BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU
The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, the Most Rev. Callistus Onaga, has banned the clergy, the religious and the laity from attending all activities at the Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka’s Adoration Ministry.
This is contained in a statement signed personally by the bishop.
The ban followef recent utterances by Rev. Fr. Mbaka against the presidential ambition of the Labour Party candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
The Rev. Fr. Mbaka had, on his adoration ground on Wednesday described Mr. Obi as stingy, insisting that a stingy man could not rule Nigeria.
However, in a swift reaction, the Catholic Diocese of Enugu in a statement jointly signed by the Auxiliary Bishop, the Chancellor and the Vicar General of the diocese, condemned Fr. Mbaka’s outburst and distanced itself from his comments, which it said was personal to the priest.
As if that was not all, the Bishop of the diocese, the Most Rev. Onaga, in a statement, banned all Catholics, including priests, the religious and lay faithful from activities at the adoration Ministry, saying that comments of Fr. Mbaka were against the Catholic teachings.
The statement also indicated that the priest had consistently violated all admonitions and directives by the Bishop as it relates to public utterances.
“In the light of the happenings in the Catholic Adoration Ministry Chaplaincy Enugu: capable of undermining the Catholic faith and teachings; and after several fraternal corrections and admonitions to Fr. Camillus Ejike Mbaka, the Chaplain of the Ministry.
“And after having given him pastoral directives and guidelines for the Ministry Chaplaincy, which he persistently violated; and in fulfilment of my pastoral duties as the Chief Shepherd with the obligation to promote and safeguard the Catholic faith and morals in Enugu Diocese, I hereby prohibit all Catholics (clergy, religious and lay faithful) henceforth from attending all religious and liturgical activities of the Adoration Ministry until the due canonical process initiated by the Diocese is concluded.
“My decision is based on the fact that some of the teachings and utterances of Fr Camillus Ejike Mbaka at the Catholic Adoration Ministry are not consistent with the teachings and faith of the Catholic Church,” the statement explained.
The sanction against Rev. Fr. Mbaka is coming even after the priest had in a statement apologised to his followers and youths on his comments against Mr. Peter Obi, which many had reacted against on the social and the mass media.
In the statement, Fr. Mbaka claimed that his utterances were not to malign the character of Mr. Obi, who he described as a friend and urged those who wanted to support his presidential candidacy to do so as he would pray for his success and other presidential candidates.