VOL 8. NO. 21 SEPTEMBER5, 2009 - JANUARY 31, 2010 PUBLICATION

From Canterbury To Rome:
Robbers Attack Fr Akanigwo
Nnewi Trade Fair Starts November 27
Pope Paves Way For Anglicans To Enter Church
I Haven’t Retired From Politics
Nnewi International Trade Fair Holds October
Emeka Etiaba And I Carried Gov. Obi's Bag - Obi's Aide
Unique Mothers To Rehabilitate Woman Amputee
Nnewi North To Embark On Road Rehabilitation
Bonitas Int'l Foundation Holds Seminar
ORLU: Group Holds National Reparation Prayer
LAGOS: Eucharistic Heart Of Jesus Sisters
Court Order: Nnewi Market Leader Frustrate Bailiff
FIFA U-17 World Cup: Nigeria Hosts The World
Pete Edochie Tasks Govt On Security
COMMUNIQUE
SYNOD MESSAGE

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FROM CANTERBURY TO ROME:
As over 20 Anglican Bishops and 400,000 Anglican faithful join Catholic Church
By Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Hygi Aghaulo

The last may not have been heard of the fallout of the cracks in Anglican Communion concerning their acceptance of women ordination, the Episcopal ordination of a an openly gay bishop and the decision of several Anglican provinces to bless same-sex unions.

Between 20-30 Anglican bishops and about 400,000 Anglican faithful are requesting to be admitted into the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict XVI says okay and Archbishop Williams of Canterbury is not standing on these Anglicans' way to Rome. Responding to a rising tide of requests in recent years for full communion from Anglicans who've sought refuge under Rome's umbrella following their Communion's global troubles, in a Vatican press conference on 20th October, 2009, the Holy See preemptively announced a forthcoming Apostolic Constitution establishing a "single canonical model" for the intake of large numbers of Anglicans, fulfilling a century-old desire to integrate Anglicans into the Catholic Church "while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony."

The new canonical structure will allow former Anglicans to enter into full communion with the Church while “preserving elements of distinctive Anglican spiritual patrimony,” said Cardinal Levada. He added that it will allow married former Anglican clergy to be ordained however, in common with Catholic and Orthodox Churches, married clergy will not be allowed to be ordained bishops.

These 'Personal Ordinariates' will be formed, “as needed, in consultation with local Conferences of Bishops, and their structure will be similar in some ways to that of the Military Ordinariates which have been established in most countries to provide pastoral care for members of the armed forces and their dependents throughout the world”, the cardinal prefect said.

He added: “The provision of this new structure is consistent with the commitment to ecumenical dialogue which continues to be a priority for the Catholic Church, particularly through the efforts of the Pontifical Council for Promotion of Christian Unity.”

One large group of breakaway Anglicans which has been requesting a formal structure to be corporately received into the Catholic Church has been the Traditional Anglican Communion, made up of an estimated 400,000 members worldwide.

Cardinal Levada explained that this initiative “has come from a number of different groups of Anglicans.” He went on to say: “They have declared that they share the common Catholic faith as it is expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and accept the Petrine ministry as something Christ willed for the Church. For them the time has come to express this implicit unity in the visible form of full communion.”

Cardinal Levada added: “It is the hope of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, that the Anglican clergy and faithful who desire union with the Catholic Church will find in this canonical structure the opportunity to preserve those Anglican traditions precious to them and consistent with the Catholic faith. Insofar as these traditions express in a distinctive way the faith that is held in common, they are a gift to be shared in the wider Church. The unity of the Church does not require a uniformity that ignores cultural diversity, as the history of Christianity shows. Moreover, the many diverse traditions present in the Catholic Church today are all rooted in the principle articulated by St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians: 'There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

Archbishop Augustine DiNoia, former under-secretary at the CDF until recently who helped draft the new structure, said: “We've been praying for unity for 40 years. Prayers are being answered in ways we did not anticipate and the Holy See cannot not respond to this movement of the Holy Spirit for those who wish communion and whose tradition is to be valued.”

He said there has been a “tremendous shift” in the ecumenical movement and “these possibilities weren't seen as they are now”. He rejected accusations that the new Anglicans be described as dissenters. “Rather they are assenting to the movement of the Holy Spirit to be in union with Peter, with the Catholic Church,” he said.

