The Catholic Diocese of Gboko in Benue State has announced the suspension of one of its Reverend Fathers, Hyacinth Jormen Alia, following reports that he joined the 2023 gubernatorial race in Benue State.
A copy of the suspension letter seen by THE WHISTLER and dated May 20, 2022, said Father Alia had been suspended from “holy ministry” after a “series of exhortations to him” to abide by a rule of the Roman Catholic Church that prohibits all clerics from doing partisan politics.
Father Alia reportedly registered as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and chose the party’s 50 million naira Benue governor forms.
While rolling out his seven-point plan for Benue’s development in early May, the cleric said, “Benue is broken enough and it’s time to fix it. I joined partisan politics to save the state from collapse,” adding that “social justice will be upheld, in the context of ‘One Benue, One Brotherhood’.
But in the letter to all priests, religious leaders and congregation, the Catholic Bishop of Gboko Diocese, Willam Avenya, said Father Alia had been barred from public ministry until “he ceases to be in contumacy. (stubborn refusal to obey or conform to authority)”.
The letter reads in part: “I am writing to communicate to you the suspension of my priest, the Reverend. Pr. Jacinthe Jormen ALIA, from the public ministry after a series of warnings to him Ex can. 1371.2 CIC.
“The Mother Church does not allow its clerics to become involved in Ex Can partisan politics alone. 285, 3 CICs. You know that my son, your brother and your priest bought the party forms to compete for governorship of Benue State under the All Progressives Congress (APC) which is totally against our vocation.
“Therefore, to meet the spiritual and pastoral needs of the Church in the Catholic Diocese of Gboko, I have suspended him from the exercise of sacred ministry.
“This canonical suspension takes effect from the moment it is communicated to him and lasts until he ceases in absentia.”
