Popular Catholic priest, Rev. Fr Chinenye Oluoma, has clashed on social media with another supposed priest identified on Facebook as Revd Harrison Ayintete, over a congratulatory message to Muslims on Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
Oluoma had, in a Facebook post earlier on Wednesday, congratulated Muslims as they celebrate this year’s Sallah.
Reacting to Oluoma’s message, Revd Ayintete wondered why the renowned cleric would felicitate with the Muslims on Sallah day.
“Just curious, after these good wishes, how will you share the gospel of Jesus with them?
“I mean, do you endorse their faith and at the same time affirm your faith as the only way or all faiths are the same or affirming their faith warm them up to your faith [sic].
“Just trying to understand how this civility works?” Ayintete asked.
In a swift response, Oluoma slammed Ayintete, saying the priest was concealing his bigotry and intolerance of the Muslim faith with what looked like questions.
According to him, the Catholic Church has a positive and proactive interreligious posture and gesture, insisting that the church extends hands of solidarity and love to people of other faiths.
Oluomo’s response reads: “Revd Harrison Ayintete, firstly, I don’t think you intend to ask questions; you are actually concealing your bigotry or intolerance of the Muslim faith with what look like questions. Secondly, the Catholic Church has a positive and proactive interreligious posture and gestures. What this means is that the Catholic Church extends its hands of solidarity and love to people of other faiths.
“We may not endorse or believe in what they believe in, but we do recognize that certain aspects of their faiths resonate with ours, and we believe there are fertile grounds for commonality and cooperation. The Catholic Church respects the beliefs of others. Wishing them well on their religious feasts is a gesture of respect and love.
“Finally, I have a number of them here who listen to my preaching even though they are not Christians. So I advise you to take some time to engage in comparative religious studies. Above all, affiliation of our Christian faith doesn’t preclude respect for the faith of others.”
