Catholic bishop dies at 60

The Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese in Ebonyi State, Peter Chukwu, is dead.

The Vicar General of the diocese, Donatus Chukwu, announced this in a statement on Saturday.

Mr Donatus, a Catholic priest, said Mr Chukwu died on Friday.

“With profound sorrow in our hearts, and trusting in the divine mercy of God, I write to notify you that our beloved bishop, Most Reverend Peter Nworie Chukwu, bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, has returned to the Father’s house,” he said.

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The vicar general said the deceased bishop was 60 years old.

He asked Catholic faithful and all Christians to pray for the bishop and the diocese over the incident.

“Funeral arrangements will be announced later,” he assured.

Ebonyi governor mourns

Reacting in a statement on Saturday, Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State expressed sadness over Mr Chukwu’s death.

Mr Nwifuru said his heart was “weighed down by deep sorrow” when he received information about the bishop’s death.

“Bishop Chukwu was not only a revered shepherd of God’s flock but a spiritual colossus whose life embodied humility, sacrifice, and undiluted devotion to the service of God and humanity.

“I am compelled to assert that his transition marks the end of an era of profound spiritual guidance, moral clarity, and fatherly leadership in Ebonyi State and beyond,” he said.

“His passing is not only a loss to the Church but to the entire state and nation.”

The governor said Mr Chukwu distinguished himself as “an icon of faith, a promoter of peace, and a tireless advocate for justice, unity, and love.”

He said the late bishop also touched countless lives, strengthened families, and nurtured the spiritual growth of Ebonyi people through his pastoral mission.

“On behalf of the government and good people of Ebonyi State, I extend my deepest condolences to the Supreme Pontiff, Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, the clergy, religious, and lay faithful, as well as the immediate and extended family of the late bishop.

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“We share in your pain, even as we celebrate a life well spent in the service of God and humanity,” he stated.

Peter Chukwu at a glance

Born on 19 August 1965, late Chukwu was ordained a Catholic priest on 3 July 1993.

By 18 August 2021, he was consecrated and installed as the third bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki.

Mr Chukwu hailed from Ededeagu Umuezeokohu, a community in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi.

The Papal Nuncio to Nigeria, Antonio Guido Filipazzi, and the Archbishop of Onitsha Diocese, Valerian Okeke, were those who consecrated the now deceased bishop.