AHIARA DIOCESE IN CROSSHAIRS: THE REAL STORIES …23 [EXCERPTS FROM A BOOK IN PRINT]

Chapter 8: Hell Breaks Loose [iii]

As the temperature continued to rise and the threat of a violent confrontation between the people of Mbaise and the Nigerian bishops who were not hiding the fact that they might forcefully try to ordain and install Msgr. Okpalaeke in Ahiara Diocese became quite probable and imminent, the administrator of Ahiara Diocese, Rt Rev Msgr. Theo Nwalo, became much more troubled than ever before. He and many priests from the diocese were scared to death about the consequences of witnessing a violent confrontation during the ordination of a would-be bishop of the traditionally peaceful diocese of Ahiara. As the administrator agonized on the way out of the logjam, he began working on what would turn out to be one of the most important documents that would appear as a result of the crisis.

In the document titled: “Responding to the Current Problems in Ahiara Diocese” and dated February 4, 2013, the administrator of Ahiara Diocese, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Theo Nwalo, would make a ten-page-twelve-point argument on why the crisis in Ahiara Diocese should be resolved through dialogue and not by the use of force. The document would be sent to some bishops of Nigeria, the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Kasujja, and finally to the prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, His Eminence, Fernando Cardinal Filoni. Some of the highlights of the landmark document include:

1. The sadness and anger that greeted the announcement of the appointment of Msgr. Peter Okpalaeke as the bishop of Ahiara Diocese.

2. Persistence of the negative reaction towards the announcement.

3. Rising anger and threat to peace in Ahiara Diocese as a result of the appointment.

4. The need for a quick resolution of the problem

5. In trying to resolve the crisis it is important to draw from our church’s wealth of experience.

6. The only approach that appears viable to resolve the crisis in Ahiara is the dialogical approach.

7. Such a dialogical approach is already being applied by the Church towards a similar crisis in Makeni Sierra Leone. The same method should be applied in Ahiara Diocese.

8. Four points to note before dialoguing with Ahiara Diocese

9. [a] African Catholicism has its strongest roots in Nigeria and ultimately in Igbo land. And coming to Igbo land, its strongest root is found in Ahiara Diocese

10. [b] Ahiara Diocese is unique among other dioceses in Africa because it is completely rural.

11. [c] An advantage Ahiara Diocese has over others is that it is the highest concentration of the faithful Catholics throughout Nigeria

12. [d] The Church in Ahiara is known for its provision of very dynamic priests and religious.

13. Owerri and Onitsha Provinces have an interesting relationship dating back to the earliest history which must be factored in during the dialogue.

14. The cry of Mbaise people is that a thorough investigation be carried out on how the officers involved in the selection of a bishop for Ahiara diocese did their work.

15. Ahiara Diocese is unquestionably loyal to the Catholic Church and the Holy Father

16. A plea to the Holy Father to respond quickly to the cry of the great Catholics of Ahiara Diocese.

As the crisis in Ahiara Diocese engendered some contentious discussions among Catholics throughout the world, it soon became a counterpart story to the earthquake-like news that broke on February 11, 2013, when His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI announced to the world that he was resigning from his office as Pope and the universal vicar of Jesus Christ, a situation that had never occurred in nearly six hundred years. Among many people from Nigeria, there was a wild allegation that the situation in Ahiara Diocese had contributed immensely to the pope’s decision to step down. According to this line of thinking, the situation in Ahiara Diocese was a direct challenge to the authority of the pope. And that meant for Pope Benedict XVI that his authority as the Vicar of Christ had been greatly diminished, hence his decision to resign.

But a more positive reasoning on the matter by many priests was that the problem of Ahiara Diocese rather than impact the retiring pope negatively was in fact an additional piece of information for him to realize the big rot that was going on in the Vatican with regard to bishopric appointments and selections. According some priests, the crisis in Ahiara Diocese had proved a necessary wake-up call to the Holy Father and the officials of the Church at the Vatican to become more meticulous about how bishops were being appointed in many dioceses across the world.

However, as the countdown to the conclave that would elect the successor to the retired Pope Benedict XVI began in earnest, Ahiara Diocese became a hot topic the cardinals of the world were being peppered with. For instance, the intrepid journalist of the American Cable News Network [CNN], Ms Christine Amanpour held the cardinal archbishop of New York City hostage for a few minutes on the crisis in Ahiara Diocese. The world was startled as the issue concerning the bishopric crisis in Ahiara Diocese would gain prominence throughout the world especially in Catholic Church discussions. While journalists and news organizations were praising the Catholic Church of Ahiara Diocese for raising a legitimate issue concerning the emergence of church leadership in the contemporary world, many others were excoriating her for being disloyal to the Church.

A document that would further demonstrate how powerful the crisis in Ahiara Diocese had become throughout the world was the letter written by John Cardinal Onaiyekan to the president of Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association [NCDPA], Rev Fr. Martin Onukwuba, dated March 21st, 2013. The letter reads:

Dear Fr. Onukwuba,

Peace be with you.

I am writing this e-mail to you in your capacity as the President of the NCDPA. I have just returned from Rome, where with other cardinals from all over the world, we carried out our noble duty to discern the will of God for a new pope. We thank God that the Holy Spirit vividly moved and produced Pope Francis.

During our two weeks in Rome, the case of the rejection of the bishop-elect of Ahiara came for mention on many occasions and at different levels and forums. I want you to know that the matter is giving very bad name to the entire Nigerian Church and to the priests in general, not only of Ahiara. I do not know if your association has made any moves towards normalizing the situation. In case, I firmly affirm that it is not in the interest of the Church to prolong the present situation of apparent impasse. There is room for some expression of discontent, disappointment, maybe even anger. But at some point, it should be clear that protest and outright disobedience to the Holy Father is most unlikely to be allowed to prevail. At the stage we have reached now, it is more than an Ahiara affair. It is the reputation and authenticity of the Church in Nigeria that is being called into serious question. Can we afford to continue to give the enemies of our Church, [and God knows that there are many of them all over the place] cause to rejoice over our confusion? It is obvious that in Ahiara, the priests are in the fore-front of the protest. Therefore, the priests of Nigeria cannot remain unconcerned.

Dear Father, I do not know what to ask you to do. And nobody has asked me to write to you. I am simply moved by the feelings I got during my time in Rome on an ecclesiastical assignment of the highest level. That experience has greatly deepened my conviction that the Church of God is above all a divine institution, which is why it is a means of salvation. If we rubbish our Church, where shall we go?

I wish you Happy Easter. If there is any way you need me, tantum dic verbo and I shall be available.

Yours in Christ,

+John Cardinal Onaiyekan

Archbishop of Abuja