Catholic Archbishop emeritus of Lagos, Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, has declared that the Catholic Church does not run on tithes.
The former President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), made the remark while noting that Catholic church had never taught that God’s blessings depended on tithe paying.
Okogie was reacting to a statement credited to the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, who had said that looters normally take their proceeds of loot to church.
Okogie stressed that no Catholic Bishop has a private jet. Not even the Pope.
The Bishop emeritus said: “Anyone who has a faint idea of how the Catholic Church is run would know that the Catholic Church does not run on tithes. She has never taught that God’s blessings depend on tithes. No Catholic Bishop in this country has a private jet.
“Not even the Pope has one. But an uninformed state governor, notorious for being insolent, described the Bishop’s intervention as the wailing of religious leaders who no longer have access to tithes because of this government’s anti-corruption fight.
“True friends tell each other the truth. There cannot be sincere friendship where there is no truth. Those who are telling our President the truth are his true friends. Those who are shielding him from the truth while insulting those who tell him the truth are his real enemies.
“By insulting well-meaning Nigerians who happen to disagree with policies of government, they are not winning friends for the President. They are in fact helping to grow the rank and file of the angry. Whoever loves this President would want him to succeed. Whoever wants him to succeed must tell him the truth. For if he fails, Nigeria fails.”