Diocese of Ahiara
| Diocese of Ahiara | |
| Basic data | |
|---|---|
| Country | Nigeria |
| Metropolitan bishopric | Archdiocese of Owerri |
| Diocesan bishop | Sedis vacancy |
| Apostolic Administrator | Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji |
| Emeritus diocesan bishop | Peter Ebere Okpaleke |
| founding | 1987 |
| surface | 425 km² |
| Parishes | 73 (2015 / AP 2016 ) |
| Residents | 673,000 (2015 / AP 2016 ) |
| Catholics | 519,000 (2015 / AP 2016 ) |
| proportion of | 77.1% |
| Diocesan priest | 128 (2015 / AP 2016 ) |
| Religious priest | 7 (2015 / AP 2016 ) |
| Catholics per priest | 3,844 |
| Friars | 16 (2015 / AP 2016 ) |
| Religious sisters | 127 (2015 / AP 2016 ) |
| rite | Roman rite |
| Liturgical language | English |
| cathedral | Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral |
| Website | www.ahiaradiocese.org |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ahiara ( Latin Dioecesis Ahiarana , English Diocese of Ahiara ) is in Nigeria situated Roman Catholic diocese based in Ahiara .
history
The diocese of Ahiara was established on November 18, 1987 by Pope John Paul II with the Apostolic Constitution Dominici gregis from cession of the diocese of Owerri and subordinated to the archdiocese of Onitsha as a suffragan . The diocese of Ahiara was subordinated to the Archdiocese of Owerri as a suffragan on March 26, 1994 .
First Bishop was victor adibe chikwe . After his death in September 2010 and a two-year vacancy , Peter Ebere Okpaleke was appointed second bishop of Ahiara in December 2012. Even before his ordination, some priests and lay people expressed their displeasure with the appointment. Young people block Ahiara Cathedral so that the episcopal ordination took place in the neighboring Archdiocese of Owerri . In July 2013, Pope Francis temporarily (until 2014) appointed Cardinal Onaiyekan as Apostolic Administrator . In June 2017, Pope Francis demanded a personal written declaration of loyalty to Bishop Okpaleke from each of the priests of the Ahiara diocese, to be addressed to him (the Pope). Anyone who does not comply with this requirement within 30 days will be suspended. On February 19, 2018, Pope Francis finally accepted Okpaleke's renunciation of the diocese of Ahiara. The bishop of Umuahia , Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji , was appointed provisional apostolic administrator .
See also
Web links
- Homepage of the Diocese of Ahiara (English)
- Entry on Ahiara diocese on catholic-hierarchy.org (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ioannes Paulus II: Const. Apost. Dominici gregis , AAS 80 (1988), n.1, p. 6f.
- ^ Catholic News Agency, June 12, 2017.
- ^ Rinuncia del Vescovo di Ahiara (Nigeria) e nomina dell'Amministratore Apostolico sede vacante ed ad nutum Sanctae Sedis. In: Daily Bulletin. Holy See Press Office , February 19, 2018, accessed February 19, 2018 (Italian).
- ↑ Pope accepts resignation due to unrest. Domradio from February 19, 2018