the prospective 10-year tenure of Father Okpaleke, who was consecrated May 21 in neighbouring Owerri following his vehement rejection by Ahiara Mbaise Catholics.

Below is the text of a story entitled “Pope Francis appoints cardinal as administrator of troubled Nigerian diocese” uploaded by Catholicculture.org around 12 hours GMT:



Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal John Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, as the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Ahiara.

Founded in 1987 and located in the Mbaise region of Imo State in southern Nigeria, the diocese was governed by Bishop Victor Chikwe from its inception until his death in 2010.

In December 2012, Pope Benedict appointed Father Peter Okpaleke, a priest of the Diocese of Awka in neighboring Anambra State, as the diocese’s new bishop. 400 priests, angered that a Mbaise priest was not appointed, protested the decision.

The appointment “sends a very reprehensible signal about the status and reputation of 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,” the priests said in a statement.

Some priests and lay protesters saw Cardinal Francis Arinze, the retired prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, as the force behind the appointment of Father Okpaleke. Cardinal Arinze comes from Anambra State.

“Awka has five bishops, Mbaise has no bishop,” said a placard at the priests’ protest. “We want Mbaise son as Mbaise bishop.”

Father Okpaleke was ordained bishop of Ahiara on May 21, but the ordination took place at a seminary in another diocese amid heavy security. At the time of the ordination, youth locked the cathedral of Ahiara in protest. Some protesters placed a coffin with the new bishop’s name at diocesan headquarters.

The Holy See has not announced Bishop Okpaleke’s resignation from his see. Typically, the Pope appoints an apostolic administrator when a see is vacant (sede vacante), but a sede plena appointment is not unprecedented: Archbishop Joseph Miot served as apostolic administrator of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from 1997 to 2008, while Archbishop François-Wolff Ligondé remained archbishop, and Bishop Thomas Olmsted was appointed apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Gallup in 2008 while Bishop Donald Pelotte remained diocesan bishop. Ahiara Mbaise Catholics in Imo State, South-East Nigeria, appear to have won their war against the bishopry of Father Peter Okpaleke." . . . News Express

They might not have won because what it means is that the diocese has no Bishop for now. And the position of no-Bishop cannot be the ideal position for a diocese.

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=18341


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NIgerianWorldForum/message/326401

This shows you the emptiness of our so-called christians. Imagine protesting a "Divine appointment over the origin of the appointee. Igbos are highly bigoted.

lakpa lakpa: This shows you the emptiness of our so-called christians. Imagine protesting a "Divine appointment over the origin of the appointee. Igbos are highly bigoted.

but not as highly bigoted as your people,nuffing wrong with registering displeasure if you are uncormfortable with the bishop appointed to govern your diocese.Kudos to the Pope for this move.

ichidodo: but not as highly bigoted as your people,nuffing wrong with registering displeasure if you are uncormfortable with the bishop appointed to govern your diocese.Kudos to the Pope for this move.

Abeg stop yarning dust. What's the grievance they have against him?? That he's from another state.

That's very shameful!!

Even going as far as bringing a coffin to the church...

Abeg shame small for ur people....

In his recent address to the nunciature during his last audience with them, one of the touching points raised by the Pope was his frowning on dropping his name in the appointment of bishops. Ahiara must have been predominant in his mind during this address. Truth is like pregnancy, you don't cover it with bare hands.

Very soon, some self appointed church policy makers will flood here and tell us how the church has progressed in her plans to deal with "Ahiara insubordination". The church is really transforming with Ahiara holding the torch on the African front.

And what is this doing in politics section, somebody is trying to discredit something here.

Mbaise kwenu!!!

lakpa lakpa:

Abeg stop yarning dust. What's the grievance they have against him?? That he's from another state.

That's very shameful!!

Even going as far as bringing a coffin to the church...

Abeg shame small for ur people....

coffin ke? LMAO!!!

This headline is misleading!! Where in this news was the bishopric declared vacant? How does the appointment of onaiyekan as administrator signify victory for the mbaise deluded folks.I thought they were fighting for an mbaise bishop,is onaiyekan from mbaise?

[/b], but a sede plena appointment is not unprecedented: Archbishop Joseph Miot served as apostolic administrator of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from 1997 to 2008, while Archbishop François-Wolff Ligondé remained archbishop, and Bishop Thomas Olmsted was appointed apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Gallup in 2008 while Bishop Donald Pelotte remained diocesan bishop.[b]

This is a sede plena appointment,it does not remove okpaleke as the bishop of ahiara diocese.

