Due to COVID-19, 50-person Congregation Witnesses Installation of Nigerian Archbishop

He added, “Even with this small congregation of fifty, we will go ahead to do the canonical installation of the Archbishop, by the grace of God.”

“Jos Archdiocese has promised that a more elaborate and festive celebration will take place after the unfortunate coronavirus malady must have become a thing of the past,” Archbishop Kaigama said.

He implored, “May God have mercy on us and bring to a very quick end this global scourge. For the sake of the sorrowful passion, Lord, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

Pope Francis appointed the 60-year-old Archbishop Matthew Ishaya Audu to the Archdiocese of Jos on January 6, transferring him from Lafia Diocese in the Ecclesiastical Province of Abuja where he served as the Local Ordinary since his 2001 episcopal ordination.

Archbishop Audu will be the fifth Ordinary of Jos which is part of the Ecclesiastical Province of Jos. 

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“I thank God for using the Holy Father, Pope Francis, to give Jos Archdiocese the gift of a new Archbishop in the person of Most Rev. Matthew Ishaya Audu. Welcome Archbishop Audu and “bon travail”,” Archbishop Kaigama welcomed his successor.

Further Archbishop Kaigama asked the faithful and clergy of Jos to be pardoned for the wrongs he may have committed in his tenure as the Archdiocese’s Prelate.

“May I crave your indulgence to ask that for my failings as a human being during my tenure as chief shepherd of Jos Archdiocese, may the Lord forgive me and those who felt offended by my words and actions to also forgive me,” he said.

“All I did for Jos Archdiocese as Archbishop and lately as Apostolic Administrator, was in the best interest of progress, harmony and growth in the spiritual, pastoral and social spheres,” Archbishop Kaigama said and continued, “For those who were happy with my decisions and pastoral initiatives, please continue to be happy and for some who were offended or hurt by my pastoral decisions, may God bring you healing and relief.”

“May this new phase under the leadership of Archbishop Matthew Ishaya Audu be characterized by greater development, peace, understanding and unity in the Archdiocese and indeed in the entire Ecclesiastical Province of Jos.”

“May God bless all of you in the Catholic Archdiocese of Jos and indeed Plateau State very richly and bring to completion the work He has started in you (cf. Phil. 1:6). Let us keep each other in fervent prayer. Peace be with you all,” said Archbishop Kaigama.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.