A popular Kano based Catholic
priest Father Gospel .J. Inalegwu, has quit the Catholic Church
The Benue born priest, who was ordained in 2013,
was kidnapped last year at his parish at St Joseph Catholic Church, Jitan –
Dutse, in Tudun Wada Local Government Council, Kano State.
According to Sunday Sun, Father Gospel .J.
Inalegwu had since tendered his resignation letter to the Bishop of Kano
Diocese, Most Rev. John Namawzah Niyiring and had traveled out of the state
with all his belongings.
A priest of the Catholic Church who decried his
action, said the Church was yet to recover from the shock of his unprecedented
action.
He suggested that the priest might have been
affected by the trauma of his abduction, adding however that, “there could be
other personal reasons behind his action”.
Sunday Sun gathered that after the priest regained
freedom, he was granted a period of rest, but was eventually asked to resume at
his old parish contrary to his expectation, as Sunday Sun learnt that he had
anticipated to be posted elsewhere.
The Communications Director, Kano Diocese, Father
Augustine Nnadi declined comment on the development, but His Lordship, the
Bishop of Kano Diocese, Most Rev. John Namawzah Niyiring told Sunday Sun that,
“Priests do not resign as they do in the public service, but are laicized”
While confirming that Father Inalegwu was no
longer available for his pastoral assignments in the diocese, he maintained
that the only authority that could process the request of a priest wishing to
return to a lay status was the Holy Father, the Pope. Asked if he had tried to
talk to the priest, he replied:
“Yes I did that. I had some discussions with him
to try to persuade him not to do what he is doing. I think he probably wants
something else.”
The Bishop debunked insinuations that the priest’s
action was informed by his abduction experience.
“Long before his kidnap saga, he had voiced out
his desire to do what he did. And we have a record of that” he said.
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