Technical details still need to be worked out, and these Personal Ordinariates may vary in their final form, Archbishop DiNoia said. Full details of the Apostolic Constitution will be released in a few weeks.

Cardinal Levada said 20-30 bishops have made requests, but more details will be given at a later date.

Though the journey from Canterbury to Rome is nothing new -- one of its more celebrated travelers, who became Cardinal John Henry Newman, will be beatified next year -- recent years have seen an uptick of Anglican defections as the Communion's internal life has been rolled by the increasing embrace of the ordination of women and openly gay clerics by many of the Communion's 44 provinces, along with what the Vatican today termed a departure "from the common biblical teaching on human sexuality" in the decision of several provinces to bless same-sex unions.

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ROBBERS ATTACK FR AKANIGWO
By Dom Onuoha

The Parish Priest of St Michael's Catholic Church, Ezinifite, Nnewi South LGA, Rev Fr George Akanigwo, CSSp, was brutally injured on Friday, October 16, 2009 when armed robbers invaded his presbytery, striking him with the butt of a gun.

In a written statement forwarded to The Christian Outlook from his hospital bed at Visitation Hospital, Osumenyi, Fr Akanigwo disclosed that on the fateful day, four armed bandits gained an illegal entry into the parish premises around 4;30am through the back door of the parish house and immediately ordered him to lie prostrate on the floor.

The hoodlums then proceeded to ransack the whole presbytery, collecting handsets, wrist watches and other valuables that pleased them.

A Volvo car belonging to the parish was also said to have been taken by the robbers, but it was later recovered by the police.

Alongside Fr Akanigwo, his cook was also injured in two areas on his head just as the Parish Vicar's handset and wrist watch were equally collected by the robbers.

According to Fr Akanigwo, inspite of the pain and distress at the moment of the assault by the hoodlums, it was only the Lord's grace that withheld him from reacting angrily as the Scriptural text of Mathew 5:39 came to his consolation to the effect that, “But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil,” adding that he further consoled himself from the writings of Colossians 1:24 saying, “I rejoice in my suffering for your sake and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of His body that is the church.”

Finally, he said he surrendered the whole situation bearing in mind Luke 23:34 that says, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

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INNEWI TRADE FAIR STARTS NOVEMBER 27
By Dom Onuoha

Preparations have hit boiling point to ensure the success of the 2nd Nnewi International Auto Trade Fair billed to hold from November 27 to December 7 2009 at the Gabros Football International Stadium grounds, Beverly Hills Hotels, Nnewi.

The fair is being organized by the Nnewi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NCCIMA) with the support of Anambra State Government, National Automatic Council (NAC) and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

In a recent press briefing, NCCIMA President, Prince Emeka Ayabazu disclosed that the fair, coming ten years after the first one organized in 1999, is being packaged to showcase Nnewi as truly the Japan of Africa in terms of its many large, medium and small industrial clusters, most of which major in auto spare parts, accessories and lubricants etc.

Pointing out that the non-organization of another fair since 1999 may have been as a result of logistics, finance and other factors on the part of previous leaderships of NCCIMA, Prince Ayabazu however pledged that the fair shall henceforth be an annual event, just as he equally disclosed that one of the main attractions of the 2009 fair shall be the unveiling of the first made in Nigeria vehicle, produced by a member of NCCIMA, which is the Innoson Vehicle Plant that produces a wide range of cars, mini buses, buses and jeeps.

At the press briefing included the Chairman of the Fair's Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Mr Nnamdi Onusogu, Hon Romanus Okoli, Vice Chairman, LOC; Nze Charles Ezenwilo, NCCIMA Executive Secretary; and Prince Jude Osunmuo, NCCIMA Council member. All of them spoke enthusiastically to assure that a lot of measurers have been put in place including adequate security and a visit to the Presidency at Abuja to ensure that the fair runs a hitch-free course.

They disclosed further that NCCIMA is collaborating with NAC and other city chambers across the country to make the fair a huge success, even as it is also making all necessary efforts to ensure inclusiveness of all companies in Nnewi in terms of participation in the fair.

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POPE PAVES WAY FOR ANGLICANS TO ENTER CHURCH

Groups of Anglicans will now be able to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the Anglican spirit