By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
A Catholic priest, Rev Fr James Anelu, has been slammed with an indefinite suspension for banning Igbo songs in his parish in Lagos.
The suspension was disclosed by the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos.
The indefinite suspension takes effect from Tuesday, February 8, 2022.
Fr Anelu reportedly abruptly stopped an Igbo song from being rendered during a Mass last Sunday at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Ewu-Owa Gberigbe in Ikorodu.
The cleric went further to ban Igbo songs and choruses in his Church, forthwith.
He was alleged to have warned that the Igbo cannot keep dominating other people outside the Southeast.
He was alleged to have further posited that the situation that supposedly happened in the Benin Diocese where an Igbo, Bishop Akubueze, became a bishop, cannot play out in his parish.
He was quoted to have justified the ban on Igbo songs based on the fact that the Spirit of God in any place recognizes only languages indigenous to that geographical location.
His decision didn’t go down well with the parishioners as the abrupt disruption of the service led to many of them walking out of the church.
In a statement issued by the Archbishop of Lagos, Archbishop Adewale Martins, the Archdiocese said: “It has been brought to our notice that Rev. Fr. James Anelu, the Priest-in-Charge of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Ewu-Owa, Ikorodu, made some completely unacceptable comments about Igbo songs being sung in the Church and unsavoury remarks that do not represent the Catholic Church’s position on common brotherhood of peoples of all tribes and religions.
“For this reason he has been asked to proceed on an indefinite leave of absence to give an opportunity for a through investigation of all the matters relating to his ministry in the parish.
“The leave of absence takes effect from Tuesday, 8th February , 2022 till further notice.
“We, therefore, urge all Catholic faithful to hold on to the faith and continue in our worship of God as one big family united in love and not separated by language, culture or race.”
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