Former Catholic Priest and lecturer at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Prof Pius Abioje, recently shared his reasons for leaving the priesthood to engage in traditional worship.
According to Abioje, he was deceived into joining Christianity and becoming a priest, but as he matured, he began to feel that the doctrines he preached did not align with his beliefs.
Abioje stated that he never saw himself as being celibate and that he began to envy married people, which made him question his calling as a priest. He also revealed that it took him some time to leave the priesthood because he could not just rush out of it.
Abioje began his journey in the priesthood in 1973 at St Kizito’s Minor Seminary in Ede, Osun State. He later attended SS Peter and Paul Catholic Seminary in Bodija, Ibadan in 1977, and eventually went to Rome with the current Bishop of Oyo Diocese, Emmanuel Badejo, where they completed their seminary training with a university degree. Abioje was ordained in 1985 and left the priesthood in 2000, 15 years after his ordination.
In conclusion, Abioje’s experience shows the complexity of the decision to become a priest and the challenges that can arise when beliefs and doctrines clash.
