Eight months after ordering priests in a Nigerian diocese to pledge their obedience to the pope and accept the bishop that now-retired Pope Benedict XVI had named for them, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of the disputed bishop.
Nigeria
Pope Tells Nigerian Priests They Must Accept Bishop
Pope Francis is giving priests belonging to the Diocese of Ahiara, Nigeria, 30 days to write a letter promising obedience to him and accepting the bishop appointed for their diocese or they will be suspended.
Father Ikenna Okagbue
Seeing the holiness and humanity of his parish priests as a child inspired Father Ikenna Okagbue, 35, to consider priesthood for himself.
Father Michael Ugbor
After years of resisting the voice that has called him since childhood, Nigerian-born Father Michael Odinaka Ugbor, 37, finally surrendered to God in a diocese 5,000 miles from home.
Father Uririoghene Melchizedek Okrokoto
Whatever God places before Nigerian-born Father Uririoghene Melchizedek Okrokoto, 28, he will use it to give God glory. In fact, his first name means “the glory of God.”
Visiting Nigerian Bishop Hopeful About Peace
On a 10-day U.S. tour to raise awareness about life in Muslim-dominated northern Nigeria, Bishop Matthew H. Kukah of Sokoto Diocese, visited Nigerians in Brooklyn to talk about the need for education, solidarity and prayers. The tour was sponsored by Aid to the Church in Need.
Pope Shares Easter Joy
As Holy Week and Easter approached, Pope Francis wanted to show his ongoing concern for people persecuted and displaced by violence in Iraq and in northern Nigeria.
Flight to Egypt Inspires Catholics from Nigeria
The annual remembrance of the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt by members of St. Fortunata’s Nigerian Igbo community blends African traditions with Catholic worship.
Nigerian Bishop Asks West to Intervene
Underlining the failure of the Nigerian government to stop the violent rampage of Boko Haram, a Catholic bishop has called for Western military intervention.
Ebola Negates Sign of Peace in Nigeria
In an effort to curtail the spread of Ebola, the archdioceses of Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria instructed their priests to suspend all forms of physical contact during Mass, including the traditional sign of peace.