The Laroo-Pece Division Member of Parliament, Fr Charles Onen, has revealed plans to return to active Church ministry years after he was suspended for joining elective politics.
Fr Onen was suspended in 2020 by Archbishop Emeritus John Baptist Odama of the Gulu Archdiocese after expressing interest in contesting for the Laroo-Pece Division parliamentary seat in Gulu City, which he later won.
His entry into partisan politics was deemed inconsistent with Church regulations governing clergy participation in political office under Canon Law.
In a circular dated October 5, 2020, addressed to priests and reverend fathers in the archdiocese, Archbishop Emeritus Odama declared that Fr Onen was no longer permitted to exercise priestly ministry.
Fr Onen’s parliamentary tenure, however, is coming to an end after he lost the January 15 parliamentary election to Norbert Mao, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
In an exclusive interview, Fr Onen said he is at peace with the election outcome and holds no bitterness toward Mao. He dismisses suggestions of political rivalry, describing politics as a mental game rather than a lifelong career.
Addressing his fallout with the Church, Fr Onen clarifies that his suspension was temporary and that he is willing to apologise, but only to the Church.
Meanwhile, Monsignor Martin Agwee, the Vicar General of the Gulu Archdiocese, says that although Fr Onen has expressed interest in returning to the Church, he must first follow the established procedures.
He emphasizes that returning to active priestly ministry is not automatic unless the required Canon Law procedures are followed.
Monsignor Agwee says that while Fr Onen understands the procedures required to return to active ministry, he must first formally engage with the Archbishop and follow the established Church processes.
By URN
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