Pope Francis has laid down an ultimatum to defiant Nigerian priests: lose your job if you don’t obey me and your bishop.

According to a report by Associated Press, Pope Francis met June 8 at the Vatican with a delegation from the Ahiara diocese, south-east Nigeria where priests have been refusing to accept the 2012 appointment by the then pontiff, Benedict XVI, of the local bishop.

The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, reporting the pope’s unusually harsh order, said on Sunday that Francis was acting “for the good of the people of God” by threatening to suspend the priests from the ministry if they didn’t pledge in a letter, by July 9, “total obedience” to Francis and accept Bishop Peter Okpaleke’s appointment.

Mr. Francis told the visiting delegation he was “very sad” about the priests’ refusal to obey and ruled out tribal loyalties as explaining the refusal.

Africa has been one of the continents where the Catholic church is growing. The faithful and clergy there often imbue their practices with local culture in dynamic contrast to more traditional routines in Europe or North America.

Francis’ move to end disobedience to the Vatican aims at ensuring the growing church there will be loyal to the pontiff.

His remarks to the visiting delegation indicated how dangerous he viewed any rebellion against papal authority.

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

He added: “the pope can’t be indifferent” to the rebellion.

He has often taken a conciliatory tone in resolving disputes, but in this one he was entertaining no diplomacy. He 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,” Francis warned.

Francis acknowledged that his move “seems very harsh.” He added that he had even considered the extraordinary remedy of suppressing the entire diocese but didn’t, so as not to hurt rank-and-file faithful.

He said he thought the rebellious priests might have been manipulated from outside the diocese or even abroad, but named no culprits.

In 2015, the diocese served around 520,000 Catholics, out of a local population of about 675,000, and had 128 diocesan priests and seven other priests. It wasn’t immediately clear how many of the priests were involved in the rebellion against the bishop’s appointment.



http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/233737-angry-pope-francis-threatens-to-fire-nigerian-priests.html/amp

Serious

politics even in the Catholic Church
feel ashamed

Please where was south east mentioned in this post?

Afonjas, why evils?

3rd to comment.getting there

pope na God?

raker300:
Please where was south east mentioned in this post?

Afonjas, why evils?

It seems you have eye infection. Go back and read second paragraph.

How Nigerian police handles small thief vs big thief

A diocese in South East is a fraction of the catholic priests in the South East, so your heading/title is wrong, mischievous and intended to mislead or ignite ethnic bashing. The ultimatum concerns priests in Ahiara Diocese of Imo State, and not the generality of South Eastern Dioceses

Fake news frm fake afonja... Calling Pope Francis Mr Francis also calling the Reverend okpaleke Mr Okpaleke.. I don't blame the afonjas CUs most of them are not catholic and don't know the catholic doctrines.. Just want to use the news to castigate the south east. Afonja why?

dodoniyi:


It seems you have eye infection. Go back and read second paragraph.

Why didn't you use the original headline used by the link you posted?Why did you chose to include "south east"

torres89:
politics even in the Catholic Church

feel ashamed

damn..!! I quoted the wrong person, sorry

Are they asking for Biafra inside church again ni?



Abeg na joke I dey bfre the pple shown in the pics below go attack me..

raker300:
Please where was south east mentioned in this post?

Afonjas, why evils?

You better not kill yourself over your obsession with 'Afonja'. Abeg how does this matter concern Yoruba people, that you have chosen to blame them again this time? Must you drag Yoruba people into all your problems? Are they the owners of Premium times? Too much Akpu dey dull brain.

raker300:
Please where was south east mentioned in this post?

Afonjas, why evils?

So Ahiara is in Lagos abi.......always read and think well b4 u comment nah.

What?!

This new pope too dey para...


Someboy should give him a tight Toto to chuuk.

A PRIEST IS A PRIEST FOREVER.

Afonjas will twist the news the way it would favour them.

The worst is that afonja Muslims are also commenting. Lmao.

VERY TERRIBLE PEOPLE THAT LACK KNOWLEDGE OF MODUS OPERANDI OF CATHOLIC CHURCH

Testosterone secretions is just on the high this days. Everyone is just going berserk around the globe

And some people would still blame it on Buhari and IPOD. Kwontinu

Pope Francis can sack me, but as a priest I work for God. Am Rev father oluwanishola chinedu buhari.

ramdris:
Are they asking for Biafra inside church again ni?



Abeg na joke I dey bfre the shown in the pics below go attack me..

The so called joke is even stale.. Mtswww

Ok

Saw this coming! How they dare discriminate against Okpaleke!

If they are not comfortable with the choice, they should seek for incardination!

Hmmmmmmmm