The Head of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of the Vatican City, Pope Francis, has inaugurated Monsignor David Ajang as the new Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lafia.
David Ajang was made the second Bishop of the 20-year-old Lafia diocese following the elevation and transfer of Matthew Ishaya-Audu who was the first Bishop since 2001 to Jos as Metropolitan Archbishop of Jos.
Pope Francis who was represented at the occasion by Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Antonio Guido-Filipazzi, who congratulated the new Bishop and advised him to be a good shepherd.
He tasked Bishop Ajang to make Priests under his Diocese his closest neighbours and friends and desist from showing discrimination.
He explained that the Church would support and pray for the new Bishop. He urged him to always rely on Almighty God to guide and guard his decisions and actions.
Support for the new Bishop
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Jos, Matthew Ishaya-Audu, who was the first and immediate-past Bishop of Lafia, expressed joy for the successful inauguration of his successor.
The Archbishop commended members for their support while serving as their Bishop in the last 20 years and urged them to extend the same to the new Bishop.
In his message, Monsignor David Ajang expressed gratitude to God who made his installation possible and thanked those who contributed in making the occasion a success.
He expressed surprise on why Almighty God selected him despite his unworthiness to be the Bishop, adding that, “he would redouble his efforts in serving God for the rest of his life”.
He said he would continue to pray for members as well as leaders at all levels for God to intervene to help overcome the numerous challenges bedeviling the country.
Religious tolerance
In his goodwill message, the Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule congratulated the new Bishop and the entire Catholic community for the successful replacement of the former Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Lafia.
The Governor also acknowledged the contributions of the Catholic Church to the educational development of the state and the country.
“I benefited from the Catholic Church, because I finished from a Catholic School and also got assistance from the Catholic Church during my studies in the United States of America (USA).
“If not for Catholic Church, I may not be where and what I am today,” the Governor said.
He also used the occasion to call on faithfuls of all religion to understand and respect the rights of each other in the overall interest of the nation.
He explained that if Nigerians respect each others religion, the country would be peaceful.
Governor Sule therefore expressed the government’s determination to support and work with the new Bishop and other religious leaders to sustain peace in the state.
The occasion was attended by 26 Catholic Bishops, Priests across the state and beyond, Governors of Nasarawa, Plateau States and representative of Benue State Governor among others.
Emmanuel Ukoh
