Topic: Cardinal Okogie reacts to Fr Mbaka's recent outburst, says Mbaka was under the influence of another spirit  (Read 1597 times)

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Cardinal Okogie reacts to Fr Mbaka's recent outburst, says Mbaka was under the influence of another spirit

Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, the retired Archbishop of Lagos state  has reacted to the recent statements made by Fr. Ejike Mbaka on  President Jonathan's led administration. In an interview with Vanguard,  Cardinal Okogie said the statements made by Fr Mbaka 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.  He says if he had his way he would have closed down the Enugu diocese  as Fr. Mbaka has repeatedly been involved in controversial things  which the leadership of the diocese has not deemed fit to call him to order. Excerpts of his interview  after the cut...



How do you see the statement credited to Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka?
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.

 Personally, I felt bad because it is not the place of a priest to go  to that extent. He can have his personal opinion, but to go to the  extent that he went is abnormal. I want you to know that he wasn’t  speaking for the church. He said he was moved by the spirit, and I  wonder what kind of spirit was that.

 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.

 Is the statement not embarrassing to the Catholic Church as a whole?
 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.

 In a situation such as this, what does the Catholic Church do?
 Well, the Catholic Church is structured in such a way that there are  dioceses where each priest belongs. This particular priest happens to  come from Enugu Diocese, so it is left for the bishop in charge of that  diocese to discipline him. 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.

 What kind of sanction can be given to such a priest?
 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…
Source: Cardinal Okogie reacts to Fr Mbaka's recent outburst, says Mbaka was under the influence of another spirit

 

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