manufacture had their strong anchor on the effects of the war since agriculture has been the primary life activity of the Igbo people was disrupted by 1967-1970 civil wars. Hence, the search for an alternative way of life became inevitable. Talented and hard-working individual
Indeed such a position clearly indicates the history of Salvation theology in the Catholic Church in which there was the exclusion of the “others.” Such governance did not approve or exonerate the presence of God in other cultures hence claimed for itself as the only source or way to salvation. In rectifying this misconception of common salvation for all, the event of Vatican II played a vital role. It notes:
…later Popes and Councils eventually agreed that there could be salvation outside the Church when certain conditions are fulfilled. The trend continued and came to be summed up in the encyclical letter of Paul VI, “Ecclesiam Suam” (1964) and Nostra Aetate (Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions) as well as some other documents of Vatican II. Christ’s saving grace is always active even beyond the Catholic Church, so affirms Vatican II documents: (De Ecclesia 8 and 16).
While capturing the new dawn of Vatican II and the openness of the Catholic Church to embress other cultures, Agbo (2015) maintains that it presents a case study after over two thousand years of Christianity. The dawn of Vatican II with its language of aggionamento brought a new concept of enhancing the worship in the liturgy within the context of the people’s worldview. In order words “Inculturation”- a process of bringing the people’s culture systematically into the church. In Nigeria, especially in the South-east, Agbo (2015) took an ethnographic style as he shows Sacred Music in the mire of conflicting and complementary influences of both Western and Traditional musical elements (in style, accompaniment, content, structure and texture, etc). He proposes some theoretical, pedagogical and compositional paradigms for inculturation, not only by hazarding fresh compositions suitable for the Catholic Church but laying out procedural outlines for further/similar works of inculturation.
This courage received from the Vatican II Council to adapt and support inculturation of certain practices in the Igbo Catholic Church governance and the African Churches in general is very authentic and must be given attention. The local clergy orders that were established by Western customs in and around Igbo land at the inception of Catholicism have remained settle in this imposed colonial structure. This study therefore argues that the Igbo Ohacracy order offers all the opportunity to participate in the governance structure of the people’s daily lives.
This is in contrast to the Western hierarchical style of the Catholic Church “priest-king” and
“bishop-lord” over the Igbo people whose customs and practices do not fit in such ruler-ship
environment. The Ad Gentes (22) as noted above is an ‘open door’ inclusion of all peoples in the gospel of Christ and not ‘shot door’ against peoples, their heritage and identity.
In essence, the Igbo Catholic Church will continue to suffer syncretism both mentally and materially, which the local clergy order has always complained about until they rise up on their two feet to address full participation of the laity or local people in the governance of the Catholic Church based on the clear understanding and practice of Igbo Ohacracy governance.
In this true and authentic presentation of the gospel message to the Igbo Ohacracy people, the
“priests-kings” and the “bishops-lords” will begin to have a different pastoral role to play in the life of the people. It will involve the humility to the loosing of one’s own fat milking cows which the clergy’s position offers them presently among the Igbo. The Igbo will then own their Catholic Churches as it will fall into the Ohacracy order of full participation of all who live and ply their trade in the land.
Moreover, in its inception, the Vatican II (1963-1966) was already indicating the use of
‘inculturation’ under consideration. The Catholic Church in the modern world having realized that through the human culture God communicates values that have sustained human life. By so doing the Catholic Church indicates her openness to adaptations and utilization of different groups, other peoples and cultures in reaching God or through it God reaches the people (Sipuka 2000:237). The call of Vatican II Ecumenical Council was therefore an indication on the willingness of the Catholic Church that new navigational charts had to be drawn up because the currents had changed. The Church as a whole needed to set a new course (Cadorette 2009:193). The old centralized culture of Church governance is no longer viable and non-profiting to the Church for the new modern world and contemporary thinking is moving on faster and changing. Clarifying yet much better, Vatican II indicates that in the liturgy the Church does not wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not involve the faith or the good of the whole community. Rather she respects and promotes the qualities and talents of the various races and nations. The Church even sometimes admits such liturgical acts, provided they harmonize with its true and authentic spirit (SC, 37; GS, 57-60).
It was therefore for the first time in the history of the Catholic Church governance that she officially notes her interest to reform to inclusive language and in appreciation of ‘Otherness’, the foreign cultures of other races and peoples were to be included and accepted as means of God’s self-identification and revelation among peoples.
Amaladoss (2010:2) notes that indigenization as it relates to inculturation is a natural process.
Stressing further in John Paul II’s on The mission of the Redeemer, 28; this natural process should go the way of “dialogue which is encouraged in inter-cultural or interreligious process in which we realize that the Spirit of God is present and active in all the cultures and religions”. Thus he concludes “Any gospel-culture encounter will have to take this pluralism seriously and not easily dismiss creative initiatives as syncretistic.” It is in the affirmation of the ‘Otherness’ as noted above that inculturation took root in the Catholic Church and in its conceptual understanding. Therefore, Ukpong (2013:531) defines inculturation as:
A dynamic on-going process of conscious, critical and mutual interaction between the Christian faith and the religion and secular aspects of the cultures;
Such that the Christian reality becomes appropriated from within the perspectives and with the resources of these cultures to challenge and transform society and bring about a re-interpretation of faith; it seeks to open up new understandings of faith and lead to recreating culture and society.
