SINCERE
LENIENCY OF BISHOP
ANTHONY EKEZIE ILONU A ROUTE TO HIS UN-BLOODY MARTYRDOM BY REV FR PAUL
IKECHUKWU OGUJIOFFOR
Introduction:
History is made each
day that passes. It passes with activities done with the inhabitants of the
world. Each epoch continues to exist and recall what made it special and
unique, so also is applied to individuals at every epoch and time. Such may be
applied to the history or better still, the writings on the life and virtues of
Bishop Anthony Ekezie Ilonu who came into the world, and was extraordinary
right from his birth. This is because, Going
for apparently impossible feats seems to have followed the young Ekezie,
baptized Anthony, from his mother’s womb. The family of Mazi Matthias Ilonu of
Ndiogbuonyeoma, Arondizuogu Okigwe was beginning to get worried after two
children that followed their first issue died one after the other. The fear was
not allayed when on November 13, 1935 a frail looking boy who refused to cry
immediately was born to them. But contrary to expectation, it was he who broke
the jinx and no sibling after him ever died again as a baby. His father planted
an iroko tree for him.[1] This
unique character at birth and his universal and encyclopedic nature brought him
to limelight as he gave the greatest response on his life when at his priestly
ordination in Rome December 19, 1964 when he answered Ego mitte me Domine Is.6:8. This response was accompanied with
virtues throughout his priestly and Episcopal ministry. Among his other virtues
I humble wish to treat on his sincere leniency, which led to his un-bloody
martyr throughout his life on earth.
Etymology
of words and significant relationships in Bishop Anthony Ekezie Ilonus’s life:
The root word sincerus
(Latin), which comes from the prefix sem
or sin, meaning one; and the
word crescere meaning to grow and literally meaning of once growth implies not a hybrid; unmixed, another accepted etymology is without wax. It is derived from
two Latin words, sine that is without and cera meaning wax. With the sincere character of Bishop
Anthony Ekezie Ilonu he grew each day in an unmixed character of holiness. From
another version, sincerus -a -um, pure, whole,
sound, genuine, uncorrupt, and with the adverb sincerely, honestly and
frankly, we can easily affirm that the priestly and episcopacy of
Anthony Ilonu without mincing word is that of honesty and frankness but was trunked with envy of those who wanted
and wished that they were the bishop instead of himself, hence planned and
executed their actions that made him suffer martyrdom in an un-bloody nature and
manner throughout his episcopacy starting from the day his name was announced
as the Bishop-elect of the then new Okigwe Diocese in 1981. Furthermore, from
the Mid 16th century, the Latin word sincerus, means clean or pure, or not falsified or unadulterated, the life of Bishop Ilonu was that which one can
easily termed not falsified or
unadulterated regarding his apostolate and pastoral charity which he
initiated, and practically very many are copied and are still copying his unadulterated
style and original thoughts and ways of doing things, yet when he started such
thoughts very many nailed him to the cross and labeled him with all sorts of
names over the globe. Let us look at Paul’s prayer to the Philippians
about knowledge and discernment thus: so that ye may approve the things that
are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offence unto
the day of Christ Phil. 1:10. Therefore, the word Ειλικρινής
(eilikriní̱s) translates sincere to Greek, and in
the Greek and Latin roots of the word sincere, it connotes pure-ness and its validity is far
stronger than in the English, that is why the etymology of the word is best
translated as sun tested. The Greek word elikrines is made up of two Greek words, heile which means the sun’s
ray and krino meaning to judge. Ipso facto, the literal
meaning of sincere is to have our life
and actions judged by sunlight. In this ambient, though not many appreciated
the Bishop’s sincere effort when he was alive, but practically very many now
even those who were involved in the act of pulling him down are now trying to
make it open that he was never vindictive as a person. Therefore, having gone a
series of sun test, his character is now for many a sunlight and a ray in which
very many try to emulate and grow with spiritually. Jesus said: Every one that doeth evil hateth the light,
neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved Jn.3:20. But if it were sine cere (Latin), or sun tested it would be held up to the
sun, and when the sun hit the pot, it would expose the cracks and show it to be
a fraud. Therefore, the application from 2 Cor.1 and 2 is obvious in the episcopacy
of Anthony ILONU. Every Christian in the Church, ought to be without wax. It is proper then that we
should be sun tested and shown to be sincere,
and true integrity shows throughout our daily lives. 2 Cor.2:17 makes all the
more sense when Paul explains that he and his companions: do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those
sent from God, one who knew Bishop Anthony Ilonu will always confirm that
