The Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos has sent on an indefinite leave, the parish priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Ewu-Owo, Ikorodu, the Rev. Fr. James Anelu over an alleged unethical conduct.
Father Anelu had reportedly banned all Igbo songs in his parish in anger that Igbos are domineering in nature and must be cut to size to stop them from taking over the parish at the expense of the indigenes.
He also uncharitably remarked that due to that domineering attitude, a certain Igbo Priest was made Bishop in a state belonging to another tribe.
This is against the practice in Catholic Church, that is not divided by race or language ,but united in the spirit of common brotherhood.
Expressing its displeasure in a memo signed by Archbishop Adewale Martins, the church said, “It has been brought to our notice that Rev. Fr. James Anelu, the priest in charge of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Ewu-owo , Ikorodu, made some completely unacceptable comments about Igbo songs being sung in the church and unsavory 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 thorough investigation of the matter, relating to his ministry in the parish. The leave takes effect from Tuesday, 8th February, 2022, till further notice.
“We therefore urge all Catholic faithful to hold on to the faith and culture in our worship of God as one big family united in love and not separated by language, culture or race” , it added
