Catholics in Nnewi have taken to the streets to protest the Bishop’s decision to dismiss Holy Ghost Priests from the area.
According to Anaedoonline.ng, the Holy Ghost Fathers have been in charge of St. Martin’s Church for more than a century.
During their presence, they founded numerous churches, educational institutions, including the well-known Holy Ghost Juniorate Seminary in Ihiala, and a few universities in various regions of the nation.
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The Holy Ghost Fathers and members of the parish council were reportedly told to leave the area immediately by the Bishop of the Diocese of Nnewi, Anambra State, Most Rev. Jonas Benson Okoye, during a recent meeting with priests in the Diocese, according to a Newsmen report.
The residents of Ihiala wrote to the Bishop pleading with him not to dismiss the priest, but he disregarded their advise, according to Nonye Chukwu, secretary of the Coordinating Committee of the Concerned Ihiala Citizens.
He said, “We are having a problem with our Bishop. He issued an order that Holy Ghost Fathers who stay at St. Martins should pack out and that he doesn’t want them in Ihiala anymore. This didn’t go down well with Ihiala Catholic Church members .
“These Holy Ghost fathers have become endangered species. Immediately after the Nigerian civil war, the then government alleged that they were responsible for prolonging the war and then sacked them from Eastern Nigeria.
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“Those of them who were foreigners left, while the Indigenous ones continued their missionary work up till now(Congregation) and they are the ones Bishop wants to sack.
“Where does he want them to go to? We have every reason to say no irrespective of the fact that he has all the powers on earth as Bishop.
“These Holy Ghost priests sustained our people during the war as some of them were even emergency pilots who brought relief materials to the war ravaged areas of the country”.
In addition, Chukwu claimed that even though the Holy Ghost Fathers are regarded as missionaries, they ought to still have a basis.
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He claimed that they ought to be treated with the same respect since they are still Catholic priests.
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