by By Elijah Ugani
The Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis I, has bestowed Papal Honours on the Senator representing Cross River Central Senatorial District who doubles as the Cross River State PDP gubernatorial candidate for the 2023 general election, Ntufam Prof Sandy Ojang Onor for his commitment to the Catholic faith in particular and humanity at large.
His Lordship, the Most Rev Dr Donatus Edet Akpan charged the recipients to see the honor as an invitation to serve humanity and defend the faith they professed.
The Bishop held that God sought the prophet Isaiah’s disposition to his apostolic mandate, when he asked, “whom shall I send and who will go? And Isaiah answered, here am I send me”. Continuing, he charged them to affirm their willingness to serve the Church in this new capacity.
Speaking further, the Bishop maintained that the call to serve in this capacity transcends beyond human thought and cited the scenerio at Jesse’s house where the prophet Samuel had thought that he could anoint one of the handsome looking young me he met, but God did not choose any of them, he rather found favour in the last born David the shepherd who was in the field looking after the flock.
He used the opportunity to inform those whose names were dropped from the Papal honours that the decision was strictly that of the Church. “The committee in the Diocese recommended the names that we sent to Rome, I will be stupid to request for explanation why some names were dropped”
He however encouraged the congregation to see the approval of the awardees as an act of God.
Sen. Sandy Ojang Onor was among the ten persons inducted into the Knighthood of Saint Gregory the Great SGG, while four other persons were inducted into the Knighthood of St Stephen.
Two senior priests of the diocese, Very Rev Frs Atemgweye Unimna and George Chokpa were conferred with the Mosignori.
Speaking during the reception organized in his honour, Senator Onor posited that it’s very difficult to sperate the relationship between the church and the State as they are inextricably interrelated and cannot function without the other.
He further stated that “the church is worried that we now have a completely failed state and promised on his honour to lead Cross River State out of the woods if elected Governor come 2023”
Indeed, Senator Sandy Ojang Onor has beyond Politics, proven his loyalty to the things of Christ and the course of humanity.
The difference between the Papal honours of Knighthood and the normal Knighthood of St John International and St Molumba is that in the Papal honours, the diocese nominate base on one’s contribution to the Church, confirmed by a body in Rome and conferred by the Pope (Papal honours), while in normal Knighthood, you have to indicate interest, attend the necessary lectures, write examination and on successful completion, you are inducted, this is strictly a diocesan affairs.
