Tears flowed freely at the Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Nigeria on Wednesday, as its spiritual director, Fr Ejike Mbaka returned to address the adorers to be calm and peaceful.
The Catholic priest announced to the faithful that he will never come out for Mass until the Bishop approves it.
A video posted on Adoration official Facebook page shows the arrival of Fr Mbaka at the AMEN ground, to address thousands of Adoration faithful who have reportedly continued to converge at the ground on a daily basis since it was shutdown.
Fr. Mbaka reminded the crowd that closure of the Adoration was still in force, just as all activities remained suspended in obedience to the directive of Bishop Callistus Onaga.
“I’m a priest of the Catholic Church and the Bishop is my father, I swore an oath to obey him and his successors. I can not do otherwise,” he said.
Mbaka appealed with them to henceforth, stop castigating the Bishop or Enugu Catholic Church but to pray and bless them. He also urged them to continue praying for Peter Obi because he’s one of them, their brother and friend.
“I have come to bless you and to dismiss you, I don’t want you to go to the main road. I don’t want you to be pugnacious or to be cantankerous. I don’t want the adorers to be violent. I don’t want Adoration people to be classified as bandits for we’re not bandits. We’re obedient children of God, we love the mother church and the mother Church loves us so much.
“We appreciate our Bishop and henceforth, I want to order everybody here, to stop Insulting the Bishop. We can’t forget all his goodness to us.” “…this is a time we show our Bishop love, speak good of him, don’t write anything negative of him. To insult the Bishop is to insult me directly.”
“I will never come out here for Mass until the Bishop approves it.” They asked him why? He replied “don’t ask me why, because I’m a Catholic priest, I have to obey.”
The Cries of “Bishop have mercy on us and give us a date (to reopen adoration ministry)! We can’t do without adoration oh! Tamper justice with mercy! Bishop we’re pleading!” took over the entire adoration ground as Mbaka left.