The Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Alfred Martins, has directed Rev Fr James Anelu, the Priest-in-Charge of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Enu-owa, Ikorodu, to proceed on indefinite leave of absence for banning Igbo songs and choruses in his parish.
It was gathered that he angrily stopped a soul-lifting chorus during the second collection, stating that Igbos cannot keep dominating other tribes in his parish.
In a letter which was issued on Monday, February 7, the Archbishop of Lagos Diocese, Alfred Martins, 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 the common brotherhood of peoples of all tribes and religions.
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“For this reason, he has been asked to proceed on an indefinite leave of absence to give an opportunity for a thorough investigation of all the matters relating to his ministry on the parish. The leave of absence takes effect from Tuesday, February 8, 2021, till further notice
“We, therefore, urge all Catholic faithful to hold on to the faith and continue in worship of God as one big family united and not separated by language, culture, or race.”
