Pope Francis has issued an ultimatum to the Nigerian priests who defied the directives of Catholic Papal authority by rejecting the appointment of a certain Bishop Peter Okpaleke over tribal related sentiments.
Pope Francis, who met with a delegation from the Ahiara diocese in Imo State, Nigeria, where priests have been refusing to accept the 2012 appointment by the former pontiff, Benedict XVI.
While addressing the delegation, Pope Francis said that he is “very sad” about the priests’ refusal to obey and ruled out tribal loyalties as explaining the refusal.
The Pope also made it clear on the danger involved in rebellion against papal authority.
Those priests opposing Okpaleke’s taking up of his office “want to destroy the church, which is not permitted,” Francis said in his address to the delegation.
Francis added: “the pope can’t be indifferent” to the rebellion.
