Catholic Church Disagrees With FatherMbaka

The Catholic Church has washed its
hands off the ongoing controversy over
the strong criticism of President Goodluck
Jonathan by Rev Father Ejike Mbaka of
Adoration Ministries in Enugu, accusing
him of double-speaking.

The church said it did not authorise
Mbaka to speak on its behalf, insisting
that it is wrong for Mbaka to endorse the
president and later warn the electorate
not to vote for him during the February 14
presidential poll.
The church added that it did not have an
official position on whose candidate the
Catholic faithful should vote for, saying
that as the largest Christian group, it is
illogical for it to direct members to vote
for certain candidates as the voters have
the prerogative to exercise their
inalienable rights in such a situation.
A catholic faithful, Mr Callistus Ebue,
disclosed this during an interview with
LEADERSHIP last night in Enugu.
He said, “The Catholic Church did not
authorise Rev Father Mbaka to speak on
its behalf. There is no way the church,
with millions of its members, make a
pronouncement on who to vote for during
the February 14 presidential election. The
church does not have an official position
in this regard. The decision to vote for
any candidate is the prerogative right of
the church faithful just like any other
Nigerian.”
While some of the Catholics in Enugu
argue that Mbaka might have been led by
the Holy Spirit in his pronouncement over
Jonathan’s re-election bid, others said
that the cleric ought not to have dabbled
into the murky waters of politics.
According to a Catholic knight, Sir Abuchi
Anueghiagu, Mbaka was initially inspired
by the Holy Spirit to endorse the re-
election of Jonathan, saying, however,
that whatever Mbaka pronounced during
his homily at the Adoration Ministries
ground on December 31, 2014, was also
a function of the leading of the Holy Spirit.
According to him, as an ordained priest in
charge of a parish, Christ the King Parish,
and the spiritual director of Adoration
Ministries, nobody is qualified to
challenge any sermon he delivers from
the altar.
But another knight of the Catholic Church
who spoke to LEADERSHIP on condition
of anonymity condemned Mbaka of
speaking from both sides of his mouth.
He said that having previously blessed
Jonathan on his re-election bid, he ought
not to have made a volte-face. He
advised priests to be cautions of their
pronouncements from the altar, as
whatever they say has a way of affecting
their followers either negatively or
positively.
The Catholic bishop of Enugu Diocese,
Rev Dr Calistus Onaga, could not be
reached at the time of filing this report
last night.