ABUJA—The Catholic Church has
explained the recent transfer of controversial Catholic priest, Rev.
Father Ejike Mbaka from Enugu to Emene.
The Church said the essence of his transfer was to make him more useful.
In a reaction through the Secretary-General of the Catholic
Secretariat of Nigeria, Reverend Father Ralph Madu, yesterday, the
church said the posting was not meant to be punitive but a “normal
church procedure.”
According to him, “Mbaka’s transfer is not an exception; the Bishop
has the right to post any priest wherever he feels his service would be
more useful to the church.
“ His posting should have been a privilege, not a punishment – which the Bishop can do because he has the power.
“If he (Mbaka) says it’s a punishment, then it’s open for further
investigation. Posting is a regular thing, a priest can be transferred
after two, three, four, or more years. It depends on the discretion of
the Bishop.
“That ministry (Adoration Ministry) is his private ministry. It does
not belong to the church. Overseeing a parish is a full time job.
Overseeing a ministry is a bigger task. If the church decides to take
him somewhere where he’ll have more time to carry out his ministry, how
is it punitive? That should not be the language.”
Madu said Fr. Mbaka had done things that were unacceptable to the church in the past but received no punishments for them.
