Peter Okpaleke
Peter Ebere Okpaleke (born 1 March 1963) is a Nigerian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been Bishop of Ekwulobia since 29 April 2020. He was appointed Bishop of Ahiara in 2012 and consecrated a bishop in 2013, but he was never installed there because local clergy objected that his ethnic origins did not match those of the population of the diocese.
Peter Ebere Okpaleke | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Ekwulobia | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Ekwulobia |
| See | Ekwulobia |
| Appointed | 5 March 2020 |
| Installed | 29 April 2020 |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 22 August 1990 |
| Consecration | 21 May 2013 by Anthony John Valentine Obinna |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Peter Ebere Okpaleke |
| Born | 1 March 1963 Amesi, Anambra, Nigeria |
| Previous post | Bishop of Ahiara (2012-18) |
| Motto | Veni Sancte Spiritus |
| Coat of arms |  |
Life
Priesthood
Peter Ebere Okpaleke born on 1 March 1963 in Amesi in Anambra State, Nigeria. He attended local schools and in 1983 entered the Bigard Memorial Major Seminary in Ikot-Ekpene and Enugu, where he studied philosophy and theology from 1983 to 1992. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Awka on 22 August 1990.[1]
In the twenty years following his ordination he filled a wide variety of pastoral and administrative positions, including university chaplain, parish priest, diocesan finance administrator, diocesan chancellor, and secretary and member of diocesan boards. He also studied canon law in Rome at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.[1]
Episcopacy
On 7 December 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Okpaleke Bishop of Ahiara, Nigeria.[1] Okpaleke was consecrated a bishop on 21 May 2013. Because of objections to his appointment, his consecration was held outside the Diocese, in the Major Seminary of Ulakwo in the Archdiocese of Owerri.[2]
Local clergy and parishioners objected to his appointment and prevented him from entering the cathedral in order to take possession of the diocese.[3][4] A petition objecting to the fact that Okpaleke was not of the area's Mbaise ethnic origin was sent to Pope Benedict after he appointed Okpaleke Bishop[5] On 9 June 2017, Pope Francis gave clergy in the Diocese 30 days to either write a letter promising obedience and accepting Okpaleke as their bishop or be suspended. Clergy sent letters of apology but continued to protest Okpaleke's as racial discrimination.
On 19 February 2018, Pope Francis accepted Okpaleke's resignation as Bishop of Ahiara.[4][6]
On 5 March 2020, just over two years after accepting his resignation as Bishop of Ahiara, Pope Francis appointed Okpaleke the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ekwulobia, a newly created diocese in Anambra State which formerly had its territory under the jurisdiction of Awka Diocese.[7][8]
Okpaleke was installed as Bishop of Ekwulobia on 29 April 2020.[9]
Notes and references
- "Rinunce e Nomine, 07.12.2012" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 7 December 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- Tornielli, Andrea (19 February 2018). "Nigeria, the much-criticized bishop Okpaleke resigns". La Stampa. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- Amadi, Alvan (28 October 2017). "Unprecedented crisis in Nigerian diocese still not resolved". Crux. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- "Pope Francis accepts the resignation of Nigerian Bishop". Vatican News. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- Wooden, Cindy. "Pope tells Nigerian priests to accept bishop or be suspended". Catholic Register. Catholic News Service.
- "Resignations and Appointments, 19.02.2018" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- "Resignations and Appointments, 05.03.2020" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- Attah, Aloysius (5 March 2020). "Pope Francis appoints ex-Ahiara bishop, Okpaleke, head new Ekwulobia diocese". The Sun Nigeria. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- San Martín, Inés (5 May 2020). "Nigerian bishop rejected by Ahiara diocese installed as Bishop of Ekwulobia". Crux. Retrieved 6 May 2020.