•Petitions Pope Francis
 From EMMANUEL UZOR, Onitsha Ninety two-year-old Madam Juliana Onuora from Nkpor, in Idemili North Council Area of Anambra State is now engrossed in a battle of wits with the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha over a church she built and donated to the Diocese in 1985.

In a petition sent to Pope Francis, Madam Onuora alleged that her life is in danger following the precipitating crises over ownership of the land where Our Lady Catholic Church is built. Though the Onitsha Archdiocese is not disputing the fact that the church was built on a piece of land belonging to the woman, the bone of contention is that the church had been built by the woman and dedicated to God and therefore ceases to belong to her.

In Catholic tradition, no one owns a church and even when an individual builds one and donates to the Church, and when it is consecrated by the bishop, it ceases to belong to the person but to the Diocese.

The ugly incidents that follow the lingering land tussle between the church and the family of Onuora had degenerated into a serious war, which led to the burning down of the parish priest’s building by irate youths suspected to be working on the orders of the daughter to the 92-year-old woman.

As a result, the entire compound including the church and other surrounding buildings have been cordoned off by policemen from the Police Zonal Headquarters, Zone 9 Umuahia to forestall further breakdown of law and order as the youths of Our Lady Catholic Church are already spoiling for war over the alleged attack on the parish priest, Rev Fr. Martin Onukuba by hoodlums allegedly working on the instruction of Madam Onuora’s family.


Source: Sun