The Catholic Church on Monday, February 1, explained why it recently transferred, prominent Catholic cleric, Reverend father Ejike Mbaka, of the Enugu-based Adoration Ministry.
The church in a swift reaction, said Mbaka’s transfer was not politically motivated as claimed by some people.
The Enugu parish leadership had reportedly transferred the fire-brand cleric from Christ the King Parish in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of the state to Our Lady Parish, Emene, a suburb of the state.
Reverend Father Ralph Madu, the Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, dislosed this in an interview with Premium Times.
He said transfer of priests within the Catholic Church is a “normal church procedure.”
The cleric said: “Mbaka’s own 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.”
Mbaka in his farewell speech admitted that he was going to suffer in his new place of assignment.
The South-East zone of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that Bishop Callistus Onaga was manipulated by external forces into effecting Mbaka’s transfer.
RMadu in reaction said “such frivolities have nothing to do with the posting.”
He added that his posting should have been a privilege, not a punishment.
The cleric further said: “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.
He is supposed to be a missionary. “What if the Bishop had closed down the ministry, which is within his power to do? Sometimes, transfers can be for the good of the priest as something can be going wrong which he might not be aware of. The Bishop is free to move any priest at any time, it is his prerogative.”
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