The Pallium has been conferred on the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Monrovia, Gabriel Snosio Jubwe and he is the third leader in the church history to wear said historic mantle.
The Pallium according to the Catholic Church is a liturgical vestment worn over the chasuble by the Pope and Archbishops that derives its name from Latin.
In description, the Pallium is a long and three fingers broad (narrow) white band adornment, woven from the wool of lambs raised by Trappist monks.
On Sunday August 4, 2024 the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Monrovia held a colorful occasion where the Apostolic Nuncio to Liberia, Gambia and Sierra Leone, Walter Erbin, on behalf of the Pope, placed the Pallium on the shoulder of Archbishop Jubwe.
The Nuncio said the conferring exercise is a fulfilment Pope Francis’ tradition for new archbishops that signifies the good shepherd shouldering a lamb; since the Pope is the Vicar of Christ, the Shepherd of the world, places it on the archbishops because they are the shepherds of their respective dioceses.
As the Chief celebrant of the solemn mass, Nuncio Erbin gave a broader description of the Pallium to the faithful that graced the occasion as he expressed Pope Francis’ spiritual closeness to each and every member of the catholic denomination.
Explaining that the imposition of the Pallium is a symbolism of unity and communion, he asserted further that it also reminds the archbishops of their responsibility to humanity with a caution that they are to save the lost sheep by wining them unto Christ.
He then called on the congregation to remember to pray for the good health of the universal head of the Catholic church Pope Francis along with the metropolitan Archbishop as he wears the Pallium leading the church in Liberia.
Archbishop Jubwe expressed joy of joining the Pope and other archbishops in Rome last June where the Pallium was blessed by Pope Francis with an instruction to the Nuncios to have it imposed formally on the new archbishops before the bishops and faithful in the metropolitan church.
According to the Archbishop, the mantle also represents the bond that the archdiocese of Monrovia shares with Pope Francis in Rome emphasizing that nuncio Erbin demonstrated the singular and important service he offered to the universal church as the Pope’s representative.
According to him, wearing the Pallium as archbishops give them a charge with great responsibility to open the doors of the gospel using their ministries to help build a church and a society of open doors.
“I am reminded that this responsibility is not just a great one but the responsibility embraces service to humanity to seek the common good, to work and collaborated with the governments in the promotion in furtherance not to the division of the church but in assuring that the people of God are feed, realizing the goals and are fulfilled,” he noted.
Committing humility of carrying on his shoulders the Pallium also reminded him that the task is not an easy one and he, as the head of the church, does not expect those in the circular world to think that it will be easy looking at the charges.
Reverend Jubwe intimated that the task is an initiative that requires collective work using different apostolic to get across the different sectors and working with God’s to make sure that every human beings meet an ultimate fulfillment to be fed the Gospel.
He then rallied everyone to get on board working with him and the church in giving them the necessary support to complement the efforts of the government to educate, feed and develop the people that are hungry and needy in some parts of the country.
