Trust Uzodimma, the legislative leader of Imo State, has spoke to Catholic ministers and diocese supervisors that clerics quit involving platforms as mission rallies.
The lead representative likewise urged the ministers to caution clerics against utilizing the podium to offer incendiary comments.
The lead representative encouraged the ministry to take utilization of the gathering’s chance to reaffirm the Church’s objectivity in his discourse during the initial function of the 2022 Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, which was held in Orlu on Sunday.
While Uzodimma didn’t protest church individuals standing in opposition to social shameful acts and scrutinizing state run administrations, he accepted they shouldn’t engage in legislative issues.
The governor said, “Your Graces and Lordships, permit me to also point out, with every sense of responsibility, that I do not think it is right for some members of the clergy to convert God’s house and the pulpit to the soap box for campaigns for their preferred candidates or parties in an election season or anytime in the election cycle.
“Sadly, this has become the norm in many of our churches. My worry is that if the church drags itself into partisan politics, then it would have lost its moral authority to pontificate because it has made itself an interested party.
“Indeed, the church cannot be in the moral pedestal to preach against certain conducts of the society if it has not gone through purification by purging itself of those who are diminishing its authority. I believe that true sanctification can only come when the church presents itself as a living testament of good, impartial and temperate conduct. It is my sincere hope that one of your resolutions from this conference will be to condemn members of the clergy who use their positions and the church for political ends.
“In the same vein, some priests under your watch have through inciting sermons also taken it upon themselves to inflame passions, instead of abating them. In addition, I have noticed with dismay that some members of the clergy have also become open canvassers for separatism and secession. Sadly, they also use the sacred pulpit to do this. This should not be the case. The need for the church to remain on high moral standards includes abstaining from fiery comments that seem to highlight and promote our differences rather than on the things that unite us,” the statement read in part.