The consistent Rev. Father Patrick Edet, of the Catholic Diocese of
Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, who hosts a weekly Christian programme ‘Grace and
Inspiration’ in Akwa Ibom state has recently dropped a rude shock to all
in the state by declaring his resignation.
After 11 years of service, Rev. Father Patrick Edet made his resignation known in his usual programme on Planet 101.1FM.
The Catholic Priest noted that peace has long departed from him and there was need for him to take the immediate action.
On that live programme, he said:
“On 31 of July, I resigned from my services, my duties and obligations as a Catholic priest.
“I ceased to be a Catholic priest in my thinking, in my spirit, in my soul, (and) in my body.
“Yesterday, the 1st of August, was my first day outside the laws, the regulations, (and) the authority of the Catholic church.
“In my mind, every law that bound me bound me because I submitted myself to the Catholic Church as an institution.
“Having submitted my resignation letter to my authorities in the
Catholic Church, in my spirit, soul and body, I am free from every law
that guided me. I submit myself to one authority – God,” he said.“Peace has been taken away from me for years. I live in fear and in
doubt. Sometimes I doubt myself – am I really right, am I in the right
place.”
Rev. Father Edet’s shocking resignation from ministry is hinged on
the constraint he has to develop an intimate relationship with God. He
complained that Catholic had not given enough space to explore service
to God fully.
“A box is already made for you and you cannot go outside that
box,” he noted.“You cannot know God beyond that box. You cannot express God beyond
that box. And any attempt for you to go beyond that box brings you
label.“The God that I have discovered in life is a God that cannot be fully
known. That God is a God that cannot be fully predicted and cannot be
fully captured in human expression otherwise he will cease to be a
mystery. That is a God I have come to accept as my God.“I have come to realise that serving that God you need freedom. When that freedom is limited you cannot fully serve that God.
“Each time I tried to cross the line, the thing I meet crushes me on
the inside and makes me feel guilty. But I cannot stop doing it. There’s
a pull inside of me telling me there is more, and life was meant to be
more and that more is found in freedom in God”, the priest further
mentioned.
On the repercussions of leaving church, he is precise about an anticipated end for himself.
“The reason I am doing this is that I want to be right with God first. I want to go to heaven when I die.
“It is not the Church that called me, it is God who called me that is
above the Church, and my interest is to be right with Him first and
have peace with Him first”, he ended