Pope Francis has condemned the attacks on Bishop Onaga by the followers of Father Mbaka following the pastoral injunction placed against him on account of his statement about the Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi where he referred to him as a “stingy man”.
Following Fr. Mbaka’s statement at the Adoration Ministry ground, the Bishop had responded to the clergy man with an injunction.
It had been reported that barely 24 hours after, Mbaka’s followers filed themselves to the adoration ground and protested against the pastoral injunction, calling the bishop names and insisting that he must leave.
One of the protesters, who identified himself as Elijah in a viral video openly threatened to kill the bishop anywhere he found him (bishop).
But Pope Francis who spoke Thursday, through his representative in Nigeria, Papal Nuncio, Antonio Guido Filipazzi, during the installation of Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji as the new metropolitan Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province in Owerri, the Imo State capital, condemned the protest at the adoration ground.
He described the online video of the death threat on Bishop Onaga, as unacceptable, while condemning what he called growing divisive tendencies and other forms of trouble fomented by members of the church.
Filipazzi, who stated this in a homily at the Maria Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri, said, “I must warn the people of God against disobedience to the church’s constituted authorities. You must not take the laws into their hands as followers of Jesus Christ.
“This brings to mind the protest that took place at the Adoration Ministry Enugu. I was surprised to see an online video where a protester threatened to kill Bishop Callistus Onaga, Bishop of Enugu. This is unacceptable in the church of God.
“The people of God must be mindful of the abuse of the social media to cause the church scandals. You must bear in mind that the Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic and not a place where people take laws into their hands.
“He also urged all Catholic faithful respect their Bishop, have a cordial relationship with him and have regard for the law.He urged the Catholic priests to always proclaim the undiluted gospel and stand by the doctrine of the church.
The Papal Nuncio, who decried the violence and killings in the land, used the occasion to pray for peace to return to Nigeria.
