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CV NEWS FEED // A priest from Delta State, Nigeria, was suspended from the priesthood Jan. 16 for secretly getting married in the United States.
The Catholic Diocese of Warri announced the suspension of Father Daniel Okanatotor Oghenerukevwe in a statement signed by Bishop Anthony Ovayero Ewherido of Warri, The Street Journal reported.
Effective immediately, Fr. Oghenerukevwe is “prohibited from presenting himself as a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Warri in any capacity,” according to the statement.
The Diocese alleged that Fr. Oghenerukevwe married Dora Chichah Dec. 29, 2024, at the Streams of Joy Church in Dallas, Texas. The wedding video, widely circulated on social media by the bride’s sister, prompted the Diocese to take action against him.
Bishop Ewherido shared that Fr. Oghenerukevwe, who had been “out of active ministry and without any official assignment in the United States,” requested to be released from his canonical obligations related to Holy Orders in November 2024. However, despite the Diocese’s outreach for the necessary documentation to process his request, he proceeded with the December marriage before it was finalized.
The statement clarified that by marrying without proper procedures, Fr. Oghenerukevwe incurred a Latae Sententiae suspension under Canon 1394 §1. As a result, the Diocese officially barred him from performing any sacred ministry.
Bishop Ewherido’s statement concluded, “May God grant him the grace to reflect on this situation and guide him on the path of reconciliation.”
