WARRI DIOCESE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WELCOMES HIS GRACE ARCHBISHOP AUGUSTINE AKUBEZE
The priests of Warri Diocese have read with dismay and utter disgust a publication circulating on various social media platforms purportedly emanating from one Rev. Fr. Dr. Stephen Oghenovo, a priest of Warri Diocese, in relation to the appointment of His Grace, Archbishop Augustine Akubeze, Metropolitan Archbishop of Benin-city Archdiocese as the Apostolic Administrator of Warri Diocese upon the retirement of our bishop emeritus, Most Rev. Dr. John ‘Oke Afareha.
The entire Presbyterium of Warri Diocese wholeheartedly welcomes the Church’s wisdom and appointment, and WE DECLARE OUR UNEQUIVOCAL LOYALTY TO, AND SUPPORT FOR THE ARCHBISHOP AUGUSTINE AKUBEZE. We pray that the Holy Spirit will inspire, guide, and bless him in all his onerous responsibilities. We are also thankful to the Church’s hierarchy.
Very importantly, the Priests Association of Warri Diocese vehemently and categorically rejects, denies and dissociates itself from the author, originator, and the content of Fr. Ogheneovo’s malicious publication. Warri Diocese and it’s priests ARE NOT and WILL NEVER SUBSCRIBE TO SUCH debased thinking, uninformed reasoning and thought pattern that is unchristian, uncharitable and unethical.
Warri Diocese totally abhors Fr. Ogheneovo’s write up which drips with callous vitriolic, and is a prototype of all defamatory qualities, meticulously planned and executed to mar the image of an esteemed servant of Christ and his church in the eyes of society.
We in Warri Diocese are not known to be people who sarcastically impugn the character of anybody. Our Bishop emeritus will be the first to testify to the fact that we are an obedient, loyal, cooperative and highly hospitable local church.
Hence we are ashamed of any disingenuous attempt to contemptuously malign the person of the Archbishop who is highly regarded and respected by Warri priests and Laity.
We stand disgusted at this unwarranted attempt to defame and insult His Grace Archbishop Augustine Akubeze without justification or excuse. We are not privy to, neither do we entertain this devilish effort to expose the amiable and humble Archbishop to public contempt, scorn, obloquy, ridicule, shame or disgrace, or intending to induce an evil opinion of him in the mind of right thinking persons.
Whoever by words either spoken or reproduced by mechanical means or intended to be read or by signs or by visible representations makes or publishes any imputation concerning the Archbishop does NOT represent the interests of Warri Diocese. Such persons are not priestly intellectuals. They lack any sort of conviction or commitment to the church of Warri Diocese, except playing games in the corridors of power.
Let no one be left in doubt that Warri Diocese is solidly united in this time of transition. We respect dearly our Bishop emeritus, the Most Rev. Dr. John O. Afareha , and wish him God’s continued blessings in a well deserved retirement. And we wholeheartedly welcome His Grace Archbishop Augustine Akubeze as the Apostolic Administrator of Warri Diocese.
Signed
Rev. Fr. Dr. Anthony Mario Ozele
President, Priests Association of Warri Diocese
