Investigations SATURDAY TELEGRAPH 19 SEPTEMBER 2015
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Long road to Catholic priesthood Priesthood is a calling. Becoming one, therefore, is not for everyone. The vocation requires someone committed to the Catholic Christian faith. Priests must know all about Catholic creed, and should serve as models, leading by example. But, doing so entails a significant amount of time and sacrifice as ISIOMA MADIKE and CHIJIOKE IREMEKA found out in this report
A cross-section of Catholic Priests
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PHOTO: theleaderassumpta.com
s a young child, Earnest Emordi, from Anambra State had fancied being a Catholic priest. He grew up hoping to realise this childhood dream but met with opposition from his father. In spite of that, he stubbornly went into the seminary but made a U-turn half way into celibacy. He realised, according to him, that becoming a Rev. Father was not his destiny. “It’s simply not my calling. “I discovered that I wasn’t meant to be there. At first instance, my parents, especially my father didn’t allow me to do that, but I did it on my own until I realised the place is not for me. “There are a number of hurdles there but you begin to know them when you are advancing in the programme. I had finished secondary school, got to second philosophy before I left. I had gone far.
When I left, my parents, of course, were happy. “It takes a total of 15 years to become a Catholic priest. A number of things happened that I felt there was no need for me to continue. These are things I can’t start saying now but I will say that it’s not an easy turf to be a Father.
Falling in love is a crime and having to show a woman love is the height of it
Isioma madike
Editor, INVESTIGATIONS isioma.madike@newtelegraphonline.com © Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited
“Today, I’m a graduate though, and I’m happy about that. Some people will leave the seminary and want to kill themselves but all that you have to do is to be focused and fix yourself into any other meaningful venture. I’m not the first to leave and will not be the last.” Athanasius Motouh, who works with the Department of State Security (DSS) and father of three, is another dropout from the Catholic seminary. He is today a graduate of history and international studies from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, in Anambra State. Just like Earnest, Motouh had wanted to become a Reverend Father of repute to fulfill his childhood aspiration. However, he could not continue with the programme as he realised along the line how unending such journey could be. Though, he had gone through the first stage, but like other young boys who cherished and desired to be priests, he had to quit when it dawned on him what task he was going into. Motouh jumped at the opportunity of becoming a Father but had
Cardinal John Onaiyekan
to leave when he suddenly understood that not to be what he really wanted in life. He said: “At the Seminary School, when one gets to a certain stage, believing to be mature, you would be briefed on the priestly mission you are embarking upon, especially the issue of marriage, love and sexual affiliation with any woman. In Catholic priesthood, falling in love is a crime and having to show a woman love is the height of it. “There are things that are better imagined than experienced. Being a Catholic priest takes a lot from you. When I discovered certain things about it, I didn’t want to continue again. “You know, as a child from primary school, I wasn’t yet matured enough to reason. It was later when I got to the spiritual stage that I began to understand it better. Nevertheless, they often would explain everything to us at every stage, asking whether you are still willing to continue or not. If you decide to continue at this stage, you will keep on considering it until the last stage before you are ordained. So, it was at the spiritual stage that I understood everything and I left. There is no regret.” Indeed, becoming a Catholic priest is much like studying for any other vocation. Participation in studies to become a priest does not obligate one to finally be one just like going to law school is not a guarantee that one must be a lawyer. Usually, to beCONTINUED ON PAGE 24