Most Rev. (Dr.) Augustin Akubeze, Archbishop of Benin has admonished lay faithful against migrating from parish to parish in a bid to permanently retain their favourite parish priests. The immediate past President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) who gave the reprimand at the Opening Mass of the 5th Eucharistic Congress held on November 12, 2022 in Benin City also advised priests to discourage such needless migration. He said occasions like the Congress present opportunities to remind everyone that the Eucharist is the source and summit of all our spiritual life, stressing that the “Eucharist is not dependent on the charism of the priest.” “Every priest who has the faculty to celebrate the Mass following the liturgical rubrics transforms the bread and wine to the sacred specie of the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ. It is therefore, important that the lay faithful do not constitute themselves into followers of priests, moving from one parish to another, looking for their favourite priest. We as Christians are followers of Christ, and not followers of clergymen in the Church,” Archbishop Akubeze said. The top ranking cleric talked tough as he labeled the culpable lay faithful as “ecclesial parochial migrants.”
The Chief Shepherd cautioned, “I speak to all “ecclesial parochial migrants,” that is, those who move with priests who are transferred to another parish, to desist from this because this is not an expression of true faith in the Eucharist.” Archbishop Akubeze charged the priests to practice what they teach. “To priests who directly or indirectly induce parishioners to move with them when transferred, know that you are not faithful to your calling. You are called to practice what you teach, and one fundamental aspect of our doctrine is that any validly ordained priest who has the faculty can celebrate the Eucharist for the faithful. This we all must promote, knowing that Christ in the Eucharist is the source and summit of all our spiritual life.” Speaking further, he stressed that without the priest there cannot be the Eucharist and without the Eucharist we cannot speak of the Priest. According to him, the Lord himself instituted the Eucharist on the same day he instituted the Sacred Priesthood because they are inseparable. He added, “To all priests, I say always ensure that you celebrate the Eucharist whether you are scheduled for public Mass or not. Daily celebration of the Eucharist by priest is a sign of our living out the reality of our vocation.
We are called to be Eucharistic priests. Respect for the Liturgical rubrics is an obligation that rests on the shoulders of every priest. “Priests must also strive to always celebrate the Mass in a state of grace. Although the efficacy of the sacrament does not depend on the worthiness or unworthiness of the minister, because the sacraments works ex opera operato, nevertheless, one excludes himself from the rich graces of this sacrament if he celebrates in a state of mortal sin. I thank and welcome all priests who make remote and immediate preparations for the fruitful celebration of the Eucharist.” Archbishop Akubeze urged all Christians to continue to participate and receive the Holy Eucharist daily. He expatiated, “To those who out of respect for the holiness of the Eucharist refrain from receiving the Eucharist when seriously late due to their own fault and to those who also refrain from receiving the Holy Eucharist when in a state of unworthiness, I praise your respect for our Lord in the Eucharist. “I welcome many who are here today to celebrate this Eucharistic Congress but because of one canonical issue or the other, you are not a regular communicant, I encourage you to work hard at removing anything that will stop you from receiving Christ in the Eucharist, for nothing is worth trading Christ for.
To my brother Bishops and our indispensable collaborators, the priests, please let us journey with our faithful who are struggling to remove impediments holding them back from the reception of the Eucharist. There are several canonical options available that we can explore to ensure that our faithful receive Holy Communion. “Let us be open to the sound advice of canonists and other experts in dealing with the many challenges our faithful face in attempting to overcome the obstacles to the reception of Christ in the Holy Communion.” On a final note, he admonished all to continue to talk about Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist and teach the doctrine by our way of their life styles.
