[OPINION] Why A Catholic Priest Cursed A Confessed Sinner, By Anayo Nwosu

Rev. Father Ntioyi would not always blame Satan for making humans to sin. He believed that a man was also to blame for his sinful acts.

But, why married men in his parish repeatedly confessed the sin of adultery was a big concern to him. Do they not listen to his regular preaching against adultery and fornication?

The youth were not left out in this particular sin of the flesh.

The priest would feel downcast after each confession period. He would feel like using  cotton bud to cleanse his spiritual ears.

Fr. Ntioyi was becoming discouraged.

He was starting to feel that his words from the pulpit were not being accompanied by human changing power of God or Rhema.

For how long would Fr. Ntioyi admonish his flock and quote Proverb 15:8 to them, that "the LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but he delights in the prayers of the upright"?

He must do something differently and, that he did.

Many parishioners assembled in the church for the usual Confession session. And Fr. Ntioyi as usual, took a seat in his confessionary which is a cubicle where the priest could hear but not see the face of the confessor. He put in his stole  around his neck ready to hear and forgive the sins of his congregation as empowered by the Church.

The proceedings were going as usual until Mr. John Thomas, also known as Mr. J.T, approached the confessionary.

Mr. J.T had barely started confessing his sins when the reverend father shouted to the disruptive surprise of all in the church, "not again, I won't forgive this one, you shall rot in hell. Gerrrrt out of here !"

The livid priest could tell from the remarkable voice of the confessor who the he was .This man was there a week before to confess adultery and he was forgiven and this time around he wanted a perpetual reprieve. What a boldness!

Would you blame the priest?

Mr. John Thomas, a successful lawyer in the town, had asked the priest not only to forgive his multiple adultery he committed within the week, but to obtain from God on his behalf, a perpetual forgiveness and mercy for "this only sin" he had found difficult to stop.

Mr. John Thomas' salvation, I suppose should commence by his first changing his name.

People become the symbols of their names.

John or Thomas standing alone, are saintly names but the combination of these two beautiful names results in adulterous tendencies in the name bearers.

From the reverend father's estimation, he, the priest,was the only one left out in this adulterous contagion.

Numerous communicants including some reverend sisters and brothers were guilty. It is a settled conviction that the person who looks, touches, embraces with sex thoughts in his mind is a guilty as the person does it conclusively or physical. That “only the cap entered” does  make person “cap” guilty. He is “full” guilty.

But Fr. Ntioyi couldn’t remember ever hearing the confession of his catechist. He has a deep suspicion  that his catechist was guilty too otherwise, why would the catechist choose to travel to a distant parish for confession?

The catechist too knew his boss inside out.

He too had heard, as he walked past Fr. Ntioyi’s bedroom, some unholy and partly discernible moaning phrases like “do it to me”, “I will never leave you !”, “you are so sweet!”, and “you are all I need in life!” This happened whenever Sr. Perpetua, the principal of the convent school visited. Same too, when Mama  Paul, a parishioner and a decent widow in her early thirties came to the parish house to greet the man of God.

Could the prevalent fornication and adultery be the reason why there has not been many miraculous testimonies by the congregation in Fr. Ntioyi’s church?

Why would there be a miracle when the people of God are busy shouting “oh my God!”, “kill me let me die!”, “you are all I need” etc. in their bed rooms, hotel suites and even in the parish house?

How would God answer the prayers of a congregation where the parishioners and their priest are busy enjoying the fruits of their flesh?