The Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry Enugu, Nigeria (AMEN), Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, has refuted claims that he described African ancestors as saints or called for the preservation of the idols they worshipped.
Addressing his congregation during a service at the Adoration Ground in Enugu, the fiery Catholic priest clarified that his earlier remarks were misunderstood and taken out of context.
“A few weeks ago, I was talking about false accusations against our ancestors. Don’t misunderstand me — I was not saying our ancestors were all saints,” Fr. Mbaka explained.
He firmly stated that he would never promote idolatry, declaring: “I never meant that, and neither did I say the idols they worshipped should be sustained — never. I can never be an apostle for the promotion of idolatry. I have only one omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient God.”
Fr. Mbaka further stressed that he neither confirmed nor denied that certain challenges in families could be traced to ancestral backgrounds. Instead, he said his message was focused on avoiding generalizations and false accusations.
Concluding his address, he prayed: “Lord, save me, save the Adoration Ministry, save Fr. Mbaka. Isaiah 38:20 — and God is always ready to save.”
