Bishop Onaga Replaces Mbaka as Spirit Director of Enugu Adoration Ministry

•Priest wasn’t removed, would return after observing solitude, says catholic secretariat

Gideon Arinze in Enugu

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Callistus Onaga has replaced Fr Ejike Mbaka as the Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministries, Enugu, Nigeria (AMEN).

Mbaka, who made this known during the Sunday Mass, disclosed that the bishop also appointed Fr. Anthony Amadi to serve as the new spiritual director of AMEN in his stead.

He said that the bishop also directed him to proceed to the monastery where he was expected to stay for some time.

“I wouldn’t know how long; but the church has appointed Fr Anthony Amadi, one of us, to be overseeing all affairs of the ministry, to be assisted by other priests, pending my return, by the grace of God,” Mbaka said during the mass.

Thousands of faithful had thronged the adoration from everywhere following an earlier announcement that Bishop Onaga had lifted a ban on the ministry. They were however disappointed when Mbaka announced that he had been replaced.

Earlier in the service, Mbaka explained that the ministry had not fully opened as some programmes, including the weekly Friday all-night adoration remained suspended till further notice.

He said, “Our Sunday Masses and Wednesdays’ ‘E No Dey Again’ programmes would continue, while others such as Friday all-night adoration remains suspended.”

As soon as Mbaka mentioned the new priest’s name, the congregation shouted in expression of their disapproval of the bishop’s decision.

Eyewitnesses say that Amadi was nearly lynched by angry worshipers who already got hold of him after the announcement. He was however rescued by security personnel who were present at the time.

Meanwhile the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) has, through its National Director of Social Communications, Padre Mike Nsikak Umoh clarified that Mbaka would return after observing some period of solitude.

This followed the protests that greeted Mbaka’s announcement that he had been replaced on Sunday.

In a statement on Monday, Umoh said Amadi would only oversee the ministry in the interim, adding that it was recommended that Mbaka take time away in solitude, in order to listen to what the Spirit of God has to tell him,

While quoting the Director of Communications, Enugu Diocese, Fr. Benjamin Achi, the CSN spokesman said Mbaka was also allowed to propose a priest to administer, in the interim, to the faithful at the Adoration Ministry.”

“He added that what every true Christian, and especially every true Catholic, should do at this moment is to commit our dear brother and priest, Fr. Mbaka, to God in prayer so that he may, through this moment, encounter God specially, come out stronger and better in recognising his will for him and gain more graces to channel those rare gifts for His glory and for the sanctification of the people of God and society at large,”Umoh said in the statement.