Pope Appoints Five Delta Catholic Priests As Papal Chamberlains

by Niger Delta Today   October 25, 2020

By Ovie Okpare

Pope Francis has appointed additional five priests in Issele-Uku Catholic Diocese in Delta State as Papal Chamberlains bringing the total in the diocese to nine.

Papal Chamberlains also known as Monsignori is awarded to priests in recognition of their selfless service to the church and their community.

The five elevated priests include Right Rev. Monsignor John Aduba, Right Rev. Monsignor Michael Nwokolo, Right Rev. Monsignor Parker Ogboi, Right Rev. Monsignor Miletus Eze and Right Rev. Monsignor Augustine Ojei.

Their appointment was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Diocesan Director of Communications, Rev. Fr. Charles Uganwa.

The Bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev. Michael Elue, would perform investiture ceremony on the five papal chamberlains on Saturday, October 31, the statement added.

It further stated that the investiture ceremony would hold at the Cathedral of St. Paul, Issele-Uku, by 10am in compliance with the COVID-19 protocols.

Uganwa said the honour was given to them in recognition of their selfless contributions to the local Church and their services to humanity all over Nigeria.

“The title ‘Monsignor’ is bestowed on a priest who has distinguished himself by exceptional service to the church.

 

“It is a title granted by the pope upon the recommendation of the priest’s diocesan bishop.

“It is a purely honorary title and has no effect on the priest’s duties or ministerial assignment, so a monsignor does not necessarily have any duties distinct from those of any other priest.

“However, some positions within the Vatican automatically carry the title of monsignor.

“When the bishop of a diocese believes that one of the priests under his authority should be honored for his exceptional service to the church, he can nominate that priest for the title of monsignor.

“The Pope reviews the nomination and makes the final decision. If he decides to grant the title of monsignor to the nominee, the Secretariat of State of the Vatican honors the new monsignor with a formal diploma.

“And, because the title of monsignor historically designated a priest who served in the papal curia or Vatican bureaucracy, all Monsignori are officially part of the papal household, whether they serve in the Vatican or elsewhere.

“Unlike regular priests, they may wear some of the regalia normally reserved for a bishop”, it stated.

Issele-Uku was created on July 5, 1973 by Pope Pius X1 from the territory of Benin Archdiocese.

It presently covers six local government areas including Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Oshimili North, Oshimili South, Ika South and Ika North-East, of Delta State.

The diocese currently has 94 parishes, 232 priests and nine Monsignori

Please, READ and REFLECT on this for tomorrow. 

First Sunday of Advent  ‘B’ 

 *Wait in Patient Hope for God* 

            Today we begin a new year of the Church, what we call Liturgical Year.  As usual, we begin this year with the season of ADVENT – a period of preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also at the end of our lives. 

            Advent is a pilgrimage and the Bible is the travelog outlining God’s faithfulness to His journeying people.  We are pilgrims, not tourists on earth.  We have a goal, a mission, a vision and a destination. 

            The season of Advent we are beginning today even brings this theme of conversion to a greater dimension and urgent need.  “In Advent, the Church reminds us firstly of the Father’s initiative, “when the fullness of time had come, he sent his son, born of a woman, born subject to the law, to free those who were under the law, so that they would become adopted sons” (Gal. 4: 4-5).  We are then invited to prepare ourselves for the second and definitive coming of Christ, when, at the end of time, the Lord Jesus, “hands over the kingdom to God the Father” (1 Cor. 15:24). 

            The time of the second coming of Christ which constantly appears in the liturgical texts of Advent, points out the Father as the origin and end of salvation.  It is the Father who raises in us the will to associate ourselves with the good works of the Christ who comes so that we are able to obtain the kingdom of heaven. 

            So our Advent obligation and business is no other thing than conversion.  We long for the coming of Christ and we expect it.  The best thing we can do is to prepare for it.  Christ is coming not for the healthy but for the sick, not for the saint but for the sinner, not for the strong but for the weak.  How then are we preparing to receive Him in our hearts and homes? 

            Advent is about preparation and hope for the coming of a great guest.  We must therefore feel the urgency of conversion which is a joyful way of living.  The Gospel of today puts this in terms of staying awake, being ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour we do not expect or know. 

            In the first reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah we heard that without the Lord we wander aimlessly through this life.  Without the Lord, we manage to get ourselves into all sorts of trouble.  But God has molded us and fashioned us.  We are the clay.  He is the potter.  If we just allow Him to guide our lives, we will be ready.  The Response sums it clearly: “O God, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.” 

St. Paul adds in today's second reading that Christ has filled us with every good gift.  Why does God do this for us?  He wants us to be a sign that He is coming.  So we wait.  We prepare.  We watch. 

