Bishopย ofย Nnewi Catholic Diocese in Anambraย State, Bishop Jonas Benson Okoye, has withdrawnย theย facultyย ofย five Spiritans priests, otherwise called Holy Ghost Priests.
Rev Fr Hyginus Aghaulor, former Directorย ofย Communicationsย ofย theย diocese who spoke to journalists said withdrawalย ofย faculty meantย theย priests would not be able to perform any duties withinย theย diocese, and even when they do, such functions would be considered a nullity.
โIf they baptize someone, conduct a wedding,ย theย wedding and baptism is a nullity. They can not even celebrate mass because their faculty has been withdrawn byย theย bishop,โ he said.
DAILY POST had earlier reportedย ofย theย sackingย ofย five holy ghost priests from their parish, St Martinย ofย Tours, Ihiala, byย theย Bishop, and protests by some membersย ofย theย parish againstย theย Bishop, overย theย action.
But Aghaulor while speaking with journalists on Tuesday said: โTheย priests were not sacked, they were rather re-deployed. In Canon Law, whichย theย church operates,ย theย Bishop hasย theย powers to redeploy priests, and that was what he did.
โBesides,ย theย Spiritans have been frustratingย theย effortsย ofย theย bishop inย theย creationย ofย a new parish in Ihiala. Our diocese has grown, with over 400 priests, and there is need for new deployments, soย theย bishop created a new parish and deployed someย ofย our priests there, and now transferredย theย Spiritans toย theย juniorate.
โTheย Spiritans claim that Archbishop Heerey gave it( parish) to them in 1967. That was under 1917 Code but canon 6ย ofย 1983 Code abrogated 1917 Code unless such matters are renewed in 1983 Code but there is no evidence that such happened. Thirdly, 1983 Code abolished making a moral person now juridic person a pastor. Now to be appointed a pastor,ย theย person must be a physical person and be in priesthood.โ
But in Tuesdayโs briefing, Aghaulor said there was no questionย ofย theย priests being sacked, just thatย theย bishop who is in controlย ofย theย diocese decided to move them to new roles.
He lamentedย theย disobedienceย ofย theย priests, saying that such was notย theย trainingย ofย priests.
โThere is consequences for disobedience, and we all know it.ย Theย Spiritans have disobeyedย theย Bishop, and it is not good.ย Theย Bishop is in chargeย ofย theย diocese and has right to deploy people onย theย tasks he wishes them to undertake.โ
He likened it toย theย recent transferย ofย theย spiritual directorย ofย Adoration Ministryย Enugu, AMEN, Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka, who was recently moved toย theย monastery byย theย Catholic Bishopย ofย Enuguย Diocese.
-chrysora.com.ng
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