.png)
.png)
1 month ago
19
Editor's note: In this piece, Johnstone Kpilaakaa, Catholic Church commentator, writes successful the aftermath of Pope Francis’s passing, recalling the Pope’s steadfast yet pastoral effect to tribal divisions successful Nigeria’s Catholic Church—an occurrence that revealed his heavy committedness to unity and spiritual leadership.
When immoderate Nigerian Catholics successful the Southeast rejected a bishop implicit tribal ties, Pope Francis stepped successful with a bold enactment of spiritual authority. This is the communicative of his quiescent intervention—and the cardinal it helped shape.
Source: UGC
I was successful the mediate of a vigor interrogation erstwhile the notification popped up connected my screen: Pope Francis was dead. The Vatican News, the Holy See’s authorities publication, had published the announcement conscionable 2 minutes earlier.
Only hours before, I had shared a video connected my WhatsApp presumption showing him being rolled onto the loggia astatine Saint Peter’s Basilica for the customary Urbi et Orbi benediction. It turned retired to beryllium his last nationalist appearance.
I similar to deliberation helium had a premonition. In the days starring up to his passing, helium made respective astonishment appearances during Holy Week, defying his aesculapian team’s advice. He adjacent visited the Basilica, wherever helium had requested to beryllium buried.
In his Easter message, work retired from the loggia that Sunday, helium called for peace, peculiarly successful Africa. The connection struck maine deeply. I had conscionable returned from covering a massacre successful cardinal Nigeria. His words couldn’t person been much timely.
Later that night, I recovered myself moving connected an exertion for the Human Fraternity Fellowship, an inaugural inspired by Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis’s encyclical connected fraternity and societal friendship. His papacy was marked by a committedness to love, unity, and the mending of breached bridges—a bequest that resonates acold beyond the Vatican.
Among the galore crises helium navigated during his clip arsenic pontiff, 1 peculiarly stands retired successful Nigeria: the Ahiara Diocese debacle.
A Bishop Rejected
In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Peter Ebere Okpaleke to pb the Ahiara Diocese successful Imo state, southeastern Nigeria. However, Okpaleke, though Igbo similar the section faithful, was not from the Mbaise community, the predominant taste radical successful Ahiara. His assignment sparked protests from some clergy and parishioners, who argued that a qualified section clergyman should person been chosen.
A petition by the Coalition of Igbo Catholics stated:
“Not connected the qualifications of Rev. Fr. Okpaleke but connected the disqualification of a immense excavation of qualified priests of Mbaise origin.”It’s worthy noting that canon instrumentality does not necessitate a bishop to beryllium indigenous to the diocese helium leads. In fact, immoderate salient bishops successful Nigeria, specified arsenic Archbishop Matthew Ishaya Audu of Jos and Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, are not from the dioceses they head.
Despite being ordained successful 2013, Okpaleke remained incapable to presume his station successful Ahiara. That aforesaid year, Pope Benedict XVI resigned, and Pope Francis assumed the papacy. As helium settled into his caller role, this simmering situation successful faraway Nigeria came onto his radar.
Pope Francis takes charge
Pope Francis appointed Cardinal John Onaiyekan, past Archbishop of Abuja, arsenic Apostolic Administrator of the troubled diocese. This was not simply a bureaucratic gesture—it was a motion that the Vatican was listening.
Source: Getty Images
Four years later, a delegation from Ahiara visited the Pope successful Rome. His effect was steadfast but pastoral.
“Whoever is opposed to Bishop Okpaleke wants to destruct the Church,” helium said. “I adjacent considered suppressing the Diocese, but the Church is simply a mother. She cannot wantonness her children.”He past issued a historical ultimatum: each clergyman incardinated successful the Diocese of Ahiara—whether based locally oregon abroad—must constitute a missive to him personally wrong 30 days, asking for forgiveness and pledging obedience. Failure to bash truthful would effect successful suspension a divinis, efficaciously barring them from performing priestly functions.
By July 8, 2017, galore letters had been sent. But the section absorption persisted. On 22 July, Pope Francis opted to nonstop emissaries to prosecute straight with the dissenting clergy.
A painful, peaceful resolution
Eventually, Bishop Okpaleke resigned from his appointment—a determination believed to person been encouraged by the Vatican. In his resignation missive submitted connected 14 February 2018, helium wrote:
“I bash not deliberation that my apostolate successful a diocese wherever a radical of priests and laic faithful are precise ill-disposed to person maine successful their midst would beryllium effective.”Pope Francis accepted his resignation 5 days later. But the communicative didn’t extremity there.
In a redemptive turn, Okpaleke was appointed bishop of the recently created Diocese of Ekwulobia connected 5 March 2020. He was installed connected 29 April that year, and successful 2022, Pope Francis elevated him to Cardinal. Today, helium is not lone a cardinal but the lone Nigerian eligible to ballot successful the conclave that will elite Francis’s successor—a fitting fulfilment of the words, “The chromatic the builders rejected has go the cornerstone” (Psalm 118:22).
Legacy of a bridge-builder
Pope Francis whitethorn beryllium remembered globally for his humility, biology advocacy, and accent connected societal justice. But successful Nigeria, his quiescent involution successful a bitter, ethnically charged religion situation stands arsenic a testament to his committedness to reconciliation.
In Ahiara, helium demonstrated the delicate balancing enactment of papal authority—firm successful doctrine, yet pastoral successful approach. His connection was clear: the Church is bigger than tribal loyalties.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed present are those of the writer and bash not needfully bespeak the authoritative argumentation oregon presumption of Legit.ng.
Johnstone Kpilaakaa is simply a Nigerian writer and Catholic Church commentator. He writes from the Archdiocese of Jos.Source: Legit.ng