            The season of Advent proposes the element of waiting in human affairs.  The farmer plants his crops and waits in hope for it to germinate, mature and bear fruit.  He waits for the fruit to ripen before the harvest.  The researcher has the patience to gather data, analyze, experiment, test before announcing and defending the result of his or her research.  The element of waiting, hope, and expectation and therefore patience belongs to farmwork as it does to research work. 

            The Advent liturgy announces the virtue of hope as the fuel which sustains us.  Without it we die inwardly, our creative potentials become paralyzed and ungenerated.  With it, the future becomes open.  The arena of possibilities becomes amenable to our creative action. 

            For Advent, the time of watching, is an opportunity for us to grow closer to Christ. 

            Getting on for 2020 years now, since the first Christmas Day came and went, we must still be looking forward.  Advent is not only preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus, an event which happened long ago (2020 years ago) but also a time for looking to the future, for this means looking ahead to what is often called ‘the coming of the Kingdom of God’.  We are getting ready to celebrate the first coming of Jesus and also to celebrate the second coming as well. 

            In Advent, we think not only of the baby born in a manger but also of the King who is to come and judge the world.  And so, in looking forward to Christ’s coming during Advent, we also invite Him to become the ruler of our lives, and we wait eagerly for the day when, we believe, everyone will accept His lordship over the entire creation. 

            We are at a precious moment in time and history (the end and beginning of a century) - a moment of grace - a kairos.  We have to prepare for the grace that God will pour out this Christmas; for the grace to come and finally, for the overwhelming grace that will be ours when Jesus comes again.  The Church reminds us of this preparation in a four-week period so that we can get ourselves ready to celebrate the Christmas once more. 

            God is coming and we cannot remain the same or indifferent.  We have to make what adjustments required to correct the course of our lives and turn ourselves to God who comes to us.  Man’s whole existence is a constant preparing to see God, who draws ever closer.  We have an appointment.  We must prepare or we perish. 

            The idea of being prepared is rooted in society.  Students prepare for exams.  Pregnant mothers prepare for labour.  Political parties prepare for elections and a good scout, of course, is always prepared.  But, how are we to prepare?  The best thing to do is to take Jesus’ advice - which is to watch and pray.  If we grasp the significance of the first coming, we shall groan for the second. 

            We shall go to confession so as to receive the Child Jesus worthily, in the weeks between now and Christmas, with an ever greater love and deeper contrition.  As we do this, we learn to discover and rediscover the Sacrament of Reconciliation for our personal and communal purification and so experience the merciful love of the Father who cares for all his children. 

            To maintain this state of alertness, we need to struggle, for we all have a tendency to live with our eyes fixed on the things of the earth.  Especially during this time of Advent, let us not forget that our hearts are darkened by gluttony and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and so lose sight of the supernatural dimension which every action of ours should have as its milieu. 

            Saint Paul compares this guard over ourselves to that of the well-armed soldier who does not allow himself to be taken by surprise (cf. 1 Thess. 5: 4-11).  There is always a big temptation to procrastinate believing that there is still time. 

            There is a story about three apprentice devils who were coming to earth to finish their apprenticeship.  They were talking to their master and teacher, Satan, about their plans to tempt and to ruin persons so that they would go to hell. 

            The first apprentice devil said, “I will tell the people there is no God ... If they believe that, they will go to hell.”  Satan said, “That will not delude many because they know there is a God.”  

            The second apprentice devil said, “I will tell the people that there is no hell for serious sins committed ... If they believe that, they will surely go to hell ...”  Satan answered by saying, “You will deceive no one that way ... all people know that there is a hell for serious sins committed.” 

            The third apprentice devil said, “I will tell the people they need not hurry … there is plenty of time to prepare ...”  Satan said, “You have spoken wisely and correctly ... go and tell the people that they have plenty of time to prepare and you will ruin them by thousands.” 

            Thousands will be lost because they thought they had plenty of time to prepare before the Master comes ... before the Bridegroom would come.  No one knows how much time he or she has left for “time is a deposit each one has in the bank of God and we do not know the balance” (Ralph W. Sockman). 

            Brothers and sisters, as Scripture tells us:  “The Lord is not being slow in carrying out his promises, as anybody else might be called slow; but he is being patient with you all, wanting nobody to be lost and everybody to be brought to change his ways.” (2 Peter 3:9) 

            As we wait and long for the coming of Christ, let us do all we can now that we can and not tomorrow that we do not know or have yet.  Today or never. 

 DO ALL YOU CAN  

 Do all the good you can 

 By all the means you can 

 In all the ways you can 

 In all the places you can 

 At all the times you can 

 To all the people you can 

 As long as ever you can.

 Today or never.  

 

    Abba, Father, you are the potter, we are the clay, the work of your hand; mould us, mould us and fashion us into the image of Jesus your Son. 

    In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.