By Stephen Ejiofo
Oliver Ekene Nwosu, who was invalidly ordained priest in the Catholic Diocese of Morogoro in Tanzania, sequel to his dismissal after diaconate ordination, Sunday being Pentecost, publicly apologized to the Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, for erring and attempting to ridicule the Bishop.
He, alongside his widowed mother were at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Awka, where he admitted to have wronged the Bishop.
He pleaded with the Awka Diocesan Chief Shepherd to forgive him and said he knew that the bishop had the power to forgive him.
According to Bishop Ezeokafor, Nwosu had approached him last week in his office to seek his pardon for wrongfully attempting to ridicule his person in the face of the public.
He also disclosed that Nwosu had in 2016, approached him with information of his belonging to a congregation outside the diocese, which, however, was not substantive in Catholic church at the time, adding that he had accepted to ordain him in the diocese if he met standard requirements of the Catholic church.
The Awka Chief Shepherd noted that after Nwosu’s diaconate ordination, he had been dispensed/suspended for being found wanting in some aspects, a development which disqualified him from continuing in the order of ministerial priesthood.
However, Nwosu traveled to faraway Tanzania and was ordained a Catholic priest in another diocese which was later declared invalid by that same diocese and Vatican, sequel to some evidence and communication exchanges between the two bishops, which led to the nullification of his priesthood in line with the doctrine and tradition of the Catholic Church.
Last year, the enraged priest took to the social media to insult, castigate and ridicule Bishop Ezeokafor, a wrong move that he now regrets.
The bishop, who publicly accepted his apology, said he had insisted that Nwosu brought the apology to the public since the embarrassment, blackmail and mudslinging was made in the social media and other traditional media platforms, by the same priest.
Speaking with newsmen after the Episcopal High Mass to commemorate Pentecost Sunday, the bishop reiterated his commitment to reconciliation, adding that the matter has gone beyond him, as the church hierarchy in Vatican will have to decide the future of the Mr Oliver Nwosu in the catholic priesthood.
