Pope Erects New Diocese in Nigeria
By Marie
Pope Francis has erected a new Catholic Diocese in Nigeria and appointed new Local Ordinaries for the Archdiocese of Tanger in Morocco and the Makeni Diocese in Sierra Leone.
The erection of the Aguleri Catholic Diocese and the appointment of Bishop Denis Chidi Isizoh as the first Local Ordinary of the Episcopal See was made public by the Holy See Press Office Sunday, February 12.
Aguleri Diocese has been “dismembered from the Archdiocese of Onitsha and made a suffragan of the same Metropolitan See,” the Vatican has announced.
The new Nigerian is situated in South-East Nigeria, in the State of Anambra, and comprises four Local Government Areas, which include Anambra West, Anambra East, Oyi, and Ayamelum.
The newly created Catholic Diocese measures 1,388 square kilometres and has a population of 1,857,060 of which 357,965 are Catholics, according to 2023 statistics.
Bishop Chidi who until his appointment has been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Onitsha and Titular Bishop of Legia was ordained a Priest in September 1985 for Onitsha Archdiocese.
Born in 1956 in Ogbunike in the Archdiocese of Onitsha, the Bishop was enrolled for his Philosophy studies at Bigard Seminary (philosophy campus) Ikot-Ekpene from 1976 to 1980 and for his studies in Theology at Bigard Memorial Seminary in Enugu from 1982 to 1985.
As a Priest, the 67-year-old Bishop served in several positions including Parish Vicar, Chaplain for Schools, and formator at All Hallows Seminary, Onitsha.
He also served as an official of the Rome-based Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, from 1995 – 2015.
Bishop Chidi had his Licentiate at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome between 1989 and 1993.
In February 2015, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Onitsha Archdiocese and was consecrated in May of the same year.
After he is installed, the Nigerian Catholic Bishop is to oversee the newly created Diocese, which has 63 Parishes to be served by 113 Diocesan Priests, seven missionary Priests, six men Religious, 310 women Religious, 59 major Seminarians and 151 Catechists, according to the Holy See report.