The leader of the Catholic church worldwide, Pope Francis has reacted to the protest embarked on by acclaimed supporters of Father Ejike Mbaka against the Bishop of Enugu State Diocese, Calistus Onaga who placed a temporal ban on Father Mbaka’s Adoration Ministries. The ban came as a result of Father Mbaka’s infamous statement against the presidential candidate of the Labour party, Peter Obi in which he described the later as “too stingy” and unworthy of the presidential seat.
Following the temporal ban imposed on worship at Adoration Ministries, some supporters of Father Mbaka went to the venue to protest against bishop Calistus Onaga for imposing the ban. One of the protesters in a viral video, threatened to kill bishop Onaga anytime he sees him.
Reacting to the controversy, Pope Francis through his representative in Nigeria, Papal Nuncio, Antonio Guido Filipazzi, while speaking at the installation of Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji as the new metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province in Owerri, the Imo State capital, described the development as unacceptable.
He is quoted by Sahara Reporters to have said: “I must warn the people of God against disobedience to the church’s constituted authorities. You must not take the laws into their hands as followers of Jesus Christ.
“The people of God must be mindful of the abuse of the social media to cause the church scandals. You must bear in mind that the Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic and not a place where people take laws into their hands.”
He further enjoined the Catholic faithful across the nation to respect the hierarchy of the church while also telling the priests to follow the doctrines of the denomination.
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