Four men in the Nigerian diocese of Lokoja used forged documents to obtain ordination as deacons.
The diocese distanced itself from the ordinations conferred by the diocesan bishop in mid-July after it became known that the order to which the men allegedly belonged did not even exist.
“At no time were they known to be members of our diocese. After the ordination, they went to their community. We have nothing to do with any of them and were deceived,” reads the statement published by the published by the CISA agency.
The faithful had realised during the ordination service, but only after the ordination ceremony, that one of the candidates had previously pretended to be a priest and presided at masses.
The diocese will now “look for appropriate canonical steps to address the unfortunate situation”.