A horny novice priest in Lilongwe could not hold his libido in check even after receiving the Sacrament of Holy Orders. He was suspended just three days after being ordained as a priest for breaking the vow of chastity.

Rev. Fr. Charles Chimutu confirmed the incident in an interview with The Weekend Times but was quick to dismiss the matter as “water under the bridge” as it happened a long time ago and that he was now close to being reinstated to resume his pastoral work.

Sources confided in The Weekend Times that Rev. Fr. Chimutu failed to conduct mass at the Sisters Char¬ity because he partied the previous night.

“The priest came from Guilleme Parish. His benefactor gave him a lot of money and he received a lot of money from the contributions. In the evening, he went with his friend to drink and remained behind. Later he went to sleep at Kawale Parish where the newly ordained priests were residing upon their graduation. He came late with a woman.

“The next morning he had mass at the Sisters of Charity. They noticed that he was not in condition physically and after mass they called him to discipline him but he defied the sisters and the sisters called straight to the papal nuncio. And the nuncio called Archbishop Remi (Joseph Gustave Sainte-Marie) who was ignorant on the matter at the time,” said the source.

The source said after the incident the Archbishop decided to change Father Chimutu’s posting to Lumbadzi Parish for observation. Initially he was supposed to go to Salima Parish.

However, three days into his priest¬hood at Lumbadzi he got suspended meaning that he had been removed without celebrating mass even once in his priesthood.

Rev. Fr. Mwanga of Lumbadzi Parish, who had been keeping the wayward priest, refused to take any questions and immediately cut the phone.

However, Rev. Fr. Chimutu explained that the incident hap¬pened long time ago in July and that he was about to be reinstated.

“I think it is not right to publish this story because it happened long time ago and I am now in the course of being reinstated any time from now,” he said sounding contrite while pleading with the newspaper not to publish the story.

“I believe if you publish it, it will be like opening an old wound as people may think it has just hap¬pened now.”

The Catholic Church often sus¬pends priests who break their vows of chastity and those who abuse alcohol to the extent of failing to celebrate mass. Such priests are put on a rehabilitation programme for some time to mend their ways.