Catholic Church Says They Moved Father Mbaka To Where He Would Be "Useful"

The Catholic Church has clarified the recent transfer of Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka, saying the priest was merely being sent to where he would be more useful to the church. In its first reaction to the "controversial" transfer, the church said the posting is not meant to be punitive.

“Mbaka’s own is not an exception... The Bishop has the right to post any priest wherever he feels his service would be more useful to the church... What if the Bishop had closed down the ministry, which is within his power to do? ”

In a chat with Premium Times, the Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretar‎iat of Nigeria, Rev. Father Ralph Madu insisted that transfer of priests within the catholic church is a “normal church procedure.”

But public criticisms had greeted the Enugu Diocese’s decision to transfer Fr. Mbaka out of Christ the King Parish‎, GRA, where he had served for over a decade and had established a popular prayer ministry, the Adoration Prayer Ministry.

Fr. Mbaka was instructed to resume immediately at his new post at the Our Lady Parish in Emene.

The popular priest had described his ‎re-posting by the church as a “calculated move” to make him suffer. But he told his worshipers and admirers not to worry as he's sure that all will be well in no time.