By Olivia Obijiaku
Reflecting on ‘A Shepherd with the Smell of the Sheep Returns to the Father’, at the Mass for the eternal repose of Pope Francis, the Catholic Bishop of Zaria, Most Rev. Dr. Habila Tyiakonaboi Daboh called on the clergy to imitate the Holy Father’s care for the poor and service to the people entrusted to them.
The local ordinary who made the call at Christ the King Catholic Cathedral (CKCC), Sabon Gari Zaria, on Friday, April 25, 2025, recalled how the Pope related with the poor, the needy and the marginalized, citing instances.
His words, “During his pontificate, Pope Francis often reminded us that the face of Christ is most visible in the poor. On one of the Holy Thursdays, Pope Francis washed the feet of prisoners. He requested that the prisoners be brought to him and he washed their feet.”
“Pope Francis went beyond the centers of power, visiting the slums of Kenya; the suffering people of the Central African Republic; the earthquake-stricken communities in Haiti and the persecuted Rohingya refugees. He did not seek comfort but he sought the margins, where Christ Himself is often found. He identified with them and assured them that they were not alone, that he himself was with them.”
“Pope Francis sat and ate with the poorest – people who were considered nonentities. He opened the Vatican doors for refugees. He told bishops and priests everywhere to be shepherds, living with the smell of the sheep. He simplified structures. He removed the trappings of excesses, and constantly reminded the Church that we are here to serve and not to be served.”
“He made it clear that those of us who are in the ministerial priesthood should also remember to serve the people entrusted to us because if the people are not there, we cannot be here. And so, we are here because the people are there. That was a beautiful message from Pope Francis.”
Bishop Daboh asserted that the name of Pope Francis has entered the annals of history as one who, with courage, brought transparency and accountability to the Vatican Curia, battling entrenched interests with the force of Gospel truth.
