Auxilliary Bishop Installed In Ahiara After 13 Years Dispute

The 13 years controversy surrounding the Bishop’s stool of Ahiara Catholic Diocese has ended with the installation of Simeon Nwobi as Auxiliary bishop of the Diocese.

Pope Francis in October appointed Simeon Nwobi auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese to end the lingering stalemate.

In 2012 that Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Peter Okpaleke as Bishop of Ahiara Diocese. The appointment generated reactions among Catholic faithful in the Diocese.

They described the move as imposition and wondered why the Pope would choose a Bishop from different ecclesiastical province when the Diocese has many priests within and outside Nigeria.

Both the clergy and laity rejected Bishop Okpaleke from performing his Episcopal duties in the Diocese.

In 2018, Bishop Okpaleke resigned and was later appointed as the bishop of the newly created Ekwulobia Diocese, then was pronounced cardinal by the Pope.

Archbishop Lucius Ugorji was made apostolic administrator to oversee Ahiara Diocese while he was Bishop of Umuahia. A position he is still holding even as Archbishop of Owerri ecclesiastical province.

Today, the controversy is over as Catholic faithful and friends of the diocese converged on Maria Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral, Ahiara Mbaise for the installation of an auxiliary Bishop who is an indigene of Mbaise.

The Archbishop of Owerri Archdiocese and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria Lucius Ugorji while reflecting on the controversy thanked God for his mercies on the diocese.

For the new auxiliary Bishop, it’s a time to close ranks as he pledged his loyalty to Pope Francis and church authorities.

Now that the strife in the diocese appears over, it’s now the responsibility of the new Bishop to reunite the faithful.