his life was that which he strongly and sincerely believed and practiced too by
maintaining that people should be given opportunity because community life and
growth in all ramifications helps the Church and the world in general. No wonder
then he was so liberal and sincere too, in sending his priests and seminarians
outside the country for studies and on mission. One can easily see that because
of this act also he was nailed to the cross that led to things falling apart and certainly very many things were no longer at ease until the deed was done. Furthermore, tracing this
root from Hebrew word, sincerity
is tamiyum, which means without blemish, full, sound and perfect. The first two times the
Hebrew word for sincerity (timiym)
was used in the Old Testament, it was translated perfect. Let us observe for a while these citations as the use of
the word appeared thus: These are the
generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect [timiym] in his
generations, and Noah walked with God Gen.6: 9. And when Abram was ninety nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram,
and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect
[timiym] Gen.17:1. In Deut.18:13 God
instructs all of His people to be perfect. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God Ps.15:2. In another
passage, the Hebrew word for sincerity
is translated upright. Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who
shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, [timiym] and worketh
righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart Ps. 15: 1-3. In the life
of Bishop Anthony Ilonu, these words are evidently seen and observed once you
remember his motto: Non nobis Domine non
nobis se tua datur nomen gloriam Ps. 115: 1. Throughout his life time he
saw himself as a mere vessel that was been used for God’s action among his
people, that is why in his apostolate his nature was enveloped with leniency, given way for many to shine
out in various disciplines without been
strict on them rather, sincere, soft and easy going for the growth of the
Church and for the manifestations of God’s given talents in them. The word lenient is
seen as showing or characterized by mercy or tolerance, from Latin lēnīre- to soothe, from lēnis- soft,
we then derived leniency,
lenience, tolerant or lenient, therefore, lenient is, not strict; an easy teacher; easy standards, lenient rules, an easy penalty,
simple undemanding affection, an undemanding boss. Looking at these
synonyms one easily see in the life of Bishop Anthony Ilonu, as possessing
without reserve of all these synonyms. His pastoral care was fully anchored
with these basic virtues. The normal talk is that Bishop Anthony Ilonu is lenient
to a fault and that is why people took advantage of that and put him to a tight
corner always. He was indeed tolerant, an easy teacher who teaches even
with the least things from nature that one may not imagine its significant. He
uses that to bring home the gospel no matter what topic or theme he was
preaching in Mass or even in ordinary discussion with him. The Bishop was very
simple and undemanding. Very many profited from his generosity and charitable
nature, which he does without discrimination of who was involved, whether from
his home town or elsewhere, even those from other religions and denominations
where always around him for work or services. There are still living witnesses
who were not Catholics but were later converted to the fold because they were
so close to him as workers. It is good to note that there are still very many
synonyms which we cannot delve into but we only make use of just a few which we
are using, for it is not possible to treat all within this work. The words
like: anecho meaning to hold the self back; self-restraint; to
delay punishment (in a more legal sense); a suspension of punishment until the
proper time. Many volumes are to be written on this about the Bishop somewhere
else. Another is aniemi, which means to send away or back or to allow to go away. The Bishop
dismissed and discharged very many tensions on his priests and seminarians that
brought about their coming back to their senses for those who cared to do that
because of his fatherly care. One is being lenient, when he is showing clemency
or a disposition to be merciful. Yet another word that is in this line is pheidomai,
which means to refrain or to abstain;
to hold oneself back again. Also the word
stego means to cover; to conceal, or protect. The Bishop as a father who
was merciful, tried to protect the Catholic priesthood when it comes to the
matters concerning the priests and seminarians. His sincere actions on those
with problem, help many to come back to their senses, this led to his martyrdom,
because some were insistent on this, yet he forebear all these. It is because
of his forbearance which in Greek concept is translated as longsuffering, with its original word as makrothumia; meaning patient,
enduring, bearing with another or a circumstance, that the sincere leniency
of Bishop Anthony Ilonu became a route to his un-bloody martyrdom. Indeed, his
martyrdom is engraved properly in this word makrothumia,
a long time suffering.
