Catholic Priest Fathers Four Children

By Dickson Adeyanju

Religious Affairs Correspondent, The Guardian Newspaper

CATHOLIC priests are celibates. But once in a while, there are hushed rumours of some of them having affairs. Here in Nigeria, there is the case of one of the priest who has been confirmed as not only having an affair but has actually fathered four children.

The priest is Rev. Fr. Rufus Pariola, of the Ekiti diocese of the church.

Currently on an indefinite suspension, Father had all the children from one woman. .Although one of the children is said to have died, the other three are alive. The youngest of them is a 17-year old girl.

Father Pariola who is in his seventies may however find it difficult to return to active priesthood as he is expected to retire after attaining 75 years as stipulated by the canon law of the church.

The bishop of Ekiti diocese of the church, Most Rev. Michael Fagun who confirmed the development to The Guardian On Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, said it took him four months to investigate and establish the facts of the matter. He said celibacy is voluntary but anyone who decided to enter into it must take the vow very seriously.

He explained: "We in the Catholic Church, we have our principles of operation and the Catholic Church, right from the third century, made regulations. Those who will be leaders in the church are expected to make the sacrifice of being celibate. And so it became a law in the ninth century that any priest of the Catholic Church must be a celibate and if you are not ready to accept it, you leave it. Fr. Pariola is one of our priests, ordained and he worked in Ekiti diocese. Unfortunately, we discovered he was not following this principle and that is why we suspended him."

Also in conformity with the church’s regulations, Fr. Pariola has been moved out of his diocese to a secluded place in another diocese.

Accordingly, the bishop of Ondo diocese, Most Rev. Francis Alonge agreed to take Pariola and placed him in a preaching station in a town, aboiut 30 killometres from Akure. There, he is expected to continue his penance until the people of his diocese whom Fagun said feel scandalised, decide to accept him back.

The woman who had the children for him resides in Ibadan, while some of the children are in school in Lagos.

Fr. Pariola hails from Efon-Alaye in Ondo State.

Bishop Fagun said the church has no responsibility towards the children, saying "the children are very innocent. The parents are guilty, both father and mother. They are both criminals as far as the church is concerned and compensation or what I will say is that arrangements should be made to see that the children don’t suffer." He also described Fr. Pariola conduct as appalling.

"It was like a thunderbolt. I wasn‘t expecting it and never suspected it and he being an elder in this area, he was somebody we all looked up to. So it was devastating and no one was not shocked among us. But it was a sorry incident. Again we are all human", Fagun said even as he described the priest as a hardworking.

A priest who specialised in Canon law who spoke to The Guardian On Sunday about the incident said, no further sanction would be taking against Fr. Pariola since he is not legally married to the woman.

"When we talk of this thing is like talking of infidelity in a marriage. What sanction can really be imposed on you by your wife or your parents? Since the priest involved did not take the woman as his lawful wife, the only sanction that can be imposed on him is what he is presently facing that is, all his priestly functions are taken away from him as he undergoes the penance. He will go through it, seeking God’s face in repentance until such a time when his people in his diocese agree that his sins are over".

"You see, in our vocation, it is a very serious offence to deliberately contravene the celibacy law because you voluntarily go into it. So no matter how close you are to your bishop, it is such a serious offence, sufficient enough for him to disown him," the priest added.

http://www.nigeriamasterweb.com/nmwpg1cathpriest.html
JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSS CCCCCCCCHRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIST! WICKED

Olu, please take it easy with the Catholic threads. The ones you've posted so far are pretty much on the same topic. Stick to one or two ehn. Gracias.

Arü me re Okoye!!!

Jesoul whats ur business with the thread he have to open. The fact that u re a mod doesn't mean u have the right to act foolishly

^I'll take that as a compliment 

Abuzola, welcome back. I see you made your grand return with guns blazing, poised to become "our worst nightmare" as your signature declares. So where have you been? in training camp? 

---

OLULAW:

Hola JeSoul, muchas gracias. Ahora voy a tomar un descanso

Gracias senor. entonces ¿por qué los católicos hacen tan enojado?

OLULAW:
Hola señora, yo no odio a los católicos. Sin embargo, me gusta la hipocresía institucional. Creo que estoy enamorado de usted ya ,  pero espero que no eres un católico. Sin embargo, si es así, entonces espero que usted no es un hipócrita.

Sir Olu, estoy escribiendo con la ayuda de traductor Google - mi español es muy básico. Me imaginé que no odio a los católicos, los que odio la hipocresía que he mencionado que en el otro hilo. Y no, yo no soy católico lol.

And I think its against the rules to write in a different language so we can go back to english now, I've reached my spanish capabilities anyways

En serio? whereabouts Beantown?

No, me estaba pidiendo. Estoy en el Reino Unido. Por lo tanto, a mi pregunta, otra vez. Si es usted con sede en Boston, MA?

oh bien. Sí, estoy en Boston. ¿Cómo es el Reino Unido en estos días?

_{usted me está haciendo uso de las horas extraordinarias traductor Google! lol}

Spanish ? Thats interesting.

@mod- training camp for what ?

But u said u are staying for long. What are u still doing till now

Abuzola !:

Spanish ? Thats interesting.

@mod- training camp for what ?

Abuzola !:
@mod- training camp for what ?

Me I dunno oh which camp you went. You came back guns blazing lashing out left and right. I can only assume you've been in training to up your game here in this section abi no be so?

U and dis ur grammar, how can i say am staying long and am obliging yet u find it faulty, don't make me fall with laughter

@madam new mod:- i don't need training to blast any section. And if i may ask where did u see my bullet and fire in the air,

Abuzola !:

U and dis your grammar, how can i say am staying long and am obliging yet u find it faulty, don't make me fall with laughter

U arent serious. Was a typo error, trust u dont want me to start with u like b4. What are u still doing till now?

Heye, see this toba guy o, so na for ur hand i buy ticket abi ? For ur info am pausing and then continuing, ka ji ko ?

Abuzola !:

Heye, see this toba guy o, so na for your hand i buy ticket abi ? For your info am pausing and then continuing, ka ji ko ?

WTH are u talking about? Im not hausa speak what i can understand

If u are confused then comot for road make i pass, i ve no dime time 4 ya. Lo

Abuzola !:

If u are confused then comot for road make i pass, i ve no dime time 4 ya. Lo

U still havent changed. Ill live u today. BTW i feel like marrying one of ur sisters in islam. Do i stand a chance as a xtian?

And Who is that ?

But this is an old story from 2001 ! [http://www.nigeriamasterweb.com/nmwpg1cathpriest.html]

Typical Nigerian reasoning. Crimes committed 20 years ago can still hunt the perpetrator (Iyan ogun odun a maa jo ni l'owo). Many cases of Roman Catholic clerical sexual abuse in Australia, Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, etc, went to court and were successfully prosecuted 20-30 years after the indecent incidents took place. So what's your point?

mamnustwac:

Typical Nigerian reasoning. Crimes committed 20 years ago can still hunt the perpetrator (Iyan ogun odun a maa jo ni l'owo). Many cases of Roman Catholic clerical sexual abuse in Australia, Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, etc, went to court and were successfully prosecuted 20-30 years after the indecent incidents took place. So what's your point?

Sorry, but no. It's not "typical" Nigerian reasoning as you say. I only said this to put the report in context, in case someone missed it. Don't you think it a bit deceptive that the original poster did not mention that (innocuous?) fact? A 2001 event is not exactly the same as a 2010 event. Granted, it remains a serious matter, context is important, don't you think?

the man is in his seventies.

leave him alone.

he didnt rob a bank and neither is he a terrorist.