RE: THE CANON LAW CANNOT BE MOCKED. BY MR. TERVER AKASE.

Points of correction from Fr. Mathias Orngu, OVM.

I was taken aback by your level of understanding. This only goes a long way to state why it is paramount that leaders surround themselves with critical minded persons in order to be successful.

In my piece where I cautioned you to be mindful of your leaking tongue, I never hesitated to mention very clearly that the church forbids her clergy from going into partisan politics without permission.

However, I went further to state unequivocally that engagement in partisan politics does not amount to laicization (dismissal) of a clergy. This I backed up strongly numerating the sections of Canon Law that have to do with offences that can warrant outright dismissal from the clerical state.

Your inability to understand that simple and straight forward presentation casts a shadow of doubt on many minds as to your mental ability to engage in sound discourse capable of helping your principal navigate through administrative landmines. No wonder he feels you are unfit to replace him in office.

You gave yourself a fat credit in what you think priests should be thinking. May I remind you very quickly Mr. Akase, that you are not a priest and can never be one, at least not in the Mother Church. You can only imagine the thinking patern of a priest which may remain a million miles apart from reality.

In that same shallow, baseless and shameless outing, bereaved of ecclesiastical quidity, you referred to Fr. Alia as an apostate priest. This singular expression betrays your claim of knowledge on issues of Catholicism. I beg that you stop feeding the public with Canonical and Doctrinal junks. Nemo dat quod non habet ( you cannot give what you don't have)

I explained to you in my earlier piece that Apostacy as known and understood by the teaching of the Mother Church is a grave offence. It has to do with total renunciation of ones faith in God and in the Mother Church and everything the Church stands for. The punishment for it is laicization and excommunication at the same time if the offender is a clergy of the first degree (sacerdotes).

So, where then lies your claim that I was selective in quoting the Canon Law to suite my narrative?

Now, the question hanging loose on many logical lips is, is Fr. Alia guilty of apostacy as you alleged? Is he an apostate priest as you referred to him in that piece? These were the careless and unknowledgeable statements you made that attracted our attention and warranted the note of caution.

As to your claim that the Governor takes the Catholic Church seriously and has done marvelous things for the church, you lack the locus to make such assertion. You are an unredeemable propagandist of this administration and therefore must never be a judge in your own case (Nemo iudex in causa sua) We do not hope to benefit from a vague system. Ex nihilo nihifit (out of nothing, nothing comes)

When the Church was carried along during the administrations of Akume and Suswam, it was very obvious and there was no room for arguments. Not now that those in government only go out there to receive the so called mega pastors who fly into the state in private jets but have the guts to look down on the rest of us.

When things were normal between the Church and the state, all Benue priests at home and in diaspora knew and felt the impact. We are no morons. Say these things to market women.

Your allegation that we have failed to advise Fr. Alia is unfounded. May I remind you Mr. Akase, that what we have told our colleague Fr. Alia in private is not meant for your consumption.

As to whether we want to turn the Catholic Church against the Governor, this is laughable. Catholics are among the unpaid civil servants in the state. They are among the dead and dying pensioners, they are also among those been killed through abject poverty just like every other person in the state. May I remind you Sir, that the laity feels the effect of bad administration more than us. Do we really need to tell them that some persons are kneeling on their neck with the intention to watch them die gradually but surely? Do we need to tell them that these persons killing them are being defended by propagandist and that you are one of them? Our people are not that timid. They know you guys.

Having said that, I must maintain here that I regret joining issues with you. It was not necessary. But note it down that we are no fools.

Engage Fr. Alia positively. He is into a contest with you. But when you say the wrong things about him and the Church, you would leave us with no option than to step in here and tell our people the right thing.

For instance, were we supposed to keep quiet and allow you teach people wrongly about the doctrine of apostacy? Or were we to keep quiet and listen to you drag the Blessed Virgin Mary into the political ring? Your claim to have been educated by the Catholic Church is to be further examined.

Have a good day.