Article of Faith
Catholic Diocese Of Enugu Distance Self From Mbaka’s Inflammatory Political Utterances -By Isaac Asabor
In an effort to keep him united to the Body of Christ, we enjoin him to refrain from making further provocative prophecies or utterances capable of heating up the polity. We assure the people of God and the general public that the Catholic Diocese of Enugu is taking the due canonical process”.
The leadership of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu has in a Statement titled Re: Inflammatory Political Utterances by Father Camillus Ejike Mbaka distanced itself from the comment, saying, “The attention of the Diocesan Bishop, Most Rev. Callistus V.C. Onaga, and the Catholic Diocese of Enugu has been drawn to the inflammatory political utterances by Rev. Fr. Camillus Ejike Mbaka, the Director of Catholic Adoration Ministry Chaplaincy Enugu, on Wednesday, 15 June 2022 during his Wednesday Adoration Programme.
“Fr. Mbaka during his preaching attacked the good reputation of Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, describing him as “a stingy man” and as “a joker”, contrary to canon 220 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law which prohibits anyone from illegitimately harming the good name of a person. He also made fun of the Labour Party and vowed that Mr. Obi could not be the president of Nigeria. This is a clear violation of the provisions of canon 287 $2 which forbids priests from engaging in partisan politics.
“The Catholic Diocese of Enugu hereby condemns and dissociates herself from such unbecoming and divisive utterances from Fr. Mbaka. We notify the general public that Fr. Mbaka’s views on the matter are entirely personal to him and do not represent the position of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu. In an effort to keep him united to the Body of Christ, we enjoin him to refrain from making further provocative prophecies or utterances capable of heating up the polity. We assure the people of God and the general public that the Catholic Diocese of Enugu is taking the due canonical process”.
The Statement, jointly signed by Rev. Fr. Wilfred Chidi Agubuchie, Catholic Chancellor/Secretary, Rev. Fr. Geoffrey Aguigwo, Vicar General and Most Rev. Ernest Anezichukwu Obodo, Auxiliary Bishop of Enugu Diocese urged members of Diocese to continue praying for peaceful elections and to discharge their civic responsibilities by getting their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) and casting their votes in order to elect the right candidates.
