“I regret any moment I openly criticize the Catholic Church because I
didn’t have to. Sometimes saying things I didn’t have to say. I realized this
because my heart has moved on. Then I used to say I didn’t have to and
sometimes I used to feel guilty thereafter. Part of the reasons I had to speed
up my leaving is that I don’t have to end up causing more harm to the system
that had given me opportunity to reach where I am today. I will live forever
grateful. From the moment I gave my resignation, my conscience is so clear and
I have so much peace in my soul. For the 11 years and 6-7months I have been a
Catholic priest, I never worked in any place seeking what I wanted. Anywhere I
have ever been posted to I never ate food from the place without giving to the
place. Any place that I ever worked I always left the place better than I
met. I have never fully done what
expected me to do because I have made several mistakes, some known by people,
some never known by man but only known by God. I used to travel to Lagos to
honour mass appointment and the offering would be N800 (eight hundred Naira). I
have driven from Port Harcourt, from Aba, Owerri just to come and celebrate
mass and the offering would be less than N500 (five hundred Naira). I have
never worked for me. When I was called, I didn’t have anything. I just want to
say thank you to the God who saved me. There are many people in Catholic Church
who never believed in me and who stopped people from associating with me. They
were right because I never really fit in to their own standard and judgment.
And there are many people who believed in me. They were right because they saw
that I was speaking the truth and I believed in God.
“I will always be a companion, a teacher if you give me permission. For
all those who followed me because of being a Catholic priest, they were just religious
fans. I always believed and I always discouraged those who tell me I am proud
of you as a Catholic priest because I have never really seen myself as a
Catholic priest. I have always seen myself as a messenger of God’s word and I
should be relevant to every church, every denomination and every religion. And
so for those who followed me because of church, I love you. I will always miss
the company we had. I hope one day you will see me beyond church. And we will
be able to sit again, and we will talk. I will never ask anybody to join my
church. And in the future I will never ask anybody to leave his church. It will
always be about Jesus in our meetings, in our gatherings. And for those who
actually believed in me and followed me because they believe that I have the
word of God, I welcome you to the new level where we will sit down and study
the word of God and preach without any fear that somebody is monitoring what we
say and report to authorities for judgment. I am so happy that I’m free. I am
so free to know God, to love God and to serve God and to listen to God first
and to trust God that when I die He alone will judge me. All of us shall stand
and answer for ourselves. For those who rejoice that I have left, I think the
best thing to rejoice about is that your names are written in the book of life.
I wish that everybody will seek to know God and serve God. That all of us shall
stand on the day of judgment and receive approval and we will rejoice together,
no longer as those who watch out for the fall of others but as coworkers in the
community of God in heaven.”
Mr. Patrick Edet, I do'nt have the right to Judge you. However the bible says by their fruit you shall know them. I beleive that you have the whole opportunities in this world to serve God in catholic church and make heaven.I also think that your problem is that you do not want anybody to control you.you want be incharge and do your things in your own way. That is rather unfortunate.I hope you know this is a clear case of insubordination. The word you are now proclaiming that made you leave the church, was received in the church. The annointing is also received in the church. So what is that you own that you want to give outside the church? I hope you have not forgotten the case of Father Azumili or Bishop Milingo.I pray that God will direct well.The endurance suppose to give you God's approval.
ReplyDeleteNobody is judging anybody here. Come back to the fold anytime you are ready, and pls don't let that time be long. The longer you stay out there in the cold, the harder it becomes to find your way back. I miss the fact that you are gone, I wouldn't like anyone to leave the fold. I know that the Bible says that there are ways that seem right unto a man but the end thereof .... There are many people who say the are right and aligned with God. The true test is to be obedient, whether to the Roman , pentecostal, methodist. ...whichever you started from. Christ is Christ. So if it is a matter of 'be on myown' that is the problem. It started with Martin Luther and it has never stopped. It will not but who are those with God, fulfilling His divine purpose? Christ was obedient unto death. Obedience is better than sacrifice. The Children of the Church have always persecuted each other. The test of sainthood is the ability to obey, irrespective of challenges and issues. How do you leave your house, family house, your property to abandonment because family members and associates do what you do not like or hurt you.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you Fr. Edet. I look forward to hearing that you are back in the fold. And when Gd directs, please don't hold back. Go back to ask to hear from Him.