By The Catholic Standard
Of Priests and Tribalism
On the front page of this Paper is an ultimatum given by Pope Francis to Priests in the Diocese of Ahiara in Nigeria to accept a Bishop within 30 days or be suspended.
Bishop Peter Ebere Okpaleke, who was appointed Bishop of Ahiara by retired Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, has been facing a number stumbling blocks in his bid to take Canonical possession of the Diocese.
It is regrettable to note that majority of those making it difficult, if not impossible, for him to take control of the Diocese are Priests. It is indeed unacceptable to have Priests rejecting a Bishop on the grounds that he is not of their tribe or one of them. It is most intriguing that Priests who have taken the Vow of Obedience will turn around to disown a Bishop for such a flimsy reason.
The Priests in the Ahiara Diocese should bear in mind the universality of the Church for which even African Bishops and Priests are serving outside their home countries.
What the protesting Priests should also understand is that their actions and inactions may scandalise and psychologically rock the faith of some lay people. This particular action which has been dragged to the Vatican, also has many ramifications not only in Nigeria but the Universal Church.
The issue of tribalism has, for far too long, affected almost the entire Church in Africa. It has more or less become a stigma that has been and remains a serious challenge. This canker should be halted immediately lest it will destroy the Church on our Continent.
It is a fact that in Africa some Priests have made ethnic considerations take precedence over their Priesthood Calling. Is it not a shame that some Priests will not celebrate the Eucharist and share a meal together and even in some instances, will not talk to each other? By the way, how did such self-seeking people get ordained?
There are many people who have moved away from one Parish to the other mainly due to tribal tendencies and other attitudes exhibited by Pastors. Indeed, some of our Priests passed through the Seminary but in actual fact, they did not allow the Seminary Formation to pass through them.
The Catholic Standard is therefore, appealing to the hierarchy of the Church in Africa to re-examine the formation of Seminarians, otherwise the Seminaries will be churning out more people who see the Priesthood as a Career rather than a Vocation. Secondly, sanctions should be applied against any Priest who gets involved in one form of scandal or the other with impunity. There should be a time to say Enough is Enough!
To Priests who are causing such scandals we say: If the kitchen is too hot for you, get out! Mother Church wants Priests who are willing and ready to serve but not those who embark on destroying the evangelisation efforts of the Church in Africa.
Surely, there is no tribalism in the Catholic Church.
A Church in Search of More Vibrant Laity
The Catholic Church since Vatican II, has called for a renewal in the life and role of the laity, yet among the faithful, there is a lack of understanding of the lay vocation and its role in the Church’s mission. For many, there is a notion that the only real Vocation in the Church is the Ordained Ministry.
Even though not part of the Clergy, lay people in the Catholic Church are expected to strive to exemplify the Teachings of the Church, share the gift of the Catholic faith and be more active members of the Church.
The Catholic Standard reminds all Catholic faithful that they are called to the fullness of the Christian life irrespective of their rank or status in the Church. The laity indeed play an indispensable role in the evangelizing mission of the Catholic Church.
This Paper therefore encourages the laity in Africa, for that matter Ghana, to boldly profess and defend the Catholic faith and teachings and let Christ reflect in their lives. They should bring to bear on their faith, Gospel values and their expertise in the shaping of Government policies of their various countries.
While calling on the Church to give the laity the opportunity to serve their Church and country, we also advise the lay faithful to respect and offer their full support to their Priests and Bishops to avoid what is happening in the Ahiara Diocese in Nigeria.
We remind the laity that Bishops are not appointed on ethnic lines but on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that is exercised through the Pope.
Finally, we call for dialogue, respect, peace and love among people of different ethnic backgrounds in all Catholic Communities across the Continent.
