Why we transferred Father Mbaka — Catholic Church

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYud1eBDXHQnEepRhDB1QeI27DiD_8J9danx5qfU89WGwKKH4NHKqnw14_cP2YjlaCG6h_uK3cskaofx_BMjWENO_4MRN49C6SCVZCMvam5Ueqc41N1BzMXzYxCu5bc5-rELvALpHLzard/s2560/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYud1eBDXHQnEepRhDB1QeI27DiD_8J9danx5qfU89WGwKKH4NHKqnw14_cP2YjlaCG6h_uK3cskaofx_BMjWENO_4MRN49C6SCVZCMvam5Ueqc41N1BzMXzYxCu5bc5-rELvALpHLzard/s640/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;"/></a>The Catholic Church on Monday clarified the recent transfer of Father Ejike Mbaka, saying the controversial priest was merely being sent to where he would be more useful to the church.<br/> In its first reaction since the controversy over the transfer broke, the church church said the posting was not meant to be punitive.<br/> In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES Monday, the Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretar‎iat of Nigeria, Reverend Father Ralph Madu said transfer of priests within the catholic church is a “normal church procedure.”<br/> <br/> “Mbaka’s own is not an exception,” Mr. Madu said. “The Bishop has the right to post any priest wherever he feels his service would be more useful to the church.”<br/> Public criticisms had greeted the Enugu Diocese’s recent decision to transfer Mr. Mbaka out of Christ the King Parish‎, GRA, where he had served for over a decade and had established a popular prayer ministry, the Adoration Prayer Ministry. Mr. Mbaka is to resume immediately at his new post at the Our Lady Parish, Emene.<br/> <br/> The priest, who is as fiery as he is controversial, had described his ‎re-posting by the church as a “calculated move” to make him suffer.<br/> <br/> <br/> “I know we are going to suffer within now and few months to come,” the priest said. I am going to suffer and suffer; I know that. I’m going to suffer because I have no place to put my head. I am going to suffer because I have no place to keep the Adoration Ministry’s assets. I know I’m going to suffer.”<br/> On Sunday, the South-East zone of the All Progressives Congress alleged that Bishop Callistus Onaga was manipulated by external forces into effecting Mr. Mbaka’s transfer.<br/> <br/> “As a party, we have watched with concern and trepidation the criticism, the attack, assault and unpleasant comments hurled against Fr. Mbaka since he providentially prophesied that President Buhari would win the 2015 elections,” the APC said in a statement by Osita Okechukwu, Spokesperson of its South-East caucus.<br/> <br/> “Even the church did not spare him; he was called unprintable names, yet his prophecy came true.”<br/> In the run-up to last year’s presidential election, Mr. Mbaka had told a gathering of thousands of catholic faithfuls at his Adoration Prayer Ground ministry to vote out then president, Goodluck Jonathan.<br/> The priest, renowned for his blunt sermons, has a huge followership in‎ South East Nigeria, where thousands of Catholics throng to his prayer ground for healing and miracles. But following his recent transfer to a new parish, speculations were rife that his being moved to another parish was punishment for his unalloyed support of a Muslim candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari, over his Christian predecessor, Mr. Jonathan. But Mr. Madu told the source that “such frivolities ‎have nothing to do with the posting.”<br/> “His posting should have been a privilege, not a punishment – which the Bishop can do because he has the power.<br/> <br/> “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.<br/> <br/> “That ministry (Adoration Ministry) is his private ministry, it does not belong to the church. Overseeing a parish is a full time job. Overseeing a ministry is a bigger task. If the church decides to take him somewhere where he’ll have more time to carry out his ministry, how is it punitive? That should not be the language.”<br/> <br/> Mr. Madu said Mr. Mbaka had done things that were unacceptable to the church in the past but received no punishments for them.<br/> “He is supposed to be a missionary,” Mr. Madu said. “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.”<br/> <br/> <br/> <b>Source;</b> PREMIUM TIMES</div>

Why we transferred Father Mbaka — Catholic Church

The Catholic Church on Monday clarified the recent transfer of Father Ejike Mbaka, saying the controversial priest was merely being sent to ...

