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Francis' Pressure Did Not Work, Embattled Bishop Resigns

Pope Francis accepted on February 19 the resignation of Bishop Peter Okpaleke, 54, of Ahiara, southern Nigeria. He was rejected by his priests for ethnic reasons since his appointment in 2012.

In June 2017, Francis issued a harsh ultimatum asking the priests either to obey Okpaleke or to be suspended. But the threat did not work.

Associated Press considers the case “a test of papal authority”.

Picture: Peter Okpaleke © otnaija.blogspot.it, #newsZtfonartew
HerzMariae
Found: "In statement on Pope’s U-turn in accepting resignation of embattled Nigerian bishop after priests’ resistance, Prop Fide says no new ordinary will be named “for now”; Francis also backs down on imposing threatened suspensions of rebel clerics"