Have the Sacrament of Penance among “your primary responsibilities”: Catholic Bishop in Nigeria to Priests

Not availing the Sacrament of Penance to the people of God regularly can cause them to lose the “sense of guilt”, the Nigerian Catholic Bishop, who was celebrating his 11th Episcopal Anniversary on July 4 warned.

He continued, “If you allow the people to lose the sense of guilt, it will not be long before they lose the sense of the sacred, because it is standing before the sacred that you feel your worthiness and the need to ask for forgiveness.”

“Some people have been so dead in their conscience,” the Nigerian Catholic Church leader lamented, and called for such people to be challenged “to go to confession for their salvation and your salvation; that’s what friends are for; that is what fraternal communion enjoins us to do.”

In his homily during the July 4 celebration, Bishop Onah also cautioned members of the Clergy against “sibling or professional rivalry and envy”, and added, “Very often you may not even know you are already a victim; you are already an agent of rival and envy.”

“You may think you are being objective when you are envious of what you may consider the achievement of another Priest,” he observed.

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The Local Ordinary of Nsukka Diocese also cautioned the Clergy against “fame and appreciation” mentality and emphasized the need for the Clergy to recognize God’s grace in their calling to Priestly life.

“All we need is to focus on the apostolate,” he emphasized, warning against the temptation to be “a career prophet, or a political Priest. You will never be happy, never satisfied and that’s why you will always feel that someone else is taking what belongs to you.”

Bishop Onah reiterated, “Simply be a Priest for the people; that is not too much to ask.”

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.