Catholic Church Crisis: Priests Fight Dirty In Ahiara

The crisis over the appointment and consecration of thenew Bishop of Ahiara Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. Peter Okpalaeke, by the Papacy, took amore dangerous turnover the weekend, as priests supposedlygot entwined inwhat people called a dirty battle.It was gathered byVanguardthat case started when Rev. Fr. Januarius Chima Ahaneku went to St. Brigid’s Catholic Church, Nnarambia, at about 7.15p.m., next hisplacement to the parish by the Vicar General of the embattled Diocese, Rev. Fr. Clement Ebii.Catholics of the Diocese of Ahiara protested the appointment of a bishop from a nearby diocese,While Fr. Ahaneku was blamed of attacking the parish with thugs and hitting the resident priest, Rev. Fr. Marcellinus Nweke, Ahaneku, however, said he was there on legitimate reasons.Nweke stated that he had to aware the police and the people when his brother priest supposedly showed an actimproper of an ordained Catholic priest.“They started harassing us, using hammer and some iron bars to break the doors and gained entrance. Some of us even sustained injuries. I dislocated my left shoulder,”he said. Fr. Nweke assumed that the police revealed pump actionrifle, double barrelled gun and an electric shocker from Fr. Ahaneku and his friends.According to Fr. Ahaneku, who is a son of Nnarambia, while he presented a letter from the Vicar General, Rev. Fr. Clement Ebii, arranging him to St. Brigid’s Parish, as an Acting Parish Priest, he never tried the use of violence as accused by Nweke.He clarified that the men, who were detained by the police as hooligans merely escorted him to the Parish, to help him settle down with his possessions.Fr. Ahaneku said: “The Parish Priest left without the knowledge of the Vicar General/Delegate of the Diocese. So, I was detailed to go there and take care of the souls of the parishioners. I did not go there with a thug at all.”The obviously angry priest reminded that “when Fr. Nweke came out, we greeted each other and I explained my mission to him and he said he was not informed of the posting and insisted that the Vicar should call him.“The Vicar General called him severally but he refused to pick his calls.“I took him to my car and showed him my authority: the letter I was given. After reading it, he said there was no trouble.”As he was trying to transport his own possessions into the parish house with the help of his friends, the priest continued, Fr. Nweke began making calls.Ahaneku narrated: “They first raised false alarm to thepolice that some armed robbers invaded their house.“In a matter of minutes, several people stormed the place. A lot of them were carrying machetes and other dangerous weapons.“I wanted to leave in my vehicle but my brother priest stood in front of my car, insisting that I will not move an inch. In order not to smash him or commit any crime, I left the vehicle there,” Fr. Ahaneku recounted. The Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV, which Fr. Ahaneku droveto the parish was badly damaged by the suspected angry youths and was still in the protection of the Church at press time.The Vicar General of the Diocese, Rev. Fr. Ebii, reactingto this, though proved that Fr. Ahaneku had his endorsement to report to St. Brigid’s Catholic Church.“Fr. Ahaneku was sent there officially to go and do pastoral work. He had a legal paper from me,”he said.Imo State Police Command, however, has demanded to the Administrator of Ahiara Diocese, who doubles as the Archbishop of Abuja Ecclesiastical Province, His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, to find a permanentsolution to the lasting crisis bedevilling Ahiara Diocese, since the death of Bishop Victor Chikwe.The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, who made the passionate demand, while responding to the chaos unchecked by some hypotheticalparishioners in St. Brigid’s Church, Nnarambia.He said: “It is most shocking that priests can get to this level. The Catholic Church and its priests are supposed to show good examples for others to follow.”