2025 Chrism Mass

*'Do not weaken the Priestly fraternity' -Archbishop Akubeze* 

 *-By Ruben Mario Brodrick* 

The need for all Catholic priests to collaborate with one another and promote one united front by not weaking the fraternity shared amongst priests has again be brought to the front burner.

The Archbishop of Benin City, Most Rev Augustine Obiora Akubeze gave this admonition during his homily at the 2025 Chrism Mass held at Holy Cross Cathedral, Benin City on Holy Thursday.

Archbishop Akubeze who titled his homily; "You are my Brother",  "FRATELLI TUTTI"

He noted that, the Holy Father Pope Francis wants all priests to take up the command of showing love to their brothers and sisters seriously. 

He also mentioned that the Pope, wants the virtue (of love) have practical implications in the lives of the people. 

"As we celebrate today, specially set aside for the celebration of the institution of the sacred priesthood and the Eucharist, we need to keep in mind that the Sacrament of Holy Orders has created an ontological fraternity amongst us priests."

"We must live out the practical implications of this fraternity by the way we speak of one another."

According to Akubeze,  "every time a priest speaks poorly of another priest he hits hard at the heart of the priestly fraternity."

 He said when as a priest you celebrate the sins of your brother priest and promote and propagate it, you break the priestly fraternity.

"When you fail to recognise the good work of your brother priest you weaken the priestly fraternity; When you use the pulpit to speak ill of your brother priest, you weaken the priestly fraternity."

"You must never forget that a broken or weakened fraternity has great consequences for you as a priest." 

The Local Ordinary stated that no priest can publicly destroy the reputation of another priest without destroying his own reputation.

He said "our good names are tied together, our reputations are intertwined, and even the perceptions of our unfaithfulness are linked together."

 He further cautioned that "when a priest boasts about his achievements and diminishes others to elevate himself, he ultimately undermines his own standing."