“Why I Stopped Attending Catholic Churches In Nigeria” – Chimamanda Adichie

Renowned Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie, has revealed why she stopped attending Catholic churches in Nigerian.

She revealed this in an exclusive interview with media personality, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu on Bounce Radio earlier in the year.

Speaking in 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.

She also revealed that she considers herself a Catholic, but is truly agnostic and questioning.

In her words,

“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.

“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.

“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.”