After
the statement released by Rev. Fr, Mbaka during one of his sermon about the president
administration, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) released a
statement as regards that effect.
"There are more than 30 million Catholics in Nigeria,
Fr Mbaka is just one Catholic, if he makes a statement, it cannot be the voices
of more than 30 million Nigerian Catholics speaking. Nigerians shouldn’t conclude
from the opinion of just one person. Everyone has their own freedom and right
to support anyone they want to support. Mbaka cannot speak for the church, only
the CBCN can speak for the church. Those who are complaining, should go to Fr
Mbaka and find out why he is saying what he is saying. I tell you, even
the Canon Law forbid a priest to engage in partisan politics,” Kaigama
said....read more after the cut
In a related development, the
Catholic Bishop of Abuja Metropolitan, Cardinal John Onaiyekan has said that
given the rules of the Catholic church, Rev. Fr Ejike Mbaka ought to be sanctioned
following his remarks about President Goodluck Jonathan's administration.
“Mbaka will take responsibilities
for his own actions. I do not believe in my mind that the way things are in
Nigeria, any Catholic priest has the mandate to decide which of the political
contestants should be voted for. What most of us will do is to tell people to
vote according to their conscience and then, we tell the authorities to allow
people to vote freely and fairly. I wouldn’t be surprised if most people are
not happy with the statement he made. From my reactions, you should see that I
do not agree with him. I don’t believe a priest should be doing that. But, like
I said, Mbaka is a priest of his own type. If he was in my archdioceses, I will
have sanctioned him long ago for the kind of things and utterances that he
makes. But, he is not under my diocese; he has a Bishop to handle that if there
is any need. I hope that people are not thinking that we are sending Mbaka to
talk rubbish, how can they think that? If you want to hear anything even not
official but at least, authoritative, then, you listen to the bishops. Rather
than him and I don’t see any bishop talking that way” the Cardinal said
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