Daniel UGWO

 

The Parish Priest, SS Peter & Paul Catholic Pro-Cathedral, Lagere, Ile-Ife; Rev. Fr. Dr. Peter Adeyemi has described the Catholic Church as one that has stood the test of time. In his relation with Christians on Sunday 9 November 2025, he noted that the Church is not a baby-Church.

While expatiating on his assertion, he noted that many Churches today are beautiful structurally but deep inside, they are full of impurities and deceptive teachings and actions. He affirmed that the real beauty of a Church is not a reflection of the quality marbles and the fat offering by the members but being a place where Christ is truly encountered. Relative to humans, he juxtaposes structurally beautiful place of worship to humans who may also appear beautiful outwardly however rotten inwardly.

According to Fr. Adeyemi, God lives in human, whom he considered His temple - He dwells in holy person. The body of a Christian must be kept clean from corruption in order to be a habitable place for God. He suggested a radical approached in getting rid of human bad habits, such as immorality and other sinful attributes which human acquired over time, rather than limiting effort to persuasion. The Priest added that many Christian’s attitudes today are not different from that of those polluting the Biblical temple of old while worrying that some Christians are unconscious of their actions such that they could bring refuse from their homes to dispose in the Church.

The Catholic Church according to him is not an auditorium. Speaking on the attitudes toward the tradition of the Church, Fr Adeyemi iterated that many Church traditions are dying yet faithful are undisturbed.   Some examples referenced by him are spiritual cleansing of self with holy water while making sign of cross at the entrance of the Church, genuflecting and others. He however encouraged Christians to allow the living grace of God to flow in them instead of unconsciously erecting a barrier which block the grace of God. The Pastor expects that when Christians come to the Church broken, they are expected to go home fixed.