Pope wades into Catholic Church of Nigeria spat appointing Apostolic administrator of Ahiara

POPE Francis has waded into the ongoing bitter dispute tearing the Catholic community in Imo State apart by appointing the bishop of Umuahia Diocese Most Reverend Lucius Ugorji as the new Apostolic administrator of Ahiara Diocese.

After nearly a decade of protracted crisis over the leadership of the Catholic Diocese of Ahiara, the matter now appears to be resolved with the appointment of a new administrator. Reverend Father Chris Anyanwu, the director of communications of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, explained that the appointment came on the heels of the resignation by Most Reverend Peter Okpaleke.

Reverend Anyanwu said: “Following the resignation of Most Reverend Peter Okpaleke as the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese, His Holiness Pope Francis has today appointed Most Rev Lucius Ugorji, the Bishop of Umuahia as the Apostolic Administrator of Ahiara Diocese. This appointment is with immediate effect and should bring to an end the crisis that has lingered for nearly six years in that diocese."

Outgoing President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and Archbishop of Jos, Ignatius Kaigama, said, however, that despite the resignation of Reverend Okpaleke, the Vatican is not in a hurry to appoint a substantive bishop for the Ahiara. He explained that Bishop Okpaleke came to the conclusion that he could no longer be a bishop in a diocese where there has been so much tumult.

Archbishop Kaigama said: “Bishop Ugorji is to oversee the diocese as Apostolic Administrator. He is not a full-time bishop but he is administering the diocese on behalf of the Pope.

“The Pope will rush to make an appointment as there are steps in the Catholic Church to take and the Pope will take those steps. The first step is to give them an Apostolic Administrator and we hope they would embrace him and work with him."

On the fate of Bishop Okpaleke, Archbishop Kaigama said he is still a bishop and the Catholic Church that appointed him will know what to do with him. He added that it is the prerogative of the Pope and his team to know what to do.