Catholic priest suspended for banning the singing of Igbo songs and choruses in his church

NIGERIA'S Catholic Church has suspended Reverend Father James Anelu the parish priest of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church at Ewu-Owa Gberigbe in Ikorodu in Lagos State for banning Igbo songs and choruses during services.

In an unprecedented move, Reverend Father Anelu was reported to have banned Igbo songs and choruses in his parish, arguing that the excesses of Ndigbo must be contained. Apparently,  he had angrily stopped a soul-lifting chorus during the second collection, noting that Igbos cannot keep dominating other people in his Catholic parish.

He cited the case of his Benin Diocese where Igbos dominate to the point of becoming the bishop, allegedly claiming that the spirit of God recognises only geographical languages of the parish. Swiftly reacting to discriminatory move, the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Reverend Alfred Martins, directed the priest to proceed on an indefinite leave of absence.

In a letter dated February 7, Reverent Martins wrote: “It has been brought to our notice that Reverend Father 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. 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.

"This 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.”