Rev. Fr. James Anelu exits Holy Trinity to nowhere - ITREALMS

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Parishioners of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church Ewu-Owa, Gberigbe, Ikorodu, Archdiocese of Lagos, are now having a breath of fresh air following the vacation order given to the irritant Igbo bigot, Rev. Fr. James Anelu.

A borrowed Catholic Priest from Auchi Diocese, Fr. Anelu, had on February 6, 2022 committed a liturgical aberration by banning Igbo songs in his ministerial post at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Ewu-Owa mid-way in the Sunday Mass.

Following the viral video of the irascible act in the social media, Archbishop Adewale Martins of Lagos Diocese, placed Fr. James Anelu on immediate suspension.

Several weeks later, Fr. Anelu was brought back to remedy the situation to the chagrin of most parishioners.

Not surprisingly, the adamant priest continued with his irritant behaviours, and much more. At the St. Timothy outstation of the Parish, Fr. Anelu re-enacted his banning of Igbo songs. Also in the Holy week of the past Easter activities, he embarrassed a lady chorister for raising Igbo song during a solemn procession.

Thereafter, Rev. Fr. James Anelu went after Ndi-Anambra Igbo elements in the Catholic Youths Organisation of Nigeria - CYON within the parish. He made phantom allegations against them and kept on cursing them from the altar up to a point that one of them was picked up by a police special squard in a very suspicious manner.

The event spewed up petitions to the Dean, and several church organisations, resulting to disenchantment and desertion.

Then again, he began to tear down the rank and file of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Hear of Mary Society for blocking him from enthroning an altar in the home of an influential Knight of St Mulumba who is not a bona fide member.

These and many orders doctrinal aberrations of Rev. Fr. James Anelu are properly reported by several concerned parishioners to the Church hierarchies.

Unfortunately, the defiant Priest brags that no one has the power and authority to bend him. At recent wakes of two of the parishioners, he quipped within the homilies that though a priest, he has a right to his way of life.

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And so, when the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos Special Circular of August 2022 No. 119.1 showed that a new priest has been assigned to the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Ewu-Owa, most parishioners began to shout out congratulatory messages to one another. This is more so as they discovered that the irritant priest was not, like others on transfer, assigned to any parish. This to them, is a diplomatic way of Paul sending Onesimus back to Philemon.

It has been the open prayers of majority of the well-meaning parishioners that Rev. Fr. James Anelu should never be allowed to happen to any Catholic Parish at all.

*Contributed by Ike Odudu from Lagos/Editor