I grew up attending a parish with three irish priests in succession, Fr. Mcabe, Fr. Shian, both of blessed memory and Fr. Fintan Daly. These priests gave wonderful homilies in funny Yoruba but that was the fun of it. I grew up as a child having a feeling I was part of one big universal church. I felt highly exposed; shaking hands with white priests and other religious was the hallmark of my experience as a young catholic boy. I served as an alter boy under Fr. Shian. It was a wonderful experience. He was a strict displinarian whose ways later influenced my thinking and philosophy about life in later years.
I grew up and left the parish but would return home regularly from time to time to find the parish run by indigenous diocesan (but ibo by birth priest) and this is in Ibadan but I never heard anyone grumble or complained about ibos taken over their church. Growing up a catholic gave me a sense of pride, I have plenty of friends from other tribes. I am a Yoruba boy but have more ibos as friends than I have Yorubas.
How has the church in Ahiara become so tribalised that they won't accept a fellow ibos priest will never stop to bother me. What if they had someone outside their clan? How would they have reacted if a foreigner was appointed their bishop? Warri diocese once in recent time had Richard Bunke, I wonder how they would have taken it were they Warri diocese. Why are these selfish, parochial, wordly, ego-driven sets of priest with their laity collaborators seek to destroy the universal spirit of the church? Why, why and why?

Even Nigeria, the so-called Zoo is more united, Biafra is as divided as a divider

twentyk:
i swear to GOD i cant fit read this epistle....in this early mornin...mo sorry gan.....
han han "so gun laye ni.....again mo sorry gan.......

LAZINESS KILLS AND IGNORANCE & DECEIT WITH GULLIBILITY IS D RESULTS.

Mynd44:
*chuckles*

Human beings and their petty silliness.

Well, this is a test of strenght of the Pope. The Devil is trying to test you and he is using none other than your own priests; what will you do?

I can imagine the Pope is the Managing Director of a multinational corporation and the directors of a particular country are turning down a National MD that was sent there. Na to hand out sack letters like chin chin

You sound like you would be a wicked MD. How can you share chin-chin without Maltina to wash it down? You want people to choke? .

My 10 kobo to this matter is that don't allow any man or section to deceive you about break up of Nigeria because all have hidden motives; because they feel their chances to the new center will be better. Resisting your spiritual authorities for lame reasons show the depth of nepotism in that community and it is their beginning of their fall like lucifer.

Timbuktuo:


You sound like you would be a wicked MD. How can you share chin-chin without Maltina to wash it down? You want people to choke? .

They can buy their own damn maltina or choke

The crazy and lengthy epistle is strictly for biafrans. E no concern me

The Holy Church Of GOD is built upon a solid Rock. Gates of hell shall never overshadow it. Amen

Two organizations that are said to be most organised are the military and the catholic church.

The Igbo's shd not allow tribalism to kill the church. of the 3 major tribes in Nigeria, the Igbo has the highest percentage of Christianity. In fact they claim Jewish.

Leadership in Christianity is service; to be servant not master. Obedience to higher authority (political or ecclesiastical) is a bible injunction. Humility is christian virtue. Rebellion is Satan's nature.

Let's sheath the sword and fight our common enemies... sin, Satan and self.

obayaya:
This is why Mbaise people are dreaded by the rest of Igbo Land. Because they always act like they are smarter than the others..

This stereotypical statement was made by a friend of mine at the height of this conflict.

This is the first time in the history of the Catholic Church that people are rejecting bishop because he isn't indigenous. And it's quite appalling.

This write up gave an ample example of non indigenes heading dioceses across Nigeria. If Ahiara diocese is allowed to have it's way, then every other diocese might as well start rejecting non indigenous bishops.

The Pope should excommunicate the priests who doesn't send the letter by July 9.

During Ordination, these priests took just 2 solemn vows - The vow of Chastity and Obedience to the Papal Authority.

They actually took three - Poverty is the third. To belong entirely to the church, to seek not after no material wealth. A priest or any religious person by this vow is not even suppose to be looked up to by his/her family for material contribution. It is to be assumed he/she has nothing. Priesthood is a call to serve and like that write up has rightly said, who struggles to serve? Who struggles to be a servant? It is clear that the priests behind the rebellion are materialistic people and do not have loyalty to their vows as a motive.

