Fr. Mbaka: must be under the influence of another spirit - Archbishop Okojie
Posted by admin | 9 years ago | 3,043 times
A retired Archbishop of Lagos state, Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, in an interview with Vanguard has reacted to the recent statements made by Fr. Ejike Mbaka on President Jonathan's led administration.He said such statements were abnormal and certainly not one influenced by God's spirit but by another spirit. According to the respected clergyman, Mbaka's attitude is unbecoming and any serious priest will not speak the way he spoke. "I am not saying that he is not serious. I will not agree with the things he said. According to what I read in the newspapers, a few weeks earlier, the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, visited his Adoration Ground in Enugu and he prayed for her. At that occasion, he was said to have lambasted the opposition party, APC, and now to turn around overnight and start lambasting President Goodluck Jonathan shows that there is something wrong somewhere," He said.
He went on to say that He felt bad because it is not the place of a priest to go to the extent Fr. Mbaka went. Adding that the priest can have his personal opinion, but to go to the extent he went is abnormal and wonders the kind of spirit Fr. Mbaka said he was moved by. "He said he was under the inspiration of the spirit. If he was under the inspiration of the spirit, I wonder if the spirit is that of God. I don’t think the spirit he’s referring to is the spirit of God. He must have been under the influence of another spirit. He must have been listening to a wrong spirit."
When asked if the statement is not embarrassing to the Catholic Church as a whole, the Archbishop responded thus. ..."Indeed, it is. But I must say to you that he was not speaking on behalf of the church. No! No!! No!!! Anybody with such opinion is in error. The man cannot hold brief for the church. Pardon me, but how can I say you are bloody fool and anybody takes that to mean that all journalists are bloody fools. It’s very funny."
He further stated that the Catholic Church is structured in such a way that there are dioceses where each priest belongs. And that the priest in question belong to Enugu Diocese, so it is left for the bishop in charge of that diocese to discipline him in situations like this. If the priest fails to obey the discipline, then the bishop is obligated to report the mother to the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN."You may have heard the Bishop of Abuja Diocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, who said that if the priest were to be in his diocese, he would discipline him straight. But he is not in his diocese. The best anyone of us can do is just to advise him that he had gone too far and he is free to take our advice and he may not. God gave every one of us a free will and we are at liberty to use the freewill as we choose."
On the kind of sanction that can be given to such a priest, Archbishop said.. "It depends on his bishop. You cannot dictate for his bishop. Don’t forget that this same man was at loggerheads with a former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamanni, and it was the same Adoration Ground in Enugu. If I have my way, we should close that place because a lot of things have been happening there that are out of tune. I think Gov. Peter Obi also went there for prayers at one point. If I have my way, I won’t go there for anything…
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