By Okwong Otioro
The Catholic pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI,
has appointed the Catholic bishop of Uyo, Dr. Joseph Ekuwem as the new
Metropolitan Archbishop of Calabar Ecclesiastical Province.
According to an announcement in Catholic
parishes and stations at masses last Sunday, the appointment was announced at
Vatican City at the weekend.
The Most Rev Ekuwem takes over from the
Most Rev Joseph Edra Ukpo who has proceeded on retirement on attainment of 75
years set by the church as the retirement age of its pastors, except the pope.
Ekuwem is the third metropolitan
archbishop of Calabar Catholic Ecclesiastical Province, the first being the
Most Rev Brian Davis Usanga of blessed memory who retired from the stool about
eight years ago on attainment of the mandatory retirement age.
A native of Affi Uda in Mbo Local
Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Ekuwem was ordained a Catholic priest in
1979 by late Archbishop Usanga and appointed the pioneer bishop of Catholic
Diocese of Uyo in August, 1988.
Culled from The Pioneer newspaper
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