His holiness Pope Francis during a meeting at the Vatican with a delegation from the Ahiara diocese, where the priests have refused to accept the 2012 appointment by the then pontiff, Benedict XVI, of the local bishop were warned by the Catholic Pontiff. He laid down the ultimatum to the defiant Nigerian priests that they would lose their job if they failed to obey him and your bishop.

The pope who warned them that he would suspend the priests from the ministry if they didn’t pledge in a letter, by July 9, in “total obedience” to him and accept Bishop Peter Okpaleke’s appointment told the visiting delegation he was “very sad” about the their refusal to obey while ruling out tribal loyalties as explained for the refusal.

He further demanded that each priest in the diocese write to him asking forgiveness and “clearly manifest total obedience to the pope.”

They must also accept the bishop chosen by Rome. If, within a month, each priest doesn’t do so, he will be “ispo facto suspended,” such as from the celebration of the sacraments, and will lose his current office, Pope Francis had warned.

Those priests opposing Okpaleke’s taking up of his office “want to destroy the church, which is not permitted,” Pope Francis stated in his address to the delegation.

The Africa continent has been a source of strength to the Catholic church which has been growing over the past century. Due to the growth there have been several priest from the region who now serve in Europe or North America.

Francis’ move to end disobedience to the Vatican is aimed at ensuring the growing church there will be loyal to the pontiff. He further acknowledged the fact that his move may have “seems very harsh.”

According to him the rebellious priests might have been manipulated from outside the diocese or even abroad, but was reported to have mentioned no culprits.

Since 2012, the Catholic church in the diocese of Ahiara has has been facing crises following the appointment of Bishop Peter Okpaleke, who was appointed under Francis’ predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, as their leader. The bone of contention been that Okpaleke does not hail from the local Mbaise ethnic group and priests of the diocese viewed him as an outsider with majority of the clergy refusing to accept him.

With the meeting with the Pontiff, it is expected that the clergy will have a change of heart and accept Bishop Peter Okpaleke who hails from Awka Diocese of Anambra state.

SOURCE: http://www.naijasilvergold.com/blog/2017/06/12/youll-fired-dont-obey-pope-warns-nigerian-priests/

So been a priest is now a job?.so it's no longer a divine calling?....this is interesting.

This is what happens when politics enters a church..nepotism,favouritism,confusion and chaos