I Won’t Leave Catholic Church, Father Mbaka Says, Begs For Forgiveness Over His Mistakes

Fiery Enugu Catholic Priest, Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka, has
apologised to the Catholic church over the attack and destruction
of the Enugu Catholic Diocese Bishop’s Court and Holy Ghost
Cathedral in Enugu.

Mbaka, who is the spiritual director of Adoration Ministries
Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), rendered the apology while delivering his
sermon on Sunday at Adoration Ground in Emene.

He maintained the church didn’t kidnap him and apologised to
whoever misunderstood his first statement when he reappeared at New
Haven.

He said he was misquoted in the first statement by people who
want to cause problem between him and the church.

The priest said the protest was hijacked by some hoodlums who
capitalised on the protest to unleash mayhem on the church.

“I wish to apologise to whoever that misunderstood my statement
at New Haven. I didn’t clap for anybody for destroying
anything.

“I am here standing on your behalf and I render my sincere
unalloyed apologies to the Holy Roman and Apostolic Church where I
belong and say may the mother church forgive us in anyway we didn’t
do it well even in all that I said, where I didn’t say it well, we
pray for their forgiveness.

“I am on your behalf, kneeling down for the church and I say may
the church forgive. What has happened has happened we are to save
the image of the church and the face of the church and the souls of
the son of God we cannot lose my soul because of what has
happened,” he stated.

He alleged that the search by his members was hijacked.

“People started going in and breaking things both Igbos, Hausas
and Yorubs, Catholics and non Catholics.

“The church is not my property I belong to the church so I am
asking my lord Bishop Onaga and all the priests of Enugu diocese
and for everybody to rest the case.”

He assured that he will join the prayer of reparation called by
the Bishop as he didn’t send anybody to destroy anything.

“The prayer of reparation we will join, I didn’t send anybody to
destroy anything I have no problem with anybody and I can’t disobey
the church — who am I? How can somebody who has been serving the
church for 25 years come out to begin to fight the same church,” he
added.

Mbaka, who condemned the destruction of properties at the
Bishop’s Court, said he was not aware that anything was
destroyed.

He maintained that his statement praising the parishioners was
because of their quest to look for their missing priest.

“What I was praising you for was not for anything destroyed. I
was praising you for your ability to search for your missing
pastor,” Mbaka added.

He also enjoined them to look for any priest that goes missing
in Nigeria because “we are sharing in one priesthood of Christ
Jesus.

The priest said his parishioners prevented the hoodlums from
destroying the Blessed Sacrament in the Cathedral and also burning
down the Bishop’s Court.

“I thank God nobody died. One person was said to have poured
himself fuel and started pouring it round the Bishop’s Court and
wanted to light himself up with the house, is that not another type
of suicide bomber.

“But the adoration people beat the hell out of him. And some
other wanters to destroy the sanctimum and the grotto but the
Adoration members block them and started praying”, he said

He said the parishioners will agree on a day to go in their
large numbers to the Bishop and apologise to him.

It will be recalled that following the media spat between Mbaka
and the Presidency last week, the priest was summoned last Tuesday
by the Bishop of the Diocese.

24 hours later, information on social media went viral that the
priest was missing.

His parishioners thereafter embarked on a protest to the
Bishop’s Court where they allegedly destroyed properties within the
premises.

They were also said to have destroyed properties at the Holy
Ghost Cathedral before he later appeared and took them away to New
Haven where he addressed them.

Addressing the parishioners, he said he was denied access to his
phones and ordered to proceed on one month suspension.

He also alleged that the diocesan leadership wanted to close
down the Adoration ministry.

Following the attack, the Bishop, Callistus Onaga declared a one
week prayer for reparation over the incident.

Fiery Enugu Catholic Priest, Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka, has
apologised to the Catholic church over the attack and destruction
of the Enugu Catholic Diocese Bishop’s Court and Holy Ghost
Cathedral in Enugu.

Mbaka, who is the spiritual director of Adoration Ministries
Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), rendered the apology while delivering his
sermon on Sunday at Adoration Ground in Emene.

He maintained the church didn’t kidnap him and apologised to
whoever misunderstood his first statement when he reappeared at New
Haven.

He said he was misquoted in the first statement by people who
want to cause problem between him and the church.

The priest said the protest was hijacked by some hoodlums who
capitalised on the protest to unleash mayhem on the church.

“I wish to apologise to whoever that misunderstood my statement
at New Haven. I didn’t clap for anybody for destroying
anything.

“I am here standing on your behalf and I render my sincere
unalloyed apologies to the Holy Roman and Apostolic Church where I
belong and say may the mother church forgive us in anyway we didn’t
do it well even in all that I said, where I didn’t say it well, we
pray for their forgiveness.

“I am on your behalf, kneeling down for the church and I say may
the church forgive. What has happened has happened we are to save
the image of the church and the face of the church and the souls of
the son of God we cannot lose my soul because of what has
happened,” he stated.

He alleged that the search by his members was hijacked.

“People started going in and breaking things both Igbos, Hausas
and Yorubs, Catholics and non Catholics.

“The church is not my property I belong to the church so I am
asking my lord Bishop Onaga and all the priests of Enugu diocese
and for everybody to rest the case.”

He assured that he will join the prayer of reparation called by
the Bishop as he didn’t send anybody to destroy anything.

“The prayer of reparation we will join, I didn’t send anybody to
destroy anything I have no problem with anybody and I can’t disobey
the church — who am I? How can somebody who has been serving the
church for 25 years come out to begin to fight the same church,” he
added.

Mbaka, who condemned the destruction of properties at the
Bishop’s Court, said he was not aware that anything was
destroyed.

He maintained that his statement praising the parishioners was
because of their quest to look for their missing priest.

“What I was praising you for was not for anything destroyed. I
was praising you for your ability to search for your missing
pastor,” Mbaka added.

He also enjoined them to look for any priest that goes missing
in Nigeria because “we are sharing in one priesthood of Christ
Jesus.

The priest said his parishioners prevented the hoodlums from
destroying the Blessed Sacrament in the Cathedral and also burning
down the Bishop’s Court.

“I thank God nobody died. One person was said to have poured
himself fuel and started pouring it round the Bishop’s Court and
wanted to light himself up with the house, is that not another type
of suicide bomber.

“But the adoration people beat the hell out of him. And some
other wanters to destroy the sanctimum and the grotto but the
Adoration members block them and started praying”, he said

He said the parishioners will agree on a day to go in their
large numbers to the Bishop and apologise to him.

It will be recalled that following the media spat between Mbaka
and the Presidency last week, the priest was summoned last Tuesday
by the Bishop of the Diocese.

24 hours later, information on social media went viral that the
priest was missing.

His parishioners thereafter embarked on a protest to the
Bishop’s Court where they allegedly destroyed properties within the
premises.

They were also said to have destroyed properties at the Holy
Ghost Cathedral before he later appeared and took them away to New
Haven where he addressed them.

Addressing the parishioners, he said he was denied access to his
phones and ordered to proceed on one month suspension.

He also alleged that the diocesan leadership wanted to close
down the Adoration ministry.

Following the attack, the Bishop, Callistus Onaga declared a one
week prayer for reparation over the incident.