By Charles Igwe
The Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, has expressed strong condemnation over a viral video depicting masquerades mimicking Catholic clerics and engaging in a parody of Eucharistic rituals. In a formal statement dated January 16, 2025, the prelate described the act as a “blasphemous display” that undermines the sanctity of the Eucharist and Catholic worship.
The video, which has sparked widespread outrage among Catholics, shows individuals dressed in liturgical vestments, pretending to be bishops, priests, and Mass servers during an Eucharistic procession. The masquerades reportedly performed blessings with the monstrance, an act reserved exclusively for ordained Catholic clergy.
Archbishop Ugorji emphasized the central role of the Eucharist in Catholic faith, declaring it a sacred and priceless gift in which Christ is fully and entirely present. He lamented the decision to reduce such a profound symbol to “an object of entertainment and public ridicule.”
“We take exception to those blasphemous displays that hurt the religious sensibilities of Catholics across the world and condemn them in the strongest terms as disrespectful, provocative, and unacceptable,” the Archbishop stated.
The Archbishop further warned the perpetrators to desist from such acts or face the wrath of God, quoting Galatians 6:7: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
Archbishop Ugorji, who also serves as President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), called on all Catholics and the public to uphold respect for sacred rites and symbols. The statement reinforces the Church’s commitment to preserving the dignity of its practices and protecting its core beliefs from sacrilege.
