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Celebrated Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie, has revealed why she stopped attending Catholic churches in Nigeria. She spoke in a recent BounceRadio interview with media personality, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu.

During the interview, the 43-year-old writer explained that she does not attend Catholic churches in Nigeria because activities became “way too much” about money, fundraising, and thanksgiving.

“Nigerian Catholicism is way too much about money, fundraising, and thanksgiving. Some in the east even look at who’s wearing gold. I think the focus of religion should be things Nigerian Catholicism doesn’t focus on,” she said.

The 43-year-old writer, who said she still considers herself a Catholic nominally, said she only attends Catholic masses outside the country whenever she finds a “progressive” Catholic community that upholds humanity.

“I grew up Catholic. Catholicism was very important to me. It‘s almost like a culture, not just a religion. So even if you leave the Catholic Church, it’s in you. Today, I don’t like to talk about religion because I don’t know,” she said.

“I think of myself as agnostic and questioning. Catholicism holds you tight. There are many other protestant denominations that are not so. It’s all-inclusive. ‘You cannot eat before mass. You have to go to confession.’

“There are so many rules. It teaches you guilt in a way that I don’t think so many protestant denominations do. I’m Catholic, nominally. I still feel protective of some things about the Catholic Church. But I don’t attend it in Nigeria.”

© Jayne AUGOYE, 2021.

Editors Note: What do you think? Is Chimamanda right? Leave a comment far below.