God bless the pope for this move!!! Every Human being, every Christian has the right and duty to speak up against injustice, power-play and subjugation in the house of God. There are now 5 bishops from Awka and none from Mbaise; there are 15 bishops from Onitsha Province and only 4 from Owerri province... No Mbaise priest is a bishop anywhere in the catholic church even though there are more than 500 catholic priests of Mbaise origin who are very qualified to be a bishop... The Mbaise people are protesting the injustice, power-play, subjugation, and favoritism in the appointment of bishops in Igbo land... ; the one person who is the master-mind. The Bishopric of Ahiara diocese in Mbaise was used to settle Okpalaeke as one of the Arinze loyal and errand boys. Mbaise people did their rosary and singing procession to show their rejection of Okpalaeke to the Church and to the whole world. Even though the imperialist Prince Francis Arinze intimidated and pushed the man without balls (Archbishop Obinna) to ordain Okpalaeke as the Titular Bishop Ulakwo, Owerri; Okpalaeke stands completely rejected by Mbaise Catholics for and ever, Amen!!!!

In this case, many Mbaise Catholics suspect the hidden influence of Cardinal Francis Arinze, now 80, who hails from Onitsha, accusing him of using his Vatican connections to set up clergy from his own clan as the ruling class. That may be terribly unfair, though it's a natural enough suspicion in a country where corruption and abuse of power are all too familiar

lakpa lakpa:

Abeg stop yarning dust. What's the grievance they have against him?? That he's from another state Is very shameful!!

Even going as far as bringing a coffin to the church...

Abeg shame small for ur people....

The coffin (if any), signifies death and burial of injustice, imperialism, Papal name dropping, Favoritism, Intimidation & Betrayal. Above all, it signifies victory for the mother church.

chukwudi44: This headline is misleading!! Where in this news was the bishopric declared vacant? How does the appointment of onaiyekan as administrator signify victory for the mbaise deluded folks.I thought they were fighting for an mbaise bishop,is onaiyekan from mbaise?

Who is the president of Egypt? People like you will say Mossi.
Are you saying that Cardinal Onaiyekan is now Auxiliary bishop under 'Bishop' Okpaleke? Smh.

I thought you said the church will ostracise Mbaise people. Instead, she has shown that she is a listening
church expecially under this new leadership. Tell me now who is deluded between you and Mbaise gallant people?

Okoro2015:

Who is the president of Egypt? People like you will say Mossi.
Are you saying that Cardinal Onaiyekan is now Auxiliary bishop under 'Bishop' Okpaleke? Smh.

I thought you said the church will ostracise Mbaise people. Instead, she has shown that she is a listening
church expecially under this new leadership. Tell me now who is deluded between you and Mbaise gallant people?

Don't you understand english language anymore?

What do your understand from the passage below

[/b], but a sede plena appointment is not unprecedented: Archbishop Joseph Miot served as apostolic administrator of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from 1997 to 2008, while Archbishop François-Wolff Ligondé remained archbishop, and Bishop Thomas Olmsted was appointed apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Gallup in 2008 while Bishop Donald Pelotte remained diocesan bishop.[b]

I never said mbaise people would be ostracised,I only siad those disgraceful priests would likely be derobed and I still stand by my words.I also said the pope would rather close the diocese than succumb to the fools from mbaise.I am yet to see that happening.

A sede plena appointment of an administrator does not remove okpaleke as the bishop of ahiara diocese ,please get your facts right.

Some folks are allergic to the truth

This shows once again that the catholic church belongs to the people. It's not a one man show. Kudos to the pope.

Okoro2015: Some folks are allergic to the truth

Continue waiting for an mbaise pope.You will probably wait till enternity.

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chukwudi44: I never said mbaise people would be ostracised,I only siad those disgraceful priests would likely be derobed and I still stand by my words.I also said the pope would rather close the diocese than succumb to the fools from mbaise.I am yet to see that happening.

A sede plena appointment of an administrator does not remove okpaleke as the bishop of ahiara diocese ,please get your facts right.

I know you will be the 1st to rush to this tread. Do you think the authorities are as deluded as you are? All of you that had called umu mbaise unprintable names for fighting against injustice should ask God for forgiveness.
Justice delayed is hope kept alive.

chukwudi44: [/b], but a sede plena appointment is not unprecedented: Archbishop Joseph Miot served as apostolic administrator of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from 1997 to 2008, while Archbishop François-Wolff Ligondé remained archbishop, and Bishop Thomas Olmsted was appointed apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Gallup in 2008 while Bishop Donald Pelotte remained diocesan bishop.[b]

This is a sede plena appointment,it does not remove okpaleke as the bishop of ahiara diocese.

If you like you can call it sudo pluto plena apointment or any thing you like, the voice of Ndi mbaise for justice sounded louder and vatican has responded. You can jump into duru owerre.

chukwudi44:You are the one dreaming!! Bishops are not chosen in mbaise but rather in rome.Okpaleke was consecrated as the bishop of ahiara diocese on May 21 2013,if you are not yet aware of that then continue dreaming.You will have to wait for enternity for the pope to send another bishop to ahiara diocese.

chukwudi44: Okpaleke is already the bishop.You people can protest from now till thy kingdom come.I think what the church hierachy
should do is close down the ahiara diocese and put it under owerri

chukwudi44: Okpaleke has been appointed as the substantive bishop of ahiara diocese.He is the only one recognised by rome to run the diocese and all correspondences about the diocese must go from him to rome or the CBCN.The ekwulobia diocese does not exist and no bishop has been appointed for it.Whenever it is created the pope will appoint someone to take
charge of that diocese.The catholic church will rather
close down the ahiara diocese than succumb to the antics of renegades masquarading as priests and their
thug laity collaborators.We have seen them before in
the church history.Mbaise people are even just too
small and represent an insignificant percentage of the
catholic church.

The above quoted author should go and do a silent reflection and reconsider future utterances against God's anointed people (Ndi Mbaise). If by chance you are related to the godfather or any of the beneficiaries, know ye today that the game is over! Udo diri gi.

Okoro2015:

The above quoted author should go and do a silent reflection and reconsider future utterances against God's anointed people (Ndi Mbaise). If by chance you are related to the godfather or any of the beneficiaries, know ye today that the game is over! Udo diri gi.

God's chosen people indeed!! Why don't you wait until an mbaise man is appointed bishop before you start blabbing.I thought you were figting for an mbaise bishop!!

chukwudi44:

God's chosen people indeed!! Why don't you wait until an mbaise man is appointed bishop before you start blabbing.I thought you were figting for an mbaise bishop!!

Without mincing words, an Mbaise Bishop is highly desirable which of course would have happened if not for the meddlesomeness of your people. With the new attention of the Pope, we can only wait prayerfully for the appointed time. JUSTICE has been the key word while the struggle lasted. Watch out for the kind of reception Onaiyekan will get because his appointment is clearly from the Pope.

Okoro2015:

The above quoted author should go and do a silent reflection and reconsider future utterances against God's anointed people (Ndi Mbaise). If by chance you are related to the godfather or any of the beneficiaries, know ye today that the game is over! Udo diri gi.

chukwudi44:You are the one dreaming!! Bishops are not chosen in mbaise but rather in rome.Okpaleke was consecrated as the bishop of ahiara diocese on May 21 2013,if you are not yet aware of that then continue dreaming.You will have to wait for enternity for the pope to send another bishop to ahiara diocese.

chukwudi44: Okpaleke is already the bishop.You people can protest from now till thy kingdom come.I think what the church hierachy
should do is close down the ahiara diocese and put it under owerri

chukwudi44: Okpaleke has been appointed as the substantive bishop of ahiara diocese.He is the only one recognised by rome to run the diocese and all correspondences about the diocese must go from him to rome or the CBCN.The ekwulobia diocese does not exist and no bishop has been appointed for it.Whenever it is created the pope will appoint someone to take
charge of that diocese.The catholic church will rather
close down the ahiara diocese than succumb to the antics of renegades masquarading as priests and their
thug laity collaborators.We have seen them before in
the church history.Mbaise people are even just too
small and represent an insignificant percentage of the
catholic church.

The above quoted author should go and do a silent reflection and reconsider future utterances against God's anointed people (Ndi Mbaise). If by chance you are related to the godfather or any of the beneficiaries, know ye today that the game is over! Udo diri gi.

onye nwe anyi nu ynere umu mbaise

[size=20]To Apply, Scan and send your NEPA Bill, Birth Certificate, Local Govt Identification, and attach your passport photograph to info@ReligionNaError.Cum[/size]

I really cannot believe that our holy mother church ordained priests that have become ethnic bigots and power mongers