Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Prince Chidi Philip, cautions Christians against casually destroying ancestral altars, saying families must be spiritually prepared for what may follow.
Before You Destroy Your Ancestral Altar, Read This: Who Will Face the Consequences?
A Catholic priest has shared a thought-provoking message about ancestral lands, traditional practices and the decision to destroy ancestral altars, urging people to think carefully before taking actions that could affect their families.
The priest, Prince Chidi Philip, shared his experience after his priestly ordination, explaining why he once refused advice to confront and destroy traditional practices connected to an ancestral family land.
According to him, one of the elders in his community approached him shortly after his ordination and told him that, as a priest, it was his responsibility to pray over a particular piece of land and destroy whatever was there so that people would stop performing traditional rituals at the location.
However, the priest said he declined to take such action.
He explained that his decision was not because he was afraid of the land or because he doubted his spiritual authority or his Catholic faith.
Rather, his concern was about the possible consequences for other members of his family.
He questioned whether every member of his family had the same level of spiritual preparation, faith and personal conviction to deal with whatever consequences they might believe could follow from confronting the spiritual practices associated with the land.
Why He Refused to Act Recklessly
The priest explained that while he could make a personal decision based on his own faith and convictions, he could not make such a decision on behalf of everyone connected to him.
He therefore chose not to provoke what he described as a spiritual confrontation that other members of his family might later have to deal with.
He also pointed out that the ancestral land existed long before he was born and would likely remain long after his death.
For him, wisdom is not always about demonstrating one’s strength or authority. Sometimes, he said, wisdom means knowing when not to start a battle that other people may eventually have to face.
The Question of Destroying Ancestral Altars
The priest said his experience prompted him to address the broader issue of people destroying ancestral altars.
According to him, when a spiritual practice, deity or spirit is believed to have been introduced into a family through an agreement or covenant, ending that relationship should not necessarily be treated as the decision of one individual.
He argued that there should be an agreed process involving the people connected to the tradition and family.
He further stressed that the issue should not simply be approached through force or physical destruction.
Can a Woman Destroy an Ancestral Altar?
The priest also disclosed that he recently received a video from someone asking whether a woman could destroy an ancestral altar.
He noted that traditional societies have different cultural rules concerning who has the authority to approach particular ancestral spaces.
However, he explained that questions surrounding the traditional authority of women or men in such situations were outside the particular area of ministry he wanted to discuss.
The Ezeani Family and Ana Awka
In sharing the background to his position, Prince Chidi Philip said his family, the Ezeani family, traditionally known as the Ezi Awka family, has historically been regarded as custodians of an ancestral piece of land in Awka Etiti.
According to the family tradition he shared, their ancestors settled on a piece of farmland known as Ana Awka when they first arrived in the area.
He said the land still exists today and that traditional rituals are occasionally performed there.
He further explained that, according to the family’s traditional understanding, members of the Ezeani family have a special connection to the land and are traditionally expected to seek permission before entering certain parts of the ancestral space.
A Message About Family and Responsibility
The priest’s central message is that decisions involving ancestral traditions should not be made impulsively, especially when such decisions could have consequences for other members of a family.
While people have different religious beliefs and convictions concerning ancestral practices, his argument focuses on the importance of considering the people who may be affected by an individual’s decision.
His experience also highlights the complex relationship between Christianity, traditional beliefs and family heritage in many Nigerian communities.
Rather than encouraging confrontation, he urged people to approach such sensitive matters with wisdom, responsibility and consideration for others.
For him, having spiritual authority does not necessarily mean that every confrontation must be pursued.
Sometimes, he believes, the wiser decision is to understand the situation, consider those who may be affected and avoid creating a conflict that others may eventually have to deal with.
According to him, “Spirits do not die; they are cast away,” warning that destroying an altar without genuine conversion, prayer and spiritual commitment could leave a family vulnerable to what they believe they are fighting.
Before You Destroy Your Ancestral Altar, Read This: You Destroyed the Ancestral Altar, But Who Will Face the Consequences?
In my village, Awka Etiti, my family, the Ezeani family, traditionally known as the Ezi Awka family, has historically been regarded as the custodians of the ancestral land of our forefathers. According to our family tradition, when our first ancestors came, they settled on a small piece of farmland known as Ana Awka. That land still exists in Awka Etiti today, and from time to time, people still go there to perform traditional rituals. Traditionally, only a member of the Ezeani family has the right to enter that land without seeking permission, because it is regarded as part of the ancestral heritage of our family.
