According to the Vatican Information Service (VIS),
The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI today appointed Msgr. Peter Ebere Okpaleke
of the Catholic Diocese of Awka, as bishop of Ahiara Diocese, Nigeria.
- Born in Amesi, Aguata LGA of Anambra in 1963.
- Ordained a priest in 1992.
- Studied Canon Law at the Holy Cross Pontifical University, Rome.
- Currently a judge at the inter-diocesan tribunal of Onitsha.
Congratulations Msgr. Okpaleke, and long live the Catholic Diocese of Ahiara.
<http://visnews-en.blogspot.it/2012/12/other-pontifical-acts_7.html
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 priest 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 and in Nigeria in general... ; the one person who is the master-mind of these satanic deeds is cardinal Francis Arinze. Let the truth be told: 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.
ReplyDeleteOkpalaeke stands completely rejected by Mbaise for and ever, Amen!!!!
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH
ReplyDeleteInjustice presupposes the existence of a right that has been violated or denied. When we claim the denial of certain rights, we often confuse rights and privileges. Even in the fight for such so-called rights, we also often forget that obedience, humility and prudence are virtues which we ought to cultivate and practice, even when it hurts. Such occasions that call for such virtues most often succeed only in helping us show the world that we actually lack them. They as well make us hypocrites b4 those to whom we preach such beautiful sermons, like "The Beatitudes." Just as those who live in glass houses should not throw stones, those who are authorities ought to learn that, by obeying or disobeying their own higher authorities, their own subordinates are also learning from them. When the clergy incite the laity into anti-clericalism, what else remains of the Church? May God help us!
oparaeke should first practise humility. why is he saying "over his dead body will he resign as bishop of ahiara. He equally attempted his installation in ahiara with military force. what is he going to preach? he is rejected from generation to generation.
ReplyDeleteA people lost a privilege as a result of their internal partisan spirit. And they are talking about injustice. As if that is not enough, they went beyond their internal problems and sold themselves out to the lay faithful to enthrone anti-clericalism. If they had not rejected their own candidates, the Church would not have looked elsewhere. Many are against the choice of, not Okpalaeke as a person, but a candidate from outside Owerri Province. But whatever be the case, no one would have expected priests to rise against an institution to which they are the custodians, throwing to the wind, their ordination vows of obedience, and the virtues of the Gospel which they preach. Just watched their street demonstrations on U Tube, and was imagining what these guys are doing in the priesthood, if that is their notion of prayer, and if that is the extent they can go in quest for power. These are people who teach the lay-faithful that authority comes from God, that blessed are those persecuted for righteousness, etc. A priest talked about defending "the Mbaiseness of Mbaise namely justice truthfulness integrity and missionary spirit. Now they have added another value," and that "Mbaise has become the Moral Conscience of the Catholic Church in Nigeria and Africa." I keep saying that, Mbaise clergy have really done a wonderful show of demonstrating to the world what the Church has been producing in the name of priests in that part of the world. May God help us and her Church.
ReplyDelete