I never said I’m backing Mbaka on Obi, Bishop Onaga …Says we are praying for him to come in line

Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja

The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Revd (Dr) Callistus Onaga, has denied supporting the activities of the Spiritual Director, Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Revd Fr Ejike Mbaka.

Onaga said he was misunderstood in his previous interview he granted Daily Sun on the sidelines of the First Plenary Meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria in Abuja.

Onaga said: “I never said I was backing Fr Mbaka in what he is doing. The way he approached the politicians is totally out of place with what Catholic priests should do.

“But what we are saying is that we are praying for him so that he will come in line. He may not have contravened morality or doctrine, but his method is totally out of the priestly carriage.

“Whatever he said against former Governor Peter Obi and the way he even handled the whole political process, is not correct. I want to emphasise it is not correct.

“But we are praying for him and hoping that he will come in line and behave accordingly. That is why we are using what we normally do in the Catholic Church, pastoral approach, to win him back and then make sure he is doing the correct thing.”

The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese further said: “We have been dialoguing with him, and we have been discussing with him on this issue.

“And we plead with those who are overheating the public with wrong information to stop it because they are not helping us in the whole matter,” he said.