OWERRI—The Metropolitan Archbishop of Abuja and the current
Apostolic Administrator of Ahiara Catholic Diocese, His Eminence, John Cardinal
Onaiyekan, has explained that his mission in Mbaise was to ensure episcopal
supervision of the diocese.
Onaiyekan gave the explanation in a homily he delivered during a
Pontifical mass at Maria Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral, Ahiara, to mark his
assumption of duties in the diocese.
Cardinal Onaiyekan said: “My task and mission is to ensure
necessary episcopal supervision of this diocese within the present interim
period, hopefully brief, until a bishop is on seat”.
He appealed to Mbaise Catholics not to allow the present
situation continue for much longer, stressing that nobody will gain from it
except enemies of the Catholic Church.
He said: “My dear brothers and sisters, every time we drive away
a stranger knocking at our door, we run a great danger of driving God Himself
away from our homes and loosing the great blessings that God alone can bestow.
It is better to take the risk of bringing in an unknown person than to risk
rejecting God”.
According to the Cardinal, “Ahiara people may have many
legitimate and deeply felt concerns, but as children of the church, we cannot
allow anything to distract us from achieving this one objective of a restored,
vibrant diocese that is fully active and firmly integrated in tthe family of
God, which is the Church”.
In their address during a reception for Cardinal Onaiyekan, the
Catholic faithful of Ahiara Diocese, Mbaise, explained that their insistence on
justice, fair play and due process should not be seen as disobedience to the
Papacy.
They stated that: “All that Mbaise Catholics are asking for is
justice, fair play and due process. Let what is due to a people be given to
them”.
Continuing, the people reasoned that nobody should use his
privileged position in the Catholic Church as a cover and leverage to foster
modern day colonization and domination of their brothers and sisters. The
address, which was signed by the former administrator, Monsignor Theophilus
Nwalo, former Diocesan Pastoral Council Chairman, Professor Paschal Okorie and
others, recalled with grief the havoc caused by the appointment of Bishop Peter
Okpaleke.
“We must recall with grief the great havoc the controversial
choice of Bishop Peter Okpaleke as the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese had wreaked in
the spirituality and psyche of the great Catholics of Ahiara Diocese”, the
Catholic faithful said.
According to the people, the choice and appointment of Okpaleke
was ill-advised.
He stressed that the act only succeeded in multiplying and
compounding the great pains they had been feeling since the sudden death of
their first bishop, Most Rev. Victor Adibe Chikwe.
While describing Cardinal Onaiyekan as an objective and
impartial cleric, the people expressed happiness that “a Daniel has come to
judge our case justly and truthfully and we, therefore, expect nothing less
from your Eminence”.
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