By Fr. OKHUELEIGBE OSEMHANTIE ?

In fidelity to the Apostolic See and in communion with the universal flock, the Ecclesiastical Province of Benin City has fixed specific liturgical celebrations ?Missae pro Defuncto Summo Pontifice? in suffrage for the repose of the soul of the late Pontiff, His Holiness, Pope Francis.

Comprising the Metropolitan See of Benin City and the Suffragan Dioceses of Auchi, Bomadi, Issele-Uku, Uromi, and Warri, the Province has responded in one voice to the Church?s call for solemn obsequies, in conformity with the mind of the Church and her liturgical tradition.

In the Archdiocese of Benin City, the Metropolitan See, the Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Mike Oyanoafoh, acting on behalf of His Grace, the Archbishop, issued the following communiqu?:

?Dear Christ?s Faithful, I am directed by the Archbishop to invite you to St. Paul Catholic Church, Airport Road, Benin City, on Friday, April 25, 2025, to celebrate a Mass of the Dead for the repose of the soul of the Holy Father, Pope Francis. Time is 10:00 a.m. Kindly invite all Christ?s Faithful around you as well.?

This Mass constitutes the principal provincial act of liturgical commemoration, a spiritual convergence of the faithful around the altar of sacrifice in communion with the Church Suffering and Triumphant.

In the Diocese of Uromi, the diocesan Mass for the repose of the Holy Father is graciously subsumed into the context of the 2025 Divine Mercy Pilgrimage. The Diocesan Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Oseabulu Odenore, issued this fraternal admonition to the clergy and faithful:

?As already announced, our 2025 Divine Mercy Pilgrimage to Usugbenu comes up this Saturday, April 26th at 10:30 a.m.

Also be reminded that the Diocesan Mass for the happy repose of the late Holy Father, Pope Francis, will be celebrated at that occasion as part of the pilgrimage activities. Kindly lay additional emphasis on this aspect to your esteemed parishioners.?

This integration of the funeral liturgy into a major diocesan devotion reflects a symphony of mercy and ecclesial remembrance, invoking divine clemency upon the soul of the departed Pontiff.

The Diocese of Warri has adopted a decentralised liturgical strategy, entrusting to each parish the sacred duty of celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the eternal repose of the Vicar of Christ. In a formal directive, Fr. Abobo, the Chancellor of the diocese, conveyed the mind of the Bishop:

?Following the passing of our Holy Father, our bishop requests that we remember him in our prayers. However, after the Easter Octave, every parish priest should fix a date and organise his parishioners to have a Requiem Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul of late Pope Francis. May God grant him eternal life. Amen.?

This pastoral approach permits the faithful across parishes to participate intimately in the work of ecclesial mourning and prayerful intercession.

As at the time of compiling this ecclesiastical dispatch, contact had not been established with the Chancery of the Dioceses of Auchi & Bomadi. However, the Diocese of Issele-Uku has announced that its diocesan-wide Mass will be celebrated exactly seven days after the Supreme Pontiff?s passing. The sacred rites are to be held on Monday, April 27, 2025, in accordance with the Church?s traditional practice of the ?Septima Dies? observance.

These commemorative liturgies across the province are not only acts of piety and ecclesial fidelity but also theological affirmations of the communion of saints, the efficacy of the Eucharistic sacrifice, and the Church?s unceasing intercession for her departed shepherds. The cry of the Church in the Province of Benin City thus ascends to heaven:

Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine; et lux perpetua luceat ei.

?Fr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Amos, PhD, is of the Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA), Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

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