Why I Left Catholic Priesthood To Become Traditional Worshiper- Ex-Ordained Catholic Priest

In primary school, I was coerced away from practicing African traditional religion. Missionaries noticed I wasn’t attending church and dispatched their representatives to interrogate me.

Despite my belief in traditional worship, they convinced me that practicing both religions was possible. With their encouragement, I started attending church.

God seemed to have intervened in my life when a Catholic priest sponsored my education and reconnected me with the church after primary school.

Despite being a mission boy, I sought guidance from a diviner about my future and was told that I was destined to become a priest. I followed this path, but eventually, I departed from the church due to the unkind actions of Christians and Muslims.

Oh, this is quite a lengthy tale. It all began in 1973 when I enrolled at St Kizito’s Minor Seminary in Ede, Osun State. Subsequently, in 1977, I proceeded to SS Peter and Paul Catholic Seminary in Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State.

In 1981, I journeyed to Rome together with the current Bishop of Oyo Diocese, Emmanual Badejo. We pursued our seminary education and attained a university degree there. Upon our return to Nigeria, I was ordained in 1985 and served for 15 years before leaving in 2000.

At some point, I realized that the priesthood was not my true calling. However, I couldn’t simply leave without careful consideration.

From the start, I never saw myself as someone who could live a celibate lifestyle, which is why I was taken aback when I found myself drawn to priesthood and even consulted a diviner about it. Over time, I began to feel envious of married individuals, and that is all I can disclose on the matter.

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Source: Punch Newspaper