Bishop bans Catholic priests from priestly duties over insubordination

By Adeleye Kunle

Bishop of Nnewi Catholic Diocese in Anambra State, Bishop Jonas Benson Okoye, has withdrawn the faculty of five Spiritans priests, otherwise called Holy Ghost Priests.

Rev Fr Hyginus Aghaulor, former Director of Communications of the diocese who spoke to journalists said withdrawal of faculty meant the priests would not be able to perform any duties within the diocese, and even when they do, such functions would be considered a nullity.

“If they baptize someone, conduct a wedding, the wedding and baptism is a nullity. They can not even celebrate mass because their faculty has been withdrawn by the bishop,” he said.

Track News had earlier reported of the sacking of five holy ghost priests from their parish, St Martin of Tours, Ihiala, by the Bishop, and protests by some members of the parish against the Bishop, over the action.

But Aghaulor while speaking with journalists on Tuesday said: “The priests were not sacked, they were rather re-deployed. In Canon Law, which the church operates, the Bishop has the powers to redeploy priests, and that was what he did.

“Besides, the Spiritans have been frustrating the efforts of the bishop in the creation of a new parish in Ihiala. Our diocese has grown, with over 400 priests, and there is need for new deployments, so the bishop created a new parish and deployed some of our priests there, and now transferred the Spiritans to the juniorate