In a situation like this, the Church always tries to help people see reason. It becomes a conundrum when the people are not ready to listen at all. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Mynd44:
They can buy their own damn maltina or choke

Amnesty International must hear this. This is inhumane treatment.

tete7000:


They actually took three - Poverty is the third. To belong entirely to the church, to seek not after no material wealth. A priest or any religious person by this vow is not even suppose to be looked up to by his/her family for material contribution. It is to be assumed he/she has nothing. Priesthood is a call to serve and like that write up has rightly said, who struggles to serve? Who struggles to be a servant? It is clear that the priests behind the rebellion are materialistic people and do not have loyalty to their vows as a motive.

Diocesan priests do not take the vow of poverty.. Only Religious priests like Dominicans, Franciscans, Holy ghost priests and the rest take the vow of poverty.

Diocesan priests are allowed to keep proceeds from their handiworks like books, salaries for the priests that lectures in universities and so on. That's why priests like Fr. Ede can afford to own Madonna and Caritas Universities.

But Religious priests must surrender their earnings to the community (Religious priests live in a community of priests). The community then gives them a stipend from the earnings.

stonemasonn:
Mbaise dialect is different from Onitsha dialect! That is no excuse.

When I keep on telling people that IBO's are not united somebody from that same mbaise will be defending them, when I said almost every family in mbaise have a priest someone was doubting me or contradicting himself, if they can't agree on issues as sensitive as these, how will they stay together if eventually they give them " Biafra " . The language is one but different dialect and does that change anything?

Its really unfortunate the way they are handling this.

I wonder what would have happened if they brought in a Tiv Bishop..

People seem to forget humility is a virtue.

I doubt if these people really know anything about their religion. They've chosen to be all about self.

Shame really.

The fin iz igbo pple too like wahala...dey dnt like deirselvez...so many discrimination amongst demselvez...d appointed bishop is from abia...d mbaise pple said hez nt frm deir state dey wont accept him....afta dey'll be chanting "one biafra".....izzoryt...small pikin wey mama cross river dey complain say him match fish

Tribe or place of origin did not play any noticeable part in the appointment

Mbaise again! Methinks the real issues underlying this fracas go beyond religion and ego. The subtext reads political power and money. These two things will make men deny God. I hope they find a peaceful resolution soon.

This is really very scandalous. The Ahiara diocese clergy are a disgust. This is a heavy scar on the face of the church...... In fact I'm speechless

Very soon they will say they want secession, from the leadership of the Catholic church under the pope! They just can't obey! They always want to have their way, tomorrow they will tell u how closer to Jesus they are than the pope.

obayaya:


Diocesan priests do not take the vow of poverty.. Only Religious priests like Dominicans, Franciscans, Holy ghost priests and the rest take the vow of poverty.

Diocesan priests are allowed to keep proceeds from their handiworks like books, salaries for the priests that lectures in universities and so on. That's why priests like Fr. Ede can afford to own Madonna and Caritas Universities.

But Religious priests must surrender their earnings to the community (Religious priests live in a community of priests). The community then gives them a stipend from the earnings.

I hope you are aware that Edeh belongs to the C.S.Sp? The Holy Ghost Congregation, so he belongs to an order in essence. It is the abbreviation you see after his name. I think every religious is expected to take that vow of poverty, it is in the degree that it is exercised that varies from the diocesan to the religious order. In the diocesan priesthood, the intention is to guide against the inordinate and excessive accumulation of material wealth. The local ordinary, that is the bishop in exercising his authority (implicit in the vow of obedience) can actually step in and regulate a priest who seems to be stepping out of control in this regard. The fact that every indigenous priest live in a house built by his parish and invariably by his diocese and not a house built by himself is equally a pointer to this fact. If a priest used to live in a parish house (let's say in an urban area) well furnished and he is suddenly transferred to another in rural area where there is dearth of such furnishing in the parish house, even if he is the one under who the former parish house was furnished, he can't empty the former house and transfer its contents to his new house. He cannot claim the properties as his personal own, they belong to the church, his parish. He must make do with whatever is found in the new house. He can however if it is within his means choose to upgrade the new house again to his taste. Finally I don't think an indigenous priest can will his car for example to his siblings. If he dies while serving, whatever he owns automatically becomes the property of the church.

To be frank with you, I have often wonder how Fr. Edeh (C.S.Sp) is able to exercise the kind of affluence he does. The ownership structure of his university and other things he owns is one that I wish I can understand.

I write this with deep sorrow in my heart.
1. whatever made Mbaise people believe they have been marginalized (if such a word should enter the church) is what baffles and saddens me.
2. That Mbaise laity should support their priests in this dance of shame. are there no reasonable people in Mbaise?

