Ahiara Catholic Crisis: I can’t react to an issue before Pope – Bishop Ezeokafor

The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, has said he is in no position to comment on the on-going crisis in Ahiara Catholic Diocese until after the Supreme Pontiff gives his opinion.

Bishop Ezeokafor, who stated this while fielding questions from the Awka Diocesan Laity Council of Nigeria at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Ekwulobia, in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, said the Universal Church has her way of handling matters of faith.

This is even as he came down hard on priests who preferred moving about in mufti, describing it as a lack of interest and fulfillment in one’s vocation.

“If you are proud of who or what you are, you will always be happy in it. People should be proud of their vocation. Ok, tell me, what if anything happens to the person? People may insult or even attack you without knowing that you are a priest. A priest should dress like a priest,” Bishop Ezeokafor stated.

Church members who reacted too many issues raised by the Laity, exhorted the Catholic faithful to guard their faith jealously and judiciously.
On the call for election boycott, the charismatic prelate said though he was not in support of the call for the election boycott, he would like government at all levels to listen to the agitators and find out why they agitated.

“I think the government should as matter of urgency give a listening ear to these youths. Something must be troubling them. Let us find a way of settling them.

“They are our children. We will not forsake them simply because they failed to share in our line of thought. Being forceful can only aggravate the matter. Beating, maiming, flogging them will never solve the problem. Find out why they are agitating. Something must have prompted it,” Bishop Ezeokafor said.

On the dust-dust rite, Bishop Ezeokafor stated categorically that anyone who failed to adhere strictly to the teachings of the Church was never a good Christian and risked missing heaven.

He further appealed to all practicing Catholics to always resist the temptation of disobeying the Church, noting that the Church was always there to give them direction and protection.

“You can see we are gradually winning the war. The Church can never succumb to pressures. Obedience is Church’s law. You can never see good Catholics disobeying the Church because they know the implications. You disobey, you see the consequences,” he stated.

John Ndu Awka