Catholic priest resigns from church, opens voodoo temple

An ordained Togolese Catholic Parish priest has relinquished his call for the traditional shrine and becomes a voodoo priest.

The move captured in audio message is trending on social media across Togo especially in WhatsApp.

Meanwhile, Catholic authority in Togo was said to had called for prayers over the lost of the priest from the alter.

“To Jesus. Let us pray for the Church of Togo in particular for the diocese of Aného, ​​which has just lost one of its sons”.

“The Church has been affected once again, and our hearts are filled with sadness, but we trust in God… After 4 years of priesthood, he abdicates. He has decided to be a voodoo priest from now on. Let’s pray for him, so that he comes back home…”. the church stated.

The priest who was seen in the picture wearing garments of a native doctor argued that the Chinese did not leave their religion when they were colonized; therefore Africans are making a mistake by leaving theirs.

He stated that the teachings of Christianity are not fit for an African society; hence, he is going back to the wisdom of the gods.

It was gathered that the priest in question was influenced by a WhatsApp group.

The Whatsapp group is full of herbalists and voodoo priests who often give advice and traditional practices to obtain healings. And according to the testimonies of the members of the group, these secrets give positive results after application.

The absconded priest was said to be a genius who already at the base healed the faithful through charismatic prayers. But, his change of faith happened following his integration into the Whatsapp group as he started practising rituals such as crossroads baths for his followers.

In the Whatsapp group, members through debates were encouraged to return to the source, particularly among the ancestors. 

It was gathered that the priest was arrested by the church authority, and in a process of sending him abroad to pursue religious training; a move that made the priest tender letter of resignation to the clergy, erected his own convent and officiates as a voodoo priest to people who come for consultation.