Pope Francis, the head of Catholic Church and Sovereign of the Vatican City at the weekend conferred the Papal Knighthood of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great on a former Minister of Health, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi and 34 others at the weekend.
The event which took place at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Ado-Ekiti was witnessed by several dignitaries where the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti, Fr Felix Femi Ajakaiye represented the Pope.
The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great (Latin: Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; Italian: Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope.
The order is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See. The honor is bestowed upon Catholic men and women (and certain notable non-Catholics) in recognition of their personal service to the Holy See and to the Catholic Church, through their unusual labors, their support of the Holy See, and the examples they set in their communities and their countries.
The inaugural brief states, in part, that “gentlemen of proven loyalty to the Holy See who, by reason of their nobility of birth and the renown of their deeds or the degree of their munificence, are deemed worthy to be honored by a public expression of esteem on the part of the Holy See”. The end of the brief states that they must progressively maintain, by continued meritorious deed, the reputation and trust they had already inspired, and prove themselves worthy of the honor that had been conferred on them, by unswerving fidelity to God and to the sovereign Pontiff”.
At the occasion, Bishop Ajakaiye, admonished Nigerians, to stop raining curses on Nigeria and its leaders, as their show of anger and frustrations, concerning the economic situation of the country.
Rather, he asked them to start learning from great countries of the world, especially America, where citizens always prayed for their countries and leaders, no matter what they are passing through.
He urged Adelusi-Adeluyi and others to see the honour as a call to service. He also urged the congregation not to relent in their prayers for the development of the country.
He said: “We should learn to do things the best way, so we can get the best results.
Let us refrain from abusing leaders, or raining curses on them, out of our frustrations, this will not in any way help the situation. Rather, we should cultivate the habit of always praying for them, and the country, as done by countries like America;
“Also, we should learn to stop being perpetually pessimistic about our leaders and the future of our country. That is not the way to go. Are you aware that a driver today can suddenly become the owner of a vehicle tomorrow? That is God for you, and I want all the congregation to imbibe this spirit “, the bishop said.
Papal Knighthood, which is a distinguished award of chivalry, by Pope Francis, is saddled with the responsibilities of continuing serving the Church and their communities, upholding the values of faith, charity, and service.
With this title, Adeluyi and other recipients, will have the honour to wear distinctive insignia and regalia, participate in special ceremonies and events, with special recognition, within the Catholic Church and wider society.
Speaking shortly after the investiture, Adeluyi, described the award, as a call to service, by making sure there is no dearth of responsibilities, within the church activities.
While thanking the Catholic mission for the honour and recognition, including his family and friends, for the support, he pledged to further use the title, for the progress and development of humankind.
“This is the day the Lord has made, I can not but give honour to God for making this possible. To whom is given, much is expected. I want to thank God for giving me this opportunity to be decorated as a Papal Knight. This is a call to service, it’s not just a title and I want to appreciate my family members for their support all the time”, he said
NAN reports that the event was graced by dignitaries and other recipients , including former Head of Service in Ekiti, Dayo Famosaya, Dr Pius Ade-Ojo, former Chairman of Nigeria Medical Association, and State Commissioner for Information, Chief Taiwo Olatunbosun among others.