This is so painful and i am really saddened by this matter, i pray peace returns to that land; this case will forever weaken the church in Mbaise. it was a lose lose battle, no one came out better.
May the gates of hell never prevail over the holy church. Amen

Who is marginalising who in this scenario?

StOla:
Shame!

Their complaint.

In just q small community church, look at the ethnic division. Yet they say they can manage an entire country.

I did on ur BBM, just realizing your phone was stolen

zicoraads:

Hehehee #Wash

You that didn't even remember I had a birthday...

this shows d extent of dis unity among the Igbos, yet they want Biafra.

Amoto94:
Who is marginalising who in this scenario?

Anambra marginalising Imo.

tete7000:
I grew up attending a parish with three irish priests in succession, Fr. Mcabe, Fr. Shian, both of blessed memory and Fr. Fintan Daly. These priests gave wonderful homilies in funny Yoruba but that was the fun of it. I grew up as a child having a feeling I was part of one big universal church. I felt highly exposed; shaking hands with white priests and other religious was the hallmark of my experience as a young catholic boy. I served as an alter boy under Fr. Shian. It was a wonderful experience. He was a strict displinarian whose ways later influenced my thinking and philosophy about life in later years.
I grew up and left the parish but would return home regularly from time to time to find the parish run by indigenous diocesan (but ibo by birth priest) and this is in Ibadan but I never heard anyone grumble or complained about ibos taken over their church. Growing up a catholic gave me a sense of pride, I have plenty of friends from other tribes. I am a Yoruba boy but have more ibos as friends than I have Yorubas.
How has the church in Ahiara become so tribalised that they won't accept a fellow ibos priest will never stop to bother me. What if they had someone outside their clan? How would they have reacted if a foreigner was appointed their bishop? Warri diocese once in recent time had Richard Bunke, I wonder how they would have taken it were they Warri diocese. Why are these selfish, parochial, wordly, ego-driven sets of priest with their laity collaborators seek to destroy the universal spirit of the church? Why, why and why?

You will be surprised that this same priests will accept a priest from Yoruba, middle belt, Hausa origin than accept that Okpaleke or any other person from Anambara.
The root of this problem is the unwritten power tussle between an average Imo man and someone from Anambara.

ettybaba:

Anambra marginalising Imo.

Gbagam. That is the mentality of an average Imo Man. And that is why I am almost certain that this election boycott of a thing by Nnamdi Kane won't work. Because Abia state is considered as a part and parcel of old Imo. And an average Anambara man will not want take orders from someone from Imo.

tete7000:


I hope you are aware that Edeh belongs to the C.S.Sp? The Holy Ghost Congregation, so he belongs to an order in essence. It is the abbreviation you see after his name. I think every religious is expected to take that vow of poverty, it is in the degree that it is exercised that varies from the diocesan to the religious order. In the diocesan priesthood, the intention is to guide against the inordinate and excessive accumulation of material wealth. The local ordinary, that is the bishop in exercising his authority (implicit in the vow of obedience) can actually step in and regulate a priest who seems to be stepping out of control in this regard. The fact that every indigenous priest live in a house built by his parish and invariably by his diocese and not a house built by himself is equally a pointer to this fact. If a priest used to live in a parish house (let's say in an urban area) well furnished and he is suddenly transferred to another in rural area where there is dearth of such furnishing in the parish house, even if he is the one under who the former parish house was furnished, he can't empty the former house and transfer its contents to his new house. He cannot claim the properties as his personal own, they belong to the church, his parish. He must make do with whatever is found in the new house. He can however if it is within his means choose to upgrade the new house again to his taste. Finally I don't think an indigenous priest can will his car for example to his siblings. If he dies while serving, whatever he owns automatically becomes the property of the church.

To be frank with you, I have often wonder how Fr. Edeh (C.S.Sp) is able to exercise the kind of affluence he does. The ownership structure of his university and other things he owns is one that I wish I can understand.

The vow of poverty isn't compulsory for every Priest. I know of some priests who have earned, still earning and have built houses of their own in their father's compounds and some even has houses in towns.

eagleeye2:

The vow of poverty isn't compulsory for every Priest. I know of some priests who have earned, still earning and have built houses of their own in their father's compounds and some even has houses in towns.

Well, that's actually strange to me to be candid with you. It is never the concept of priesthood I am famiiar with. I have a religious in my immediate family and believe me since she became one the family exempt her from many family obligations.