Fides Media Living the Faith
…Confirms over 100 Faithful at St Patrick’s Cathedral
By Chioma Ndife
The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor, has beckoned on youths, Labour unions and pensioners, to join forces together to ensure that the right candidates emerge during the 2023 general elections.
Bishop Ezeokafor made the call during his pastoral visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Awka, on Sunday May 7, where he administered the Sacrament of Confirmation on over 100 deserving faithful.
He noted that the collective effort of the youths, together with workers and pensioners, had the ability of ending bad governance in the country, saying that everyone had a role to play in making the country better.
He regretted the level of deterioration being witnessed in the country, noting that the spate of killings and bloodshed had greatly reduced the value and sacredness of human life.
The Catholic prelate encouraged the faithful to equip themselves with their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, which he described as the only tool that would usher in the needed transformational change. He expressed optimism that the 2023 general elections would be counted as was observed during the Anambra governorship election.
He pleaded with the faithful to shun money politics, saying that it would commence the liberation needed in Nigeria.
While expressing sadness that people often collected peanuts to mortgage the future of the young generation, Bishop Ezeokafor said that collective effort must be deployed by all sincere persons in the country to weed the nation of selfish and unpatriotic leadership.
His words, ‘The presidential, senatorial, house of representatives and state house of assembly elections are coming up soon and there is every need for us to elect people who will offer effective representation.
‘You all saw what happened during the PDP primaries where the highest bidder took the lead. It is important that we vote for people with antecedents to offer effective leadership.
‘The young people must rise up and take over the polity of the country.
If the workers, pensioners and young people in this country come together, they will overcome these power abusers who are the minority as we must say no to them,’ he concluded.
Earlier in his homily, Bishop Ezeokafor explained that the Church of God all over the world celebrated the Pentecost Sunday which ushered in the birth of the Church. He noted that the Church was happy owing to the coming of the Holy Spirit, noting that Christians must move in the direction of the Holy Spirit.
In his remarks, the priest in charge of the Cathedral. Rev. Fr. Patrick Okafor, appreciated the Bishop for making out time for the visit amid his busy schedule.
He expressed optimism that the visit would continue to strengthen the faith of parishioners and commended the faithful for coming out en-masse for the Bishop’s reception.
The chairman of the Occasion, Igwe Chuma Agbala of Uke Community, commended the priest in charge for organizing the reception of Bishop Ezeokafor in his home parish, saying that it was in the right direction for the prelate to have firsthand information of the activities taking place in the cathedral. He appreciated the Bishop for his good work in the Diocese.