The Awka Catholic Diocese has disowned Rev. Fr. Cajethan Obiekezie, a priest of the diocese who preached against the Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo during his homily, last Sunday.
The priest in his homily had attacked the governor for standing against the election of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.
The priest had also called on his parishioners to vote against all candidates of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, where Soludo is the party’s national leader.
But the Awka Catholic Diocese in a press release by the Diocesan Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Charles Ndubuisi disowned the priest, saying he did not have the mandate of the diocese to make such utterances.
“He some utterances against the governor of the State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo and other politicians within and outside the State. The Catholic diocese of Awka wishes to disassociate herself completely from those utterances. Rev. Fr. Cajethan Obiekezie has no mandate of the diocese of Awka, to do so.
” The diocese will take the necessary steps to continue to teach her priests the sanctity of the pulpit and will not hesitate to apply sanctions where necessary.
“The Church has inherent right, independent of any human authority to preach the gospel to all people, for it is the Church that Christ the Lord has entrusted the deposit of faith(can.747).
However, this inherent right must be exercised within the laid down rules and regulations. In the context of Mass, the rules of homiletics should necessarily apply(cann.768 &1,2, 769, 772&1).
“Therefore, the platform offered by the pulpit cannot be used for personal sentiments and verbal attack, capable of destroying anybody’s good name,” the diocese stated.