The spokesperson for the Diocese of Benguela, Father Zeferino, denied, in a short telephone conversation with this newspaper, information circulated in recent days that Father Adriano Ukwatchali, general director of the Instituto Superior Católico, had resigned from office over alleged sex scandal
Information that has not yet been denied — not even by the Catholic Church, much less by the target — pointed to the fact that the priest in question was involved in a sexual scandal with a young woman who social activist Salazar José’s page identifies as Ana Inácia Panela.
The aforementioned activist accuses the young woman of having been the priest’s lover. According to the public complaint, the relationship resulted in a pregnancy and the priest suggested to the young woman that she terminate it. Because of this, she would have asked for six million kwanzas to subject herself to such a practice – maintains activist José Salazar “Sacatindi”.
However, contacted on purpose by this newspaper, the spokesperson for the Diocese of Benguela, Father Zeferino Capoco, expressed ignorance of an alleged sexual scandal, especially because, as he said, he does not use these digital platforms. To the newspaper OPAÍS, via telephone, the priest said he had no information to talk about the matter, having also minimized complaints circulating on social media. Asked whether or not the Diocese of Benguela was aware of some alleged sexual scandals involving priests, the priest replied that “I have no information.
We are not guided by news from social media, which does not contain many elements”. For him, information that points to a self-resignation by the director of the Instituto Superior Politécnico Católico, Father Adriano Ukwatchali, does not correspond to the truth, as reports would have led us to believe. “It’s not true,” he emphasized.
“There is nothing official”, replied another source linked to the Diocese of Benguela, with whom this newspaper contacted as soon as the information of the priest’s “self-resignation” was discovered. “Here, at school [ISPOCAB]at least, there is no resignation document”, said, anonymously, another source, this time linked to the institution of which the priest is director.
“I don’t know the gentleman (priest) in question”, says the young man
In a meeting with this newspaper, regarding the alleged blackmail and, consequent extortion of six million kwanzas, Ana Panela denied all the accusations made against her and took the opportunity to clarify that the information about the alleged “affair with the priest” is not true. . On the other hand, she also sought to discard information that she had received any financial compensation for having an abortion. “I don’t have a car, as they say, I walk, bro”, she replied with a tear visiting the corner of her eye.
“Is not true. But what do you want me to tell you, I don’t even know you”, he said initially. Given the young woman’s response, the author of these lines explained to her that, as a journalist, she was an easy person to contact, if it was of interest to her. Then, apparently more at ease, the target sought out the newspaper OPAÍS and maintained that, if the information regarding the extortion of six million kwanzas from the priest were true, she would be indicted for committing a crime, because, as she highlighted , in a short statement, “the criminal does not walk free. That’s the only thing I can tell you,” she said.
A look at the case
Jurist Chipilica Eduardo recalls that the priesthood is a mission whose purpose is to expand the word of God and, therefore, any suspicion of promiscuity, especially sexual, must be investigated. The specialist believes that the time has come, given the wave of complaints, for the highest entity of the Catholic Church in Benguela to act. “Therefore, it is time for Mr. Bishop to investigate the countless complaints from the clergy, some even with homes and children”, he maintains. However, it should be noted that, in relation to alleged sexual scandals, the bishop of the Diocese of Benguela, Dom António Jaka, had warned, in an interview with journalists, that the Church was not guided by information from social media.
In the same interview, carried out in December 2022, moments after having presented end-of-year greetings to the provincial governor, in the multipurpose pavilion Acácias Rubras, the Catholic prelate admitted the possibility of investigating sexual scandals involving priests and challenged the victims of such practices for reporting cases. From the social networks of the Diocese of Benguela, this newspaper did not obtain any letter reporting the dismissal of the Catholic prelate. This newspaper’s attempts to contact the targeted priest ended in failure.
Personal telephone contact remained unavailable until we published this journalistic piece. There will be the opportunity to explain, if the priest deems it appropriate. Consultations carried out by this newspaper maintain that Canon Law, the set of laws that govern the institutional structure of the Catholic Church, says that priests cannot have romantic relationships or marry. However, at the level of the Roman and Apostolic Church there are already currents in favor of reform, with a view to reviewing the issue of celibacy.