By Celephina Onovo
The Catholic Bishop of Kafanchan, Kaduna State, Bishop Joseph Danlami Bagobiri has been queried by the Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) over a recent comment that the body did not handle the festering Ahiara Catholic Diocese problem very well.
The crisis rocking the Ahiara Catholic Diocese has lasted for almost five Diocese over the rejection of Bishop Peter Okpalaeke by indigenous priests and lay members.
Since the problem became magnified, cracks began to emerge among the ranks of the Nigerian Bishops Council against the Diocese, one of the most resilient in the country.
Recently, Bishop Bagobiri, for the first time, broke ranks with his fellow colleagues and urged relevant authorities to “give Ahiara a bishop close to their hearts.”
At the occasion of the silver jubilee celebration of Revenge Bishop Bagobiri in a statement he personally signed said: “The crisis that ensued with the appointment of Bishop Peter Okpalaeke as the second bishop of the diocese of Ahiara to succeed late Bishop Victor Chikwe has lingered on now for about five years.
“This could have been avoided or resolved if CBCN had been courageous enough to follow truth and justice, by listening to the aggrieved party and presenting their case positively or in an empathetic manner as a united force to Rome.
“When we were one year into this crisis, to be precise, at the second plenary assemble that took place at Otukpo, it was advised that insisting on the option of COMMANDING OBEDIENCE from the Mbaise faithful of Ahiara Diocese as against seeking to constructively engage them in dialogue with a view to striking some fair and reasonable compromises as was the case with Warri Diocese, will not solve this problem.”
But rather than take Bishop Bagobiri’s advice in good faith, the CBCN has asked him to counter his statement and ensure it gets the kind of publicity it was given in the media.
In a memo written on December 5, 2017 to Bishop Bagobiri, a copy of which was obtained by armadanews.com, the secretariat of the CBCN said he was rather worsening the situation of things in Ahiara Diocese with his comments against the way the Holy Father, Pope Francis wants the matter resolved.
The query signed by President of CBCN, Most Reverend Ignatius Ayuu Kaigama (Archbishop of Jos) and Vice President of CBCN, Most Freverend Augustine Obiora Akubeze (Archbishop of Benin) mandated Bagobiri to, as quickly as possible, apologise to Pope Francis, the CBCN, Bishop Okpaleke and the people of Ahiara Diocese over his comments.
They said they were praying for his quick recovery so that he will rejoin the conference.