The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural In the Diaspora (AEISCID) has commended the Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki diocese, Most Rev. Prof. Peter Chukwu Nworie for his courage demonstrated in counseling the body of Christ in general and the Catholic community in particular on the choices before them in the 2023 general elections.
The Ebonyi indigenes, however warned against unnecessary attack on the Bishop for saying what he said publicly.
The Catholic Bishop was seen in a viral video where he encouraged the Church to pray for the kind of leaders with the positive qualities Ebonyi deserves and those that electorates must reject in February and March 2023 general elections.
The sermon was said to have been delivered at the occasion of the commemoration of the 2022 ‘Christ the King’ day at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Abakaliki, Ebonyi state capital.
But responding to the viral video through a statement Tuesday in Abuja, President General of the AEISCID, Amb. Pascal Oluchchukwu, urged Ebonyi indigenes to listen to the voice of wisdom which the Bishop represents.
Oluchukwu said: “We, the Ebonyi people in the diaspora under the aegis of Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural In the Diaspora, AEISCID wish to commend the Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki diocese, Most Rev. Prof. Peter Chukwu Nworie for the uncommon courage he has demonstrated in counseling the body of Christ in general and the Catholic community in particular on the choices before them in the 2023 general elections.
“To our fancy, the Bishop also went further to summarize some of the bad policies and actions affecting the Ebonyi masses which our association has been hammering on in various media platforms since particularly the re-election of the current government in power in the State.
“For us at AEISCID, we only feel elated that for once, someone in the calibre of the Catholic Bishop mustered the courage to brace the odds and lived up to the Canonical ordinance of the ancient Church where even Christ spoke truth to power and concerned authorities.
“We are aware as some of us who are Catholics that the Church while being questioned on the Participation of Catholics in Political Life had it clearly written in the Doctrinal notes as directed to the Bishops of the Catholic Church and, in a particular way, to Catholic politicians and all lay members of the faithful called to participate in the political life of democratic societies;
‘A constant teaching on The commitment of Christians in the world has found a variety of expressions in the course of the past 2000 years. One such expression has been Christian involvement in political life: Christians, as one Early Church writer stated, (is to) play their full role as citizens.’
“They had reasoned that mong the saints, the Church venerates many men and women who served God through their generous commitment to politics and government. Among these, Saint Thomas More, who was proclaimed Patron of Statesmen and Politicians, gave witness by his martyrdom to «the inalienable dignity of the human conscience.
“Though subjected to various forms of psychological pressure, Saint Thomas More, like modern Bishop Nworie refused to compromise, never forsaking the constant fidelity to legitimate authority and institutions which has now distinguished him especially in a time when our dear Ebonyi State has become a cause of concern for many due to man-inflicted political intolerance and desperation.”
While commending Bishop Chukwu Nworie stand, Oluchukwu said urged “all Ebonyi electorates to take the gospel for what it is- reject every political party’s candidates that has contributed in the deep mess that Ebonyi has been plunged into it by those who has piloted it’s affairs particularly in the past seven to eight years.
“The Umahi government which was never directly mentioned or referred to in the said viral video should not attempt or even contemplate an attack of any sort on Our Lord Bishop for merely living up to his canonical responsibility of leading his congregants aright.
“AEISCID urges the entire Ebonyi electorate to be vigilant and glean from the words of wisdom and great counsel from the highest religious authority in the State just as we continue to pray and believe God that come 2023 elections, the electorates will not only vote for the best of choices that will return the State to it’s glories in every indices of genuine human development but be vigilant to protect and defend the mandates.”