In the same vein Waliggo (1991:506) holds inculturation as “the insertion of new values into one’s heritage and world-view.” By this idea the decentralised model of governance will be fully integrated into the Catholic model. This process he continues “applies to all dimensions of life and development.” In his critical and social analysis in the urbanization of African cities, Shorter (2002:6) grappled with the way forward for African inculturation in which the multicultural situation and experiences have become very common. Despite the challenges the city situation poses to inculturation, Shorter notes that though this encounter of cultures remain, cultures retain their identity. He advises that each culture be given a chance of interaction and dialogue to find acceptable means of expression that enhances human life and mutual respect (Shorter 2002:7). In their clarification on inculturation process, the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference –SACBC- (2002:1) states that inculturation remains a dynamic and on-going progression in the Church through which Christ’s message takes root in the human culture. By this process SACBC maintains that the Local Church stands to gain values that are eminent in the cultures of a particular environment; and likewise the local culture are enhanced and transformed by the Gospel. Indeed, the Church’s wisdom that has come through experience and tradition amassed through her long journeys in history is shared with all in this fashion of inculturation.
Inculturation in this sense brings unity of culture in the Church experience making each individual culture transparently acceptable and become self-witnessing via ones valuable cultural practices. Hence, the SACBC confirms that as people of Africa we want to feel at
home in the Church and the Church to be at home in Africa. When therefore, familiar elements, signs and symbols are used in this sense both clergy and lay people are at home since their language has been spoken through liturgy and worship. And by its very act inculturation aid the entire people to be part and parcel of Church governance and activities.
People stop being ‘onlookers’ but ‘active-participants’ in their liturgy and worship; since liturgy at the stage involves the bringing together of the Church’s liturgy and a given local culture (SACBC 2002:4).
Emphasizing further, the role and place of inculturation in the life of the local Church SACBC declares that inculturation is a dynamic relationship between the local Church and the culture of its own people or its host. It is all about the Gospel we have received and the culture we live in. By being human, Jesus identified himself with human culture (Shorter 2010:2). It brings the power of Gospel in the heart of culture and cultures. Hence SACBC (2001:2-3) identifies two main areas of influence of inculturation and states that it first teaches us how to relate the Christian faith to the African cultural heritage. Second, inclturation teaches us how to apply the Gospel to the contemporary African political and socio-economic situation.
Inculturation serve as a way of liberation from foreign domination of one’s life and culture.
Hence, it is about letting one’s language speak (whether verbal or symbolic) in clear and significant ways. Kanu (2012:237) refers to Arrupe observing that inculturation serves as a principle that animates, directs, and unifies the cultures. It also transforms it, remaking it so as to bring about new creation. It should be able to restore the Igbo personality, dignity and self- confidence in the Igbo local Church. The proposal of Ohacracy tradition in the Igbo Church of South-eastern Nigeria will offer the Catholic Church the significance of the decentralised values and opportunity for full participation in the Church life (Crollius 1986:43; Bate 1995:20). Most effectively therefore, inculturation if fully adopted in the Igbo Catholic practices will open the door for new things of value and meaningful to happen in the local Igbo Church governance.
The Church hierarchy and centralization of authority and governance as noted above cannot in anyway neglect or ignore the need for authentic Christianity to come forth among the Igbo and elsewhere in Africa. The achievement of inculturation in the Igbo Church and elsewhere will mean the actual listening of the Chief with “large ears” who is ready to listen to many
mouths (cultures) speaking to express themselves in liturgy and worship the central lives of the Church governance.
Pope Francis articulates the “open-door” which the Catholic Church should and must reflect at all times indicates by inference the need for inculturation in his first apostolic exhortation
“The Joy of the Gospel” (2013:39, no.46) and writes:
A Church which “goes forth” is a Church whose doors are open. Going out to others in order to reach the fringes of humanity does not mean rushing out aimlessly into the world. Often it is better simply to slow down… to stop rushing from one thing to another and to remain with someone who has faltered along the way. At times we have to be like the father of the prodigal son, who always keeps his door open so that when the son returns, he can readily pass through it.
Inculturation in the sense of an “open door” policy remains vital way of the Church as mother remains open hearted for her children Francis noted. Hence, an open door must be the policy guiding the Church to encounter other cultures to discover the true revelation of the divine through these cultures. As Uzukwu (1996:62) notes some known and desired inculturation in the African Churches since the Vatican II Council includes the Ndzon-Melen Mass of Yaounde, the Zairian rite, the Eucharistic liturgies in East Africa and other pockets of practices in other parts of Africa. Both Roman pontiffs Paul VI and John Paul II had shown much interest in these experiments but had also limited inculturation to language and style of faith expression as it appeals to African socio-cultural practices and not the doctrines or defined teachings of the Church (1996:62). The local bishops of Africa in support of these acknowledgements of African style of life being accepted in the Church worship noted that the “Word must become flesh in Africa!” In conclusion, the Igbo Ohacracy order needs a contextual interpretation to be able to experience of Jesus, and of course in Africa. The next section will discuss the Africanization of Catholic Church governance in other to save, secure and maintain the cultural values and heritage that is substantially inherent in Igbo Ohacracy cultural communities.
