The Catholic Church has berated priests for establishing ‘private ministries’, which it said operate contrary to the church’s guidelines, thereby causing disunity.

“The proliferation of private ‘ministries’ by some priests and lay faithful in our church is a matter of great concern,” the church said in a statement released on Friday after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) held from August 22 to 30 in Auchi Diocese, Edo State.

It added, “These ministries often tend towards unorthodox practices, causing scandal among the faithful, thereby hurting the unity of the church.”

The CBCN stated that apart from the unorthodox practices by the private ministries, the priests involved also lose focus on their responsibilities as spiritual leaders.

“Additionally, many of the priests involved in this trend become too distracted from their primary duty as pastors of souls,” it said.

It reaffirmed the church’s teaching and warned that priests who want to use their gifts or talents for the ministry do so under the guidance of the authorities.

The CBCN also warned the faithful to be cautious of individuals who claim to be Catholics but operate outside of church authority and use the ministry’s name without permission.

“We equally remind all, priests, religious, and lay faithful alike, that charisms are given to individuals in the church in order to build up the body of Christ. They are not to be used for selfish and self-serving glorification (cf. I Corinthians 12: 7-18).

“As pastors vested with the oversight function over the pastoral life of the church, we call on all who want to use their charisms for the church and not against her to submit themselves to the competent authority, abiding by the rules and regulations established by the church and Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria in this regard,” the CBCN stated.