Sincere
leniency, a route to un-bloody martyrdom:
The sincere leniency of
Bishop Anthony Ilonu was a route to his un-bloody martyrdom. In this sufferings
he found meaning in following Christ and giving examples which others follow in
growing of their faith. This was evident in his spirit of humility that sprout
from lenient sacrifices in life. Again he asked them, Who is it you want? And they said, Jesus
of Nazareth. I told you that I am he, Jesus answered. If you are looking for me, then let these men go[2]
Nobody ever becomes a
saint from his mother’s womb, rather with the falling and rising of our daily
lives, one moves towards holiness and with all that goes with formation in the
seminary if one is a priest, therefore the priestly life be it pastoral,
academic or formational is a way to spiritual growth. A priest becomes holy
when he tries to live in imitation with Christ’s call and how he appreciates
the mystery of the priesthood. The Priesthood is by its nature mysterious; it
exists simultaneously with the mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, it is not something ordinary rather it is a
vocation that is sublime with divine character though it functions in the human
ambient. The act of being likened to
Christ in the nature of a priest is a form of mysterious dimension in which we
see in the person of a priest, therefore to bear fruit in his priestly work he
has to cooperate with the divine by surrendering totally and unquestionably too
with a sacred character. The priest as we know prolongs the
mystery of Incarnation by his nature and what he does, therefore this work is
divine hence he ought to be virtuous as to increase in holiness and that of
others with his functions. Bishop Anthony Ekezie Ilonu was an embodiment of the
above assertions. The
priest by his sacramental ordination and the mystery of incarnation, is a
victim-sacrifice who shares in the spiritual begetting of the children of God
because he is a celibate for the Kingdom of God, though he may find it
difficult to control only by the grace of God. The totality of offering by the
priest portrays his mortified person in his victim nature as a gift. Being a
victim implies also being in friendship with God among his people and by that
Bishop Ilonu was a source of grace to the world and the blessings that God
bestowed on us who knew him. He was a simple and humble priest of God and was
actually a victim of sacrifice for and in the Church in this 21st
century, manifested in his life as a priest and Bishop, of which we are
witnesses to his life. The priesthood is Eucharistic in nature and is an
Incarnation Word as a Priest-Victim which empties Himself and fills it up
through the Sacrificial offering. It is indeed holiness by itself and through
it one becomes holy. Therefore, an ideal contemporary priest ought to be a
Eucharistic victim, this is exactly seen in the life which Anthony Ekezie Ilonu
lived and experienced. The Eucharistic life of a priest is incarnated in the identity
with Christ and reveals in the communion spirit of obedience as a character. By
the possession of this nature, a priest is a gift to the world. As the magnet has the capacity and
potentiality of attracting other metals/objects to itself, it is consequent to
the presence of the metallic bond of the magnet as a property. Applying this
spiritually, Christ said: Et ego, si
exaltatua fuero a terra, omnia traham ad meipsum. - And when I am lifted
up from the earth, I will draw everyone (all people) to myself Jn.12:32. Christ is God and He draws everyone to Himself.
Therefore, Anthony Ekezie Ilonu as a priest, was an Alter Christ, when he acts, he acted In Persona Christi, which people ought to saw in him Ipse Christi, hence was evident from his
motto, cf. Ps.115:1. As people saw Ipse Christi in his words and actions, Christ drew them to
Himself, through the priestly life of this un-bloody martyr of our time, because
every priest ought to be as the Holy
Scripture said: For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in
things [pertaining] to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for
sins: Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the
way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof
he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man
takes this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as [was] Aaron Heb.5:1-4.[3]
[1]
Cf. A FUNERAL ORATION FOR MOST REV. DR ANTHONY
EKEZIE ILONU, BISHOP EMERITUS, PRESENTED BY THE PRESBYTERIUM AND ALL CHRIST’S
FAITHFUL OF OKIGWE CATHOLIC DIOCESE ON THE OCCASION OF HIS LORDSHIP’S BURIAL,
THIS 11TH JULY 2012.
[2]
Cf. THE MEMORY SO
STRONG AND INDELIBLE OF A HUMBLE SAINT AND UN-BLOOODY MARTYR OF A BISHOP,
ANTHONY EKEZIE ILONU WHOSE BURIAL MASS WAS CELEBRATED ON WEDNESDAY 11TH
JULY 2012 AT IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHEDRAL OKIGWE DIOCESE BY REV FR PAUL
IKECHUKWU OGUJIOFFOR (SERIES NO. 1).
[3]
Cf. Bishop Anthony
EKEZIE ILONU: An Ideal Contemporary Priest BY REV FR PAUL IKECHUKWU OGUJIOFFOR.
No comments:
Post a Comment