Nigerian Catholic priest offers fresh perspective on purity, says it goes beyond physical aspect

BY SUNNY A. DAVID, AWKA

In a thought-provoking message, a Nigerian Catholic Priest, Rev. Kelvin Ugwu, has challenged the common notion that purity is solely related to sexual abstinence and virginity.

According to Father Ugwu, purity is a virtue that encompasses various aspects of human life, including one’s thoughts, words, and actions, and is not limited to physical chastity alone.

“When you mention purity, most people just think about sex and virginity, but when I preach about purity, it goes deeper than that.

“Some people are virgins but have dirty hearts and evil minds. Purity also entails being truthful.

“Many of you are never truthful to yourselves and the people around you,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday.

“Some attend church and prayer ministries but the way they treat their maids or drivers is nothing but evil.

“Just last week, the type of insults I got from people who claim they are followers of a prophet of God, is another example of people whose hearts are dark and far from purity.

“The height of it all is them wishing evil on my Mum so that she will be brought to their prayer ministry and I will be at their mercy.

“The Bible says that nothing impure will see God. We must constantly purge our hearts of bitterness, of vile and of evil.

“If someone corrects you, take the correction. If you feel you can’t take it, why insult the person? Is that what Christianity is about?”, the clergy said.