Patrick Edet, the Nigerian priest, who a year ago announced on radio his resignation from the Catholic Church, is set to marry.
Mr. Edet has been running his own church, the Grace Family, since he left the Catholic fold in July 2017.
He had been a Catholic priest for more than 11 years.
A source close to the clergy told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Edet has fixed March 17 as his wedding date. The clergy broke the news in the church, Tuesday, about his planned wedding, this newspaper was told.
“They (are) have engaged already,” the source said.
The name of the bride-to-be is Inyene, said to be from Itam in Itu Local Government Area of the state.
She was teaching in a private nursery/primary school along Oron Road, Uyo, before the priest withdrew her from work, this newspaper learnt.
Information about Mr. Edet’s engagement has once again put him in the spotlight, especially in Akwa Ibom where he comes from.
“I really think we should learn to mind our business. Someone freely left the priesthood in order ‘to be free’; he now freely chooses a wife-to-be, what’s your business? He is not a priest anymore!” a Catholic priest, Patrick Udotai, wrote on Facebook, Thursday.
“I have been fuming about people trying to make news out of no news. Let the guy live his life for God’s sake,” another Catholic priest, Justin Udomah, commented on Mr. Udotai’s post.
“He loves publicity. He created a superstar image for himself. He cannot enjoy any private life because he opted for it. I pray for him and those he is deceiving,” another Catholic priest, Richard Edet, commented.
PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately reach the former Catholic priest for his reaction.
His phone lines were switched off on Saturday afternoon when this paper tried to reach him. The text messages sent to his phones weren’t delivered as at the time of filing this report.
When Mr. Edet announced his resignation from Catholic Church, he said “I ceased to be a Catholic priest in my thinking, in my spirit, in my soul, (and) in my body.
“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.
“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,” he had said.
He had also said that being a Catholic priest didn’t give him enough space to serve God.
“A box is already made for you and you cannot go outside that box.
“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,” he said.
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