Roman Catholic Diocese of Ahiara

Diocese of Ahiara
Dioecesis Ahiarana
Location
Country  Nigeria
Territory Mbaise, Imo State
Ecclesiastical province Owerri
Metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri
Coordinates 5°31′40.2″N 7°16′23.9″E / 5.527833°N 7.273306°E / 5.527833; 7.273306 Ahiara
Statistics
Area 425 km2 (164 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		 (as of 2004)
510,623
401,506 (78.6%)
Information
Denomination Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church Latin Church
Rite Roman Rite
Established November 18, 1987
Cathedral Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Bishop Sede vacante
Map

Ahiara is in Imo State which is shown in red.
Website
AhiaraDiocese.org

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ahiara (Latin: Ahiaran(a)) is a diocese located in Ahiara in the region of Mbaise in Imo State in the Ecclesiastical province of Owerri in Nigeria.

History

  • November 18, 1987: Established as Diocese of Ahiara from the Diocese of Owerri

Special churches

Leadership

Since 2012, the clergy and laity of the diocese have 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.[1][2][3]

On July 3, 2013, Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja, was appointed Apostolic Administrator.

On June 8, 2017, Pope Francis, having received a delegation from the Diocese, gave all members of the diocesan clergy (priests and deacons) 30 days to personally write to the Vatican pledging obedience to the Pope and accepting Bishop Okpaleke. Those who failed to write would be suspended a divinis (which would prohibit a priest or deacon from administering any of the Sacraments, save for a priest hearing the Confession of a person in danger of death), and would be removed from their posts. He had considered suppressing the diocese, but decided against that idea.[1][4][5] The papal text in English was posted June 9 on the blog of Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Jos, president of the Nigerian bishops' conference.[6] On July 8, 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.[7]

On July 22, 2017 Pope Francis agreed to respond through emissaries to the individual priests protesting Bishop Okpalaeke's appointment.[8] 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.[9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/06/10/pope_receives_delegation_from_nigerian_diocese_of_ahiara/1318206
  2. ↑ http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2017/pope-tells-nigerian-priests-accept-bishop-or-be-suspended.cfm
  3. ↑ https://cruxnow.com/analysis/2017/06/11/three-ironies-dramatic-show-papal-muscle-nigeria/
  4. ↑ http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2017/06/08/0396/00888.html
  5. ↑ http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/it/speeches/2017/june/documents/papa-francesco_20170608_diocesi-ahiara.html
  6. ↑ ""MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS, POPE FRANCIS TO THE DIOCESE OF AHIARA"". Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  7. ↑ http://leadership.ng/2017/07/08/partial-victory-pope-ahiara-diocese/
  8. ↑ https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2017/07/22/pope-begins-answering-priests-troubled-nigerian-diocese/
  9. ↑ https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/catholic-laity-council-okays-pope-s-suspension-sanction-against-ahiara-diocese/206849.html
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