BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto –
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, His Lordship Most Rev Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah today, Thursday ordained five (5) new priest into the vineyard of God’s service.
Thise ordained are, Rev Charles Adigwe, Rev Bulus Bala, Rev Akor Solomon, Rev Opkara Oliver and Rev Danbako Zakariya.
Delivering his homily during at the Holy Family Cathedral in Sokoto, Bishop Kukah charged the newly ordained priests to adhere to the sacred duty of teaching in the name of Christ the teacher.
“Now, dear sons, you are to be raised to the Order of the Priesthood. For your part you will excecise the sacred duty of teaching in the name of Chirst the teacher. Impact to everyone the word of God which you have received with joy. Meditating on the law of the Lord, see that you believe what you read, that you teach what you believe, and that you practice what you teach”.
While reminding the congregation that we now live in a confused world which is the challenge of our society, Bishop Kukah however decried that we are faced with a corrosive political culture to a point that Nigerians have become so traumatized that, “we have become experts in burying the death but refused to ask why are they dying”.
Wondering if politics nor economic models can fix our country, the respected outspoken cleric said, “we neither know what is wrong or who is wrong”.
Talking about the series of hide and seek games that has continued to trail reality behind insurgency in Nigeria, Bishop Kukah said those outside the country already know those who are funding insurgency in Nigeria, despite our government refused to published their names.
Continuing in his homily, Bishop Kukah said It is the duty of the prophet to hold those holding public offices into account, even as he reminded the newly ordained priest to be counscious of the fact that congregations are looking up to them for a pius, just and God fearing life.
He also reminded the congregation that the priest is not a just social commentator, nor someone who is concerned about who wins and rule people, not concerned about his or her religion or region but speaking the truth towards ensuring that a society is fairly governed.
“The political party in power will surely call you a priest. Priest must maintain moral distance in the part of politicians ways, we can only be partisan on tne part of speaking the truth. In our local languages, the word for opposition is an enemy”.
In his appeal to the newly ordained Priests to continue to make prayers their corner stone, Bishop Kukah said, “Prayers remained the key to the survival of Priests and by extension, we Christians. Prayer is the source of our salvation.
“Ordination is not the Priesthood, its just a ceremony but the real task of serving God and humanity begins the day after” Kukah urged them.
Bishop Kukah also officially commissioned a new gigantic hall he constructed at the Holy Family Cathedral.
In his vote of thanks, the Diocessan Chancellor and Vocation Director of Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Very Rev Father, Cornelius Tagwai said its a plus to the kingdom of God that more workers are being ordained into the vineyard.
He therefore said with the addition of the 5 new Priest, Sokoto Diocese now have a total of 48 indigenous Priest and another 37 Seminarians who are still in school.
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