Walsh in Emekuku and requested that a resident priest be assigned to his chiefdom. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. However, it was the Anglican groups namely the Church Missionary Society (CMS) of England and the Niger Delta Pastorate (NDP) from the coastal regions of the South that first broke the ice of a missionary evangelization of the Mbaise people. Doing the Right Thing - Ethics. Ahiara is a city in Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria. Three years later, St. Dominic Parish, Ezinihitte East, was erected. By The Rainbow. Statements 2020. It all started when one Mr. Njoku Akpaka of Umuopara, Nguru, invited the Holy Ghost Fathers who were just settling down at Mount Carmel Parish, Emekuku, to come over to his village to help evangelize his people. Thus began the touting of “Mbaise as the Ireland of Nigeria”. Ahiara Diocese Crisis; Pope Francis' Representative Arrives Nigeria. General Information. The crisis in Ahiara diocese could, therefore, be viewed dispassionately and in similar vein alongside historical church conflicts. History; Special churches; Leadership; See also; References; External links; History. Fr. Chikwem Ikpeoha. Create New Account. I am a Catholic from Ahiara diocese and I remain in full communion with the Catholic Church. Here are just some of the highlights of the success of Ahiara Diocese Ahiara Diocese at its creation had taken off with 18 parishes. It was in this same year that the vicariate of Owerri was erected with most Reverend Dr. Joseph Brendan Whelan C.S.Sp as its first Bishop. Praise for early missionaries and indigenous clergy The Bishop took time to praise the pastoral zeal of early missionaries and the contributions of the Indigenous Clergy who held the diocese together when many Irish missionaries were forced-out of Nigeria at the end of the civil war in 1970. Dr. Peter Okpaleke, as the Catholic Bishop of Ahiara. For the time being, the Holy Father does not intend to appoint a new bishop in Ahiara, but he reserves to himself the right to continue to have a special and particular concern for this diocese, assigning a new apostolic administrator, Sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis, in the person of His Excellency, the Most Rev. The Cathedral is Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral in Ahiara. Peter Okpalaeke from Awka diocese as the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese … The Catholic Faithful of Ahiara Mbaise Diocese in Nigeria completely and unequivocally reject the appointment of Fr. “IF I WERE AHIARA-MBAISE PRIESTS”- “IF I WERE THE LAY FAITHFUL OF AHIARA-MBAISE DIOCESE” By: Msgr. It is a virulent attack on the age old practice of the Catholic Church. Another controversy is rearing its head, following the resignation of Most Rev. Two years later, the Catholic Church arrived in Mbaise almost unheralded. or. TheNiche Nigeria’s only exclusive Sunday newspaperThat does credible, insightful and investigative reportingThat is refreshingly different in look and feelThat reports issues from all sidesThat offers true value for money and time. See more of Catholic Diocese of Ahiara on Facebook. In 1914, Fr. Home » Latest » Ahiara Diocese Crisis; Pope Francis’ Representative Arrives Nigeria. Michael Kalu Ukpong, Auxiliary Bishop . 18 November 1987: Established as Diocese of Ahiara from the Diocese of Owerri; Special churches. Equally it is a sly attack on the bond of brotherhood that binds not only Catholics together but also Igbo as a race. About. Between 2012 and 2018, the clergy and laity of the diocese had refused to accept the bishop appointed as their ordinary, Peter Ebere Okpaleke, because he is not of the Mbaise ethnic group or chosen from among the local priests. [16], Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, "Resignations and Appointments, 19.02.2018", http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2017/pope-tells-nigerian-priests-accept-bishop-or-be-suspended.cfm, https://cruxnow.com/analysis/2017/06/11/three-ironies-dramatic-show-papal-muscle-nigeria/, "Holy See Press Office Communiqué: Audience with delegation from the diocese of Ahiara, Nigeria, 08.06.2017", http://leadership.ng/2017/07/08/partial-victory-pope-ahiara-diocese/, https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2017/07/22/pope-begins-answering-priests-troubled-nigerian-diocese/, https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/catholic-laity-council-okays-pope-s-suspension-sanction-against-ahiara-diocese/206849.html, "Nigeria: Pope Accepts Resignation of Bishop, Appoints Administrator", https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-02/pope-francis-nigerian-bishop-resignation.html, https://cruxnow.com/church-in-africa/2020/05/nigerian-bishop-rejected-by-ahiara-diocese-installed-as-bishop-of-ekwulobia/, "Pope Francis appoints ex-Ahiara bishop, Okpaleke, head new Ekwulobia diocese", "Nigerian bishop rejected by Ahiara diocese installed as Bishop of Ekwulobia", Official website of the Diocese of Ahiara, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Ahiara&oldid=956632083, Christian organizations established in 1987, Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 18 November 1987: Established as Diocese of Ahiara from the, This page was last edited on 14 May 2020, at 12:16. Catholic Diocese of Umuahia. In a remark, the Ahiara diocesan director of Communications, Rev. Le 8 juin, le pape François avait exigé des prêtres du diocèse d’Ahiara, de lui envoyer des lettres d’excuses pour avoir refusé de reconnaître leur nouvel évêque, Mgr Peter Ebere Okpaleke et les avait sommés de l’accueillir. In this situation the help of fellow Bishops in the Episcopal Conference is of vital importance. M.J. Gilmore C.S.Sp as her first parish Priest. Ahiara Diocese Crisis; Pope Francis’ Representative Arrives Nigeria . “Those who love the Church as she should be, rather than embrace her and serve her with hope as she is, are less likely to make any significant contribution to bringing about the birth of the Church as she ought to be in Christ. Ahiara is a city in Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria.The city stands about 16 miles between Owere and Umuahia.It was the location of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu's