US15k vanishes from Catholic priest’s bedroom

Zim Now Writer

Police picked up an assistant priest with the Roman Catholic Church in Bulawayo’s Kumalo suburb for question over the disappearance ofUS$15 000 that was kept bin a safe in the priest-in-charge’s bedroom.

The priest-in-charge of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Kumalo, Father Aurelio Ayala, 36, filed a police report after discovering that the money was missing on January 28.

“I can confirm that US$15 000 belonging to the church was stolen from a safe in my bedroom. I reported the matter to the police and investigations are underway. I can also confirm that my assistant Fr Edwards was recently taken for enquiry by the police although this is not necessarily to say he is the suspect. He was questioned and released,” said Fr Ayala.

In what a source said was a symptom of factional fights, the incident has led to accusations and counter-accusations as congregants take sides in the matter.

“The church is currently conducting ‘novena’ prayers. In Christianity, novena is a term designating a spiritual devotion consisting of the recitation of a set form of prayer for nine consecutive days, in petition for a divine favour or in preparation for a liturgical feast or as participation in an important event such as a Year of Jubilee. It is during these ongoing prayers that the congregants have amplified various allegations. Right now, the church is drowning in debt. There are water bills amounting to millions (ZW$) yet there was money kept in the bedroom,” said a source.

There have also been allegations of adultery against Fr Ayala, which he said emanated from a faction of the church following the disappearance of the money.

“I have heard those allegations but they are not true. People started peddling them after the money disappeared. I am not involved in any adultery or whatsoever relationship, the allegations are false,” said Fr Ayala.