One wonders why it is so impossible to contextualize (Igbonize) the Catholic Church practises after over 100 years of establishment. The arguments that God is not present in the Igbo or African cultures and therefore these cultures cannot qualify for Catholic practices is far remote from truth and cannot be true any longer. Such arguments have been discredited by African theologians like Gifford (2008:27) who says that “Inculturation requires the
acceptance of the fact that God has been at work in the history of all peoples and that their history is sacred. Culture is the sacred space of people. Hence any agent of inculturation has to discern the presence of God within these traditions and cultures.” Hence, Igbo Catholic Church hierarchy must be bold and move on with concrete areas of inculturation so to renew the face of Igbo Church. This study has been very critical on this aspect.
Kurgat (2009) investigated the theology of inculturation and the African Church. He specifically, examined the demand and relevance of inculturation for cultural development, assess inculturation message to Africa, while determining the role of Small Christian Communities (SCC) and examine the impact of inculturation in African Church. As important and vital this study among the Luhya of Busia District in Kenya, the recommendations and value of SCC’s remain vital in the inculturation aspect of this study. As alluded in chapter 1 of this study, SCC’s practises in the Catholic Church comes very close to Ohacracy participatory governance values and therefore can be appreciated of its contributions towards the realisation of genuine inculturation in the Igbo Catholic communities. While emphasising that in 1973 the bishops of Eastern Africa adopted the SCC’s as pastoral priority considering its value oriented towards inculturation of Church as family, Kurgat (2009:094) maintains that:
The whole purpose of incultruation is to make evangelization the influence of the Good News more effective in human development. An integral human development necessarily includes cultural development and that cultural development is epitomized by inculturation. For effective implementation of inculturation, the task should be taken as a community project where the Christian community shall be fully involved both formally and informally.
This means that without inculturation, the Gospel message remains foreign to the African communities and the SCC’s remain the context to see inculturaltion take root. Since Church life is based on the level of SCC’s where everyday life and activities are witnessed, it remains a high priority for the African Church to become a family. SCC’s therefore is the best way of safeguarding human values and of rooting the Church in the life and culture of the people.
SCC’s can be an important instrument of cultural development as they should be of inculturation itself (Kurgat 2009:094). The SCC’s remains a Church context where African Catholics can experience interpersonal relationships and a sense of communal belongingness.
Church authority and power as ways and means of governance in the Church can be fully shared with the lay for full participation in Church governance in this instance of the SCC’s.
This recommendation as basic facts of a model of Church governance has not been welcomed in the Igbo Catholic Church hierarchy. Both bishops and clergy are said to be unwilling to embrace or commit to the full challenges SCC’s have presented with regards to inculturation values to allow the laity participate in power sharing in the Church. The idea of SCC’s as a means to inculturate the Church governance among the Igbo Catholics have not taken root since the Catholic Church hierarchy are unwilling to see the laity share in the authority and model of Catholic Church governance (Ebelebe 2009:191).
Other notable area of inculturation which is visible in the Igbo Catholic Church is the foremost indigenous leadership which has really taking over the local Catholic Church. Igbo sons and daughters form almost 100% of the Igbo Catholic Church leadership (Ihenacho 2004:74). This though has not transpired in localizing the Igbo Church as Ebelebe (2009:189) concludes that, the Catholic Church’s practises and culture has remained highly Western.
In addition to the administrative structures of the Roman Catholic Church in Igbo land, it is vital to note here that the existence and well established women, men and youth organisations in local, regional and national levels show tremendous growth. At local levels of the Catholic Church among the Igbo, women’s group are well organised towards Church projects and community development which has taken root via the Catholic Church initiatives. Both men and Youth Organisations have taken the same root as energised by Igbo Ohacracy order to engage themselves in Church maintenance, manual labour, providing moral guide to the young and other developmental projects in the Church programmes. While acknowledging this fact Ihenacho (2004:77) write thus:
Parishes, dioceses and organizations such as the Catholic Women Organization, Knights, and the different pious organizations/sodalities are testifying to the powerful presence of Igbo Catholicism not only by their dynamic activities but also by their beautiful infrastructures, such as Church, rectories, chanceries, hostels, shrines, shops, etc. All over Igbo land, there is a healthy competition, which in my view draws from a deep sense of Catholicism about which dioceses, parishes and sodalities will provide the best liturgies, music, and infrastructures.
In chapter 6 this thesis presents the dialogue between the Catholic centralised governance and the Igbo Ohacracy decentralised order. Hence, the promotion of education and health care are two incredible institutions the Igbo Catholicism have achieved and is well expressed in