Ahiara Declaration during the Nigerian Civil War.It is the location of the Catholic diocese in Mbaise. Sixteen indigenes who had earlier been ordained Deaconates in the diocese were ordained Priests. Sixteen indigenes who had earlier been ordained Deaconates in the diocese were ordained Priests. A statement issued by the Vatican on Monday said With the arrival of the first resident Catholic priest in Mbaise, the task to ensure a total evangelization of the Mbaise people was effectively launched. It was a cheering news last week in the Catholic Church, especially the Awka Diocese when the announcement was made that Bishop Peter Okpaleke, who was rejected by … Like many other similar Dioceses, it is small and isolated, with limited human resources. The struggle appeared to be between the Anglican “early arrivals” and the Roman Catholic “late arrivals”. Bishops of Ahiara (Roman rite) Bishop Victor Adibe Chikwe (since November 18, 1987) See also. Columns 2020. [9], On 22 July 2017 Pope Francis agreed to respond through emissaries to the individual priests protesting Bishop Okpaleke's appointment. The Cathedral is Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral in Ahiara. History. Okpaleke was rejected by much of Ahiara’s clergy and laity, who wanted one of their own to be appointed bishop over them. Youth and Children. Walsh began paying a monthly visit to the Mbaise area. When appointing the current bishop, who hasn’t been allowed in Ahiara for the past five years, the Vatican followed a long-standing tradition of choosing people from another city to lead any given diocese, particularly in Africa. As an outsider from the nearby Diocese of Awka, Fr. Okpalaeke, had on February 14, 2018 […] November 18, 1987: Established as Diocese of Ahiara from the Diocese of Owerri; Special churches. Fr. This entailed ensuring that all hands, including those of the lay teachers and the religious sisters, were on deck. Peace is very expensive and the bible says to us, pursue peace and not walk towards peace because peace is a very very expensive commodity, but there can be no peace without justice. Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Religion / Ahiara Diocese Crisis; Pope Francis' Representative Arrives Nigeria. With the erection of Holy Ghost Parish, Uvuru, in 1959, every one of the original five clans that constituted the Mbaise district Ahiara, Ekwereazu, Agbajah, Ezinihitte and Oke Uvuru was gifted with at least a parish. The Cathedral is Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral in Ahiara. On 8 July, it was reported that while the letter of apology was sent, the appointment of Bishop Okpalaeke was still rejected by the local priests who insisted that the Vatican was enforcing racial discrimination in the country by hiring outsider priests to become Bishops. The Mbaise are among the most Catholic of Nigerian peoples – 77 percent of the diocese’s population of 670,000 are Catholic. It is a vicious tackle against the universally accepted norm of Catholicism. History; Special churches; Leadership; See also; References; External links; History. [10] Two days later, Barr Chizoba Nnagboh, chairman of the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria (CLCN), described the words and actions of the dissenting clergy to be scandalous and disgraceful. It is a vicious tackle against the universally accepted norm of Catholicism. Bishop Okpaleke, was appointed Bishop of Ahiara by then-Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, but has been unable to take control of the diocese because of protests by the majority of priests. The History of the Bayeux Tapestry RACE IN AMERICA - Trump and Faith North Carolina’s Most Dangerous Jobs Legendary Beings: Spectacular Water S… Rock & Roll 1966. Why should it when it professes one Faith, one Baptism and one Father who is God? Visitor Posts. J Duignam C.S.Sp, as its first Parish Priest, and Sacred Heart Parish Nguru, with Fr. Add Comment. The first recorded Ahiara contact with the Europeans was around 1905 when the British Aro expedition got mixed up in inter-village war … The Mbaise are among the most Catholic of Nigerian peoples – 77 percent of the diocese’s population of 670,000 are Catholic. A priest once ordained becomes a member of the church. The cathedral is Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral in Ahiara. The city stands about 16 miles between Owere and Umuahia. Mbaise Catholics living in Diaspora or outside of the Mbaise area are as numerous as those residing at home. Leadership. Giga-Catholic Information; Catholic Hierarchy On November 18, 1987, the Mbaise area was carved out from Owerri Diocese as a local church called Ahiara Diocese, Mbaise, with its Cathedral church’s name as Maria Mater Ecclesiae (Mary Mother of the church). Rev Fr. Listen to article. See more of Catholic Diocese of Ahiara on Facebook. R. Foreman C.S.Sp. Given its rich Catholic history, significant cultural heritage and traditions, and its vantage position as the Ireland of Igbo Catholicism, the argument goes, Mbaise Catholicism should be the diocese sending out priests and clerics to other parts of Igbo land, Nigeria and the world; the church in Mbaise land has come of age and does not deserve this distraction. Home . 18 November 1987: Established as Diocese of Ahiara from the Diocese of Owerri; Special churches. And with the five clans of Mbaise fully established in Catholicism came the period for putting into a deep water and consolidation of the faith. Roman Catholicism in Nigeria; Source. November 7, 2018 at 11:16 AM. In 1954, four years after the last parish in Mbaise was erected, St. Charles parish, Enyiogugu, was inaugurated with Reverend Fr. General Information. THE Sword of Damocles was used to describe the danger that faces the one who sits on the throne. To God be the Glory! Leadership. History; Health; Lifestyle; Extras. He said that if the priests in Ahiara diocese who failed to tender their apology before July 9, 2017, they will definitely incur ‘suspension a divinis’ which means they cannot function any longer as Catholic priests and can neither administer the sacrament nor occupy any ecclesiastical office. 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