By Valentine Amanze,
Online Editor
Catholic cleric in Ahiara Dioceses, Rev Fr. Ben Ogu, has called for fairness in the dispute between some indigenous priests and the church over who succeeds the late Bishop Victor Chikwe.
During a phone interview, Ogu said that the protesting priests in Mbaise were neither aware nor represented at the peace meeting with Pope Francis in Rome, recently.
He also disclosed that the official communique of the meeting had not been issued to them.
On the apology letter the pope asked from them on or before July 9, 2017, and the acceptance of Bishop Peter Okpaleke, Rev Ogu said that it would be difficult to accept him after initial rejection, while asking, “Does it mean that out of more than 700 priests in Ahiara none is qualified to be made bishop?”
Ogu allaged that the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, and Okpaleke did not want the pope to hear their own view of the issue, stressing that soon they would collectively respond to the pontiff.
Pope’s predecessor, Benedict XVI, appointed Bishop Peter Okpaleke, an indigene of Anambra State to succeed the late Chikwe, in 2012.
The continued rejection of the pontif’s choice by majority of the Catholic priests of Mbaise origin, led to a meeting between Pope Francis in Rome and the warring groups.
While the pope after the meeting called for apology from the priests plus acceptance of Okpaleke as their bishop, majority of them think otherwise.
It would be recalled that
Pope Francis told a group of Nigerian priests to pledge obedience to him or face suspension from the church.
The pontiff told an audience of Nigerian Catholics in Rome last week that the “people of God are scandalised” by what has happened.
On the meeting, Kaigama said that the pope was very sad about what was happening and he could see “the pain in his eyes”.
“He was upset that his children were going in a different direction,” the archbishop added.
Ever since Bishop Peter Okpaleke was appointed by the Pope’s predecessor, Benedict XVI, Archbishop Kaigama has been part of a group trying to persuade the clergy in Ahiara, south-eastern Nigeria, to accept the appointment.
He said that the problem was that the local clergy and the bishop were from different clans of the Igbo ethnic group.
He added that the priests also questioned why someone from outside the diocese was appointed when one of them was just as qualified,
In 2012, the clergy held protests and coordinated petitions asking for a bishop to be chosen from the area.
But Archbishop Kaigama argued that the “Catholic church has been operating like this for hundreds of years and that’s not going to change now because they want someone from their area.
“The Pope needs absolute obedience.”
Ahiara is in Mbaise, a predominantly Catholic region of Imo State, while Bishop Okpaleke is from neighbouring Anambra State.
It is not clear if the clergy has responded to the ultimatum.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Kaigama said that he, and other Nigerian Catholics, were praying “for God’s intervention” to help find a solution.
