Comparing Traditional Catholicism to Catholicism in Africa - Essay Example

Comparing Traditional Catholicism to Catholicism in Africa Backgrounder Prior to the introduction of Christianity in general to Africa, Isizoh (1996) acknowledged that: The traditional African peoples of the sub-Sahara have a very high sense of the Sacred. There is reverence for sacred places, persons and objects. Religion enfolds the whole of life, and there is no dichotomy between the secular and the religious, the sacred and the profane, the visible and the invisible. These distinctions are to them artificial. A completely secular world does not exist for them. There is no borderline between this life and the afterlife. Life itself is cyclic, going from birth to death and to rebirth. The emphasis on a person's enduring happiness is not concentrated on the afterlife but rather on the totality of his or her well-being in this life and in the afterlife. For the Africans, man is not just homo religiosus in the classical sense. He eats, drinks, sleeps, works and does practically every thing religiously. The Catholic presence in Africa was re-shaped by the twin events of decolonization and Vatican Council 2 between 1962-65 (Hastings, 1989). In Vatican's aim to evangelize, priests and missionaries were encouraged to use the vernacular in worship called vernacular liturgy as well as the development of African hymnody and instrumentation "...The most important single effect in Africa in popular terms of the Council has been the change in singing, in hymns, in music, in the use of musical instruments," (Hastings, 1989). It was also noted that Vatican II also encouraged African Catholics to read Protestant vernacular translations of the Bible. But the "westernization" of Catholicism, particularly reduction of approval on healing shrines, holy water, statues and candles, resisted by African Catholics. Likewise, by 1994, ninety percent (90%) of the hierarchy was African as symbolized by the African Synod. Catechists mostly married lay men also became instrumental in the spread of Catholicism in the 20th century. In the African Synod led by the late pope John Paul II, emphasized marriage to be in-cultured for it had been a problem within the African Catholic community having irregular marriages. Since traditional African marriage was not recognized, African priests were encouraged to incorporate the sacramental blessings of the church to the traditional marriage ceremony. Problems arose when traditional African marriages is not finalized until a woman proved her fertility through childbirth, which did not fit into Catholic practices. Intermarriages of religions, with Protestants, likewise, banned children from committing communion and this further widen the gap. One particular incident in Rwanda was the inciting of racial hatred and genocidal violence between Tutsis and Hutu between both Catholics and the church was not able to contain nor control the violence, although today, confession, repentance and reconciliation are being worked out (Lettinga, 2000). By the time the Pope John Paul II died, there were already about 100 million Catholics in Africa and nearly 30 million are Congolese (Quist-Arcton, 2005). Interestingly, Lamin Sanneh reported that Senegal, a Muslim majority with about 90 percent of its population as Islam believers, include Catholic holidays as national holiday (Suarez, 2005) that include the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. Cardinal Thiandoum, the Relator-General for the African Synod remarked (qtd, Isizoh (1996): Many Christians, at "breaking points of life", have recourse to practices of the traditional religion, or to prayer houses, healing homes, "prophets", witchcraft or fortune-tellers. Some turn to African Independent Churches (sometimes considered a syncretistic Christian cum African Traditional Religion) where they feel that certain elements of their culture are more respected. Few of them return to African Traditional Religion. All these movements indicate that the spiritual yearning of these people for an authentic expression of the African spirituality is not yet fully satiated. There are some Africans who feel that, as long as no harm is intended for the other person, one can go to a Christian Church, meditate in a Buddhist temple, pray in a mosque, and offer sacrifices in an African Traditional Religion shrine. General Comparison with African Traditional Religion(ATR) Isizoh (1996) mentioned that in Angola., ATR persists in private and family lives but has been given viewed as witchcraft, superstition, Umbanda or healing