After my priestly ordination, one of the elders in our kindred told me, “Now that you are a priest, it is your duty to pray over that land and destroy whatever is there so that people will stop performing rituals there.” I simply told him, “Leave that land the way it is.” It was not because I was afraid of the place. It was not because I believed I lacked spiritual authority. I believe in the power of God, and I know what my Catholic faith teaches me about Christ’s authority. But my concern was much bigger than myself. I asked myself: what about the other members of the Ezeani family? If I personally confront whatever spiritual reality people associate with that place, do all the other members of my family possess the same spiritual strength, faith and preparation to deal with whatever consequences they believe may follow? The answer is no. I may decide to confront something because of my personal spiritual conviction, but I cannot assume that everybody connected to me has the same spiritual preparation. That is why I refused to act recklessly. The land was there before I was born, and it will still be there after I die. Sometimes wisdom is not about proving how powerful you are, sometimes wisdom is knowing when not to provoke a battle that other people may have to face after you have left.
I am saying this because I want to give a small but serious teaching about the subject of destroying ancestral altars. If a spirit or deity was brought into a family through an agreement or covenant, there should also be an agreed process for ending that relationship. It shouldn’t be a one person decision and it’s not about using force or blatublakas
I recently saw a video that someone sent to me asking whether a woman can destroy an ancestral altar. Traditionally, there are many cultural questions surrounding who has the authority to approach certain ancestral spaces, but that is not my particular line of ministry, so I will leave that discussion aside.
I am talking specifically about the small ancestral altar or shrine that may exist within a family compound and the practice of bringing a man or woman of God to “destroy” it through prayer and spiritual warfare. My concern is that some people treat this matter far too casually. They call a preacher, the preacher comes, prayers are shouted, the altar is declared destroyed, everybody goes home, and they believe the matter is finished. But if you genuinely believe that there is a spiritual power behind what you are confronting, then you should also ask yourself what happens after the prayer. You cannot approach spiritual warfare as if it were simply a physical object that you can break and walk away from.
You cannot bring someone to destroy what you believe is an ancestral spiritual power and then return to exactly the same lifestyle you were living before. If you believe that an ancestral practice is incompatible with your Christian faith, then your conversion must be genuine. The family needs prayer, repentance, forgiveness, faith, participation in the sacramental life of the Church and a serious commitment to Christ. It cannot be a one-day event where someone comes, shouts, breaks something and leaves. You cannot expect a lifetime of traditional spiritual practices to be resolved by one afternoon of dramatic prayers.
This is where the words of Jesus in Matthew 12: 43–45 become very important. Jesus says that when an unclean spirit leaves a person, it goes through dry places seeking rest, and when it returns and finds the house empty, swept and put in order, it brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and the final condition of that person becomes worse than the first. Jesus was specifically teaching about an unclean spirit and the danger of spiritual emptiness. But the principle is powerful: spiritual cleansing without spiritual occupation is dangerous. If you believe something has been removed from your family, then you must ask what has taken its place. If Christ has not truly taken possession of that family, what exactly have you accomplished? Christianity is not simply about removing demons, destroying altars or breaking ancestral objects. It is about conversion and belonging completely to Christ.
You cannot fight what you call an ancestral spirit while your own life remains spiritually empty. A family that refuses to pray, refuses to forgive, refuses to repent, refuses to live according to the Gospel and refuses to take its Christian faith seriously should not imagine that shouting at an ancestral altar is the beginning and end of spiritual warfare. P
So before you bring a man of God to destroy an ancestral altar, ask yourself some serious questions. Is the family actually ready for the consequences of the decision it is making? Are they ready to live the Christian life seriously? Are they prepared to pray consistently? Are they prepared to renounce practices that contradict their faith? Are they prepared to seek reconciliation within the family? Are they prepared to allow Christ to occupy the place that they believe they are emptying? Because it is not enough to destroy something; you must also build something new.
I know some people will disagree with me, and that is fine. Some will say, “Father, just destroy it You are a priest; you have the authority!” But priesthood is not a license for spiritual recklessness. The fact that I believe in the power of Christ does not mean I should deliberately place other people in a situation I have not carefully considered. In my own case, I chose not to destroy the ancestral land simply because somebody expected me to prove my spiritual authority. The land existed before me, and I leave it in God’s hands. My responsibility is to preach Christ, to lead people to Christ and to help people understand their faith.
So, before you start talking about “destroying ancestral altars,” understand what you are actually doing. Do not turn spiritual warfare into a show. Do not assume that one dramatic prayer has solved a generational problem. Do not think that the man of God will fight everything for you and then disappear while your family continues exactly as before. And above all, remember this: the real question is not simply, “Can we destroy the altar?” The real question is, “After we believe it has been destroyed, is this family spiritually prepared to live completely under the lordship of Christ?” Because if you believe a spiritual battle is real, then you must also take spiritual preparation seriously.
If you are not spiritually prepared as a family, do not embark on the destruction of any shrine or ancestral altar. Spirits do not die; they are cast away. A man of God may come and pray, fast, and drive the spirit away, but if the family is not spiritually strong enough to keep the fire of Christ burning, that spirit may return, stronger and more wicked than before. It is not merely the man of God who destroys an ancestral altar; it is the spirituality of the entire family that ultimately breaks its influence and prevents the spirit from returning. Remember, spirits do not simply disappear, they are cast away, waiting for an opportunity to return.
Rev fr Prince Chidi Philip
