OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTIES BY PRIESTS IN THE CHURCH: UNRAVELLING THE ISSUES BETWEEN REV. FR. PROF . PAUL OBAYI AND THE CHURCH/BISHOP ONAH

I took time to watch the over 30-minute live video of Fr. Paul Obayi, narrating his painful ordeal in the hands of the Bishop and the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka.

My takeaway from the video is that the good priest, who happens to be a Professor of Communication, taught by the same professors who taught me, seems to be having slight identity crises.

This is because I am sure that the highly educated priest professor knows the true and authentic history of the Catholic Church.

He must as well have been taught and properly drills on the events that led to the policies and dogmas of the church during his years as a philosophy and theology student.

Even if he didn’t, I am sure that some postgraduate classes with Prof. Ike. S. Ndolo or Propaganda Formulation and management should have clarified him a bit more.

This knowledge acquired over time should have been more than enough to equip Fr. Obayi to understand that a priest of the Catholic Church does not have the right to own properties.

Historically, the reason why Priests are not allowed to get married is not to keep them holy, no, it is to preserve the properties of the church so that the wives and children of priests won’t grow to start demanding the transfer of the Church’s properties to them.

Before the year 1123, priests, bishops, and popes were allowed to have wives and children.

However, upon their death, their children would take the church to court and reclaim all their father’s properties, including church buildings.

It became rampant that Catholic priests built churches and parish houses with people’s donations and contributions to the church, only for their wives and children to throw the worshippers away and reclaim the church as their father’s properties.

To solve this problem, Pope Benedict VIII in 1018, formally forbade priestly marriages. About a hundred years later, it was formally adopted by the First Lateran Council of 1123.

It would take nearly 300 years before it was fully implemented as most priests kept wives and children unofficially as house helps, since keeping them unofficially guaranteed that they won’t take away the properties of the church through Court Litigations.

Therefore, it is surprising for a priest who is exposed to such or even greater depth of knowledge to say that he owns any property.

According to the Canon and Vatican laws, a priest owns nothing. A priest is as good as a dead man. Anything bought in his name was automatically bought in the name of the Church. Even his clothes and shoes.

That’s why it is the duty of the church to house him, clothe him, feed him, and provide everything he needs.

Also, the church does not approve of a lot of things he does in the Adoration as the church sees them as superstitious acts and the preachings that when you throw powder, you may get favours, all sound heretic to the church.

When I was president of the St. Theresa’s Cathedral Parish Blockrosary Crusade, I took it upon myself to understand the faith I profess. So, I read about three different accounts of the history of the Catholic Church, some of which their authors include Alan Shrek and Rev. J. Dacruz.

I understood in clear terms what the church was all about.

So that in 2019/2020 when my understanding of the person and being of God began to conflict with the teachings of the Catholic Church, I voluntarily withdrew from being a practicing Christian, and only identify as a Christian for political reasons.

Therefore, Fr. Obayi, whom I believe in all sincerity is more knowledgeable than me, should renounce priesthood peacefully if he has the intention of owning properties that are against the rules of the church.

He should accept the treatments he is getting the way the priest governor happily accepted his suspension and the way the other married priest also accepted his suspension.

There is no need to whip up sentiments and play on the emotions of people.

When an institution you are under stops no longer agrees with your personal convictions, instead of sticking on and having identity crises, it’s better to withdraw and actualize your full potential.

Both Rev. Prof. Martins Paul Obayi and Most. Rev. Prof. Igwebuike Godfrey Onah are great sons of Nsukka who have brought good things to the diocese and the community.

It’s important that they continue to do their good works for the zone and not be hindered by Dogma.

If the Okunerere Adoration Ministry work is more important for Fr. Paul than his priestly calling, he should tow the way of Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, who believes that rescuing Benue State is more important than his priestly calling at least for the next 8 years.

He should step down and focus on the Adoration so he can be free from the Church the way Fr. Alia is now free from the Church.

Let there be no seed of discord and let love and peace reign, Amen.

Obetta Ujunwa Ogechukwu via Vivian Chiamaka Osigwe