A KZN catholic priest, who allegedly had a lengthy love affair with a married woman, has been dismissed by Pope Francis and he can no longer carry out priestly ministry in the Roman Catholic Church.
The church is praying for Reverend Alexius Lindani Madela to accept and adjust to his new life as an ordinary man.
In a letter from Bishop Neil Frank, leader of the Mariannhill Diocese, to priests and other superiors, the bishop expresses “regret” and “profound sadness” at the consequences Madela was now faced with.
He stated that the decision to leave Madela out in the cold should not be understood as judgement, but that it was the conclusion of a canonical process which is a system of laws and clerical legal principles made and enforced by the authorities of the church.
“At the request of the Holy Father to be discreet and in the spirit of respect for the priest concerned, I inform you that Pope Francis has dismissed Rev. Alexius Lindani Madela from the clerical state and dispensed him from all clerical obligations and censures.
“I request you to respect his dignity and rights as a person within the Church and in society.
“Madela no longer has faculties to carry out priestly ministry in the Roman Catholic Church.
“Let us keep him in prayer as he understands the consequences of the decree from the Holy Father and begins to adjust to his life in this new state.”
When contacted by the Sunday Tribune, Bishop Frank would not elaborate on the process or the reasons the church has cast out Madela. He said he was not in a position nor had authority to discuss the matter further.
Three years ago, the Sunday Tribune reported that Madela had been taken to court by a former KZN Athletics president for removing his late wife’s possessions from her home.
The husband alleged his wife had made many trips to the Catholic Church, however it was not to hail Mother Mary but to snuggle with Reverend Alexius Madela.
He said although Madela had been around when they tied the knot in 1994, it was only in 2005 that he found concrete evidence of the affair.
The affair allegedly continued until his wife moved out of their marital home in 2008 and moved into an apartment at the Plantations Estate in Hillcrest where Reverend Madela frequented while he held the position of spokesperson for the Diocese of Mariannhil.
The wife fell ill in 2015 and succumbed to her illness in 2019, and it is alleged that Reverend Madela, who had access to the apartment, removed a number of items from the rented home.
Shortly after his wife’s death and at the realisation that a number of items had been removed from the residence, the sports official approached the court to compel Madela to hand over the assets.
The list included a VW Polo Classic, a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, a set of keys, bank and medical aid cards, a Canon camcorder, a microwave, jewellery and insurance and policy documents.
In an affidavit, Madela admitted that the woman was his life partner. He claimed that she had nominated him as her sole beneficiary. However, the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court said the letter could not hold any legal weight in a court of law. He was restrained from disposing of and concealing assets belonging to his lover’s late estate.
Madela did not respond to the Sunday Tribune.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE