High-Handed Catholic Priest chased away from Kaduna, Nigeria, Church

Moderator's Commentary:

The Nigerian Catholic Church has been known for the tremendous progress she has made relative to increase in priestly and religious vocations. However, it is apparent that in spite of such endearing goodnews one wonders, what at times these advantages actually translate into. Many Nigerian priests and religious nuns often forget the primary purpose of their calling; which is mainly spiritual.

Often they are high handed abusing and harrassing their congregants, greedy for church funds, which they misuse wrecklessly and without any form of decorous probity and accountability. Many perceuve themselves as another estate within the realm of domination that is perpetuated by the ruling class, especially at the moments politicians. Most hobnob with these corrupt and greedy politicians who buy them over with money, expensive gifts of cars, luxuriant vehicles and SUVs, and living above their means.

Many of these priests who come from humble background are often arrogant insulting their parishioners and acting arbitrarily without concern for how they are viewed and what God demands of them as shepherds, immediately our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the eternal good shepherd.

 The news footage regarding the mode of behaviour of the Catholic priest who was shut out by his parishioners reflect one of many such incidences, often unreported on the pages of newspapers. This is evidence of the kind of palpable discontents harboured by many Catholic parishioners against the malfeasant behaviours of their "overlord" and arrogant priests.

Even more intriguing is the reaction of the office of Archbishop, whose letter signed by the Archbishop Matthew Ndangoso, shows a reactionary rather than progressive approach to resolving this issue. It depicts the lack of management and conflict resolution skills; and tilts more toward an approach that is milked in authoritarianism rather than a pastoral approach to resolving the issues and differences. It is even surprising that the archbishop seemed to have taken the side of the priest prior to an investigation being carried out.

This lack of transparency, partisanship, and arrogance is one of the reasons that many young Catholics are becoming increasingly discontented with a church that they voluntarily gave their assent of truth, only to be betrayed at many levels. It is laughable that in Ndagoso's letter he quotes the Code of Canon Law. When it is convenient to these bishops they haphardly utilize the text of the Canon Law, but in others they violate it, like the mode in which a new bishop of Maiduguri did not meet the canonical requirements but because of some intriguing politics among the bishops- notably the same Ndagoso and the archbishop of Jos, Mr. Ignatius Kaigama- such blantant choice was named.

It is on record that Nigerian Catholic bishops are too out of sync with the daily realities of faith, providing mouth-watering illusive and deceptive reports during their ad limina visits to the Vatican, when these reports hardly are attuned with reality. These bishops pride themselves upon presenting a false image that parallels with the image of politicians, and often act accordingly, and like these politicians very corrupt and easy to coopt by the corrupt political and ruling classes; so easily bought with money. It is a sad manifestation of not just of what is wrong with the Nigerian society as a whole, but even more with the global image of the Catholic Church.

It is also a sad commentary on the quality of bishops either made or elevated since Pope Benedict XVI became a Pope in 2005.  One of the bishops, he promoted to archbishop, the Irish, Richard Burke, today stands suspended for sexually molesting a 14 year old girl that began a sexual relationship running into almost thirty years, including after the woman became married, and even the archbishop switching to the lady's sister much later with his amorous pleasures. 

Many more, like the Archbishop of Abuja, Mr. John Onaiyekan, in circles of priests, nuns, and some lay faithful is known to be a serial sexual molester and abusers of young women, especially vulnerable young nuns. It is our hope that those so abused by this impostor would find the courage and the voice to speak out, to document this attrocious personality, a wolf in sheep's clothings.

The act reported below reflect the beginning of more crises for the Nigerian Church, which flaring would be worst than the fate of the French anti-clericalism. I hope that this church, arrogant and stained with enormous blemish would read the warning sign promptly and redress this ugly and unfolding specter. A looming crises is in the offing for the Nigerian Catholic Church. God save us!

The Daily Sun

SACRILEGE! Worshippers attack Catholic priest, lock up church ...As Archbishop of Kaduna reads riot act

From NOAH EBIJE, Kaduna

Friday, November 13, 2009


Following a hatched plot by some members of a Catholic Church in Kaduna, who attacked the Priest, and locked up the church, the Archbishop of Kaduna State, Most Reverend Matthew Manoso Ndagoso has dissolved the parish.
Trouble started when on Sunday, October 11, 2009, some members of Saint Dominic Catholic Church in Ungwan Pama area of Kaduna were said to have taken laws into their hands by chasing away the Priest, Gabriel Enuagha.
The aggrieved members, according to findings, were not comfortable with the new timing of church services as put in place by the priest.
Daily Sun gathered exclusively that the initial timing was from 6am for English session, 8am for Hausa and 10am for English listeners, but the new arrangement by the parish Priest pegged 6am and 8am session for English listeners and moved Hausa listeners to 10am.
On that fateful day, the perpetrators were said to have forced the priest to conduct the Sunday service under a tree within the church premises, using his car as the altar of God.
Ndagoso had in a letter dated October 30, 2009 to the entire Catholic Priests, religious and laity in the Archdiocese of Kaduna which was read to parishioners on Sunday, November 1, 2009, the Bishop condemned the action of the perpetrators and described it as unchristian.
The letter which was titled: ‘The Internal Crisis of St. Dominic’s Parish U/Pama,’ read in parts: “You may have heard of the unfortunate and scandalous event that took place in St. Dominic’s Parish U/Pama on October 11, 2009, when some members of the parish community without regard to lawfully constituted authorities took the laws into their hands and locked up the church and the parish house thus hindering the community from worshiping in the church and the priests having to seek refuge elsewhere.

“As if that was not enough, the perpetrators went further to use what is tantamount to force on their parish Priest.

“Whatever their grievances, there are avenues and structures within the church for settling them without resorting to the use of force and violence.
“The action was not only unchristian but also condemnable and intolerable anywhere especially in the church-as-family of God. Those responsible cannot be said to be true Christians because their action runs contrary to the Christian spirit of dialogue, reconciliation and peace.

“They should have known that such behaviours have no place in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.
“To say the least, what happened in St. Dominic’s is a disrespect of the highest degree to me and my office. Msgr. Gabriel V. Enuagha is my Vicar General under whose care I left the Archdiocese while away.
“He was at that time the archbishop of Kaduna . The assault on him therefore was a direct assault on me and my office. Consequently, after due consultations, I have decided to take the following measures.

“St. Dominic’s ceases to be a parish until further notice. It is now an outstation of St. Mary’s U/Boro with one combined Mass every Sunday. The parish priest is to fix the time for the mass.

“The Parish Laity Council is hereby dissolved. The Parish Priest of St. Mary’s U/Boro is to form a caretaker church committee to run the affairs of the church.

“Consequently, anyone in possession of church property should hand them over to the Dean of Rimau Deanery, Very Reverend Father Alfred Mako.
“Anyone found to be involved in the crisis in anyway will be sanctioned appropriately in accordance with the provisions of the law (cf. Cans 1374 & 1375).
“A thorough investigation is in progress. You will be dully informed of the outcome.

“Finally, let it be known to one and all that no individual or group is indispensable in the Catholic Church.
“While the church is better off with all on board, it cannot cease to exist because of an individual or a group. The rich history of our church is there for those who care to confer.”