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'I am going to suffer''-Fr Mbaka cries out as Catholic church 'demotes'' him

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E84W5fULpF6yFb6AFvm3iEVSveUJxTH-P9AtjYgA-liroEBR78fEronSHsBGILgrrGelP9yDsyfeGuFS-SDdgrp2kPeH9IRm1PwHGDtgvyrRE444l_peSNtsan3X5qY1N3cYUeM3_C3_/s2560/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E84W5fULpF6yFb6AFvm3iEVSveUJxTH-P9AtjYgA-liroEBR78fEronSHsBGILgrrGelP9yDsyfeGuFS-SDdgrp2kPeH9IRm1PwHGDtgvyrRE444l_peSNtsan3X5qY1N3cYUeM3_C3_/s640/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;"/></a><br/> Tears flowed uncontrollably from parishioners and members of the Adoration Ministry as fiery Enugu Catholic priest and director of the ministry, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, yesterday bowed out of Christ the King Parish, GRA, Enugu, which he presided over as parish priest for 20 years,the Sunday Sun reports<br/> <br/> The entire Enugu capital city also stood still as over 30 lorries accom­panied by thousands of his adoration faithful escorted him in a motorcade to his new parish, Our Lady Parish, Emene, a suburb of the capital city.<br/> <br/> Mbaka’s transfer became a topical issue as a section of the society saw it as a punitive measure for his recent prophecies especially that of Decem­ber 31st 2014, when he predicted that former President Goodluck Jonathan would be defeated in the 2015 elections. This has however been dismissed by the church who explained that the transfer is a routine exercise done every six years by the bishop.<br/> <br/> But Mbaka’s transfer as a parish priest to a resident priest, where he will serve under another priest, has raised eyebrows eliciting further comments from close observers.<br/> <br/> Mbaka himself while handing over formally to his successor yesterday told those around that he was going to suffer, moving from a duplex to a room in his new parish but asked them not to worry that God has bigger plans for him.<br/> Hear him: “I know we are going to suffer; between now and few months to come, I am going to suffer; I am going to suffer because I have no place to lay my head; I am going to suffer because I have no place to keep the Ministry’s assets; I know I am going to suffer; fortunate going to suffer because I have no ly it’s going to happen in the month of Lent; so I am going to use my exit here to observe the Lent. But Jesus said it to His apostles in John 16:20, ‘You will be sorrowful and the world will be rejoicing but very soon I will turn your sorrows to joy.’ So I am waiting for that moment because for now I know we are going to suffer.<br/> <br/> The Adoration Ministry is passing through suffering right now; even though I have accepted it as the will of God; it is the will of God through suffering; it is a mega suffering. But however, the grace of God will carry us all; even though some of you may pray that God should remove this thorn from us, the scripture says ‘His grace is sufficient for us; for its even in your weakness that the power of God is demonstrated. So we are moving but don’t forget the scriptures, ‘my brothers they make me keeper of vineyards, my own vineyard I keepeth not. All these while we have been keeping vine­yards, building for Christ The King Parish…Bishop Gbuji asked them, how much …but because I don’t want to disclose my charity, they can’t keep that account. How many trailer loads of cement came here? All the monies I made from my cassette and other private crusades all of them were used to build this church. We cannot quantify it but let God be glorified.” ­<br/> “It is the will of God; and when the will of God either permissive or however, happens, nobody should question it. All you have today is Amen; so to the will of God Fr. Mbaka has said Amen.”<br/> Mbaka said he welcomed the de­cision of the church leadership with absolute acceptance and obedience, stating that nobody should see him as a recalcitrant priest. He assured that the parish would not collapse due to his exit, and urged the mem­bers to treat his successor, Rev. Fr. Theodore Ozoamalu, well, and to assist him in any way he needs help and not allow him to cry.<br/> <br/> His words:<br/> “Don’t starve him; don’t allow him to suffer; in my own time I didn’t need your help because God blessed me in my own unique way and I am happy. God will keep the parish because we have fought the good fight; I am not regretting anything and the highest gift God has given here is his Holy Spirit who assisted me up till now.”</div>

'I am going to suffer''-Fr Mbaka cries out as Catholic church 'demotes'' him

Tears flowed uncontrollably from parishioners and members of the Adoration Ministry as fiery Enugu Catholic priest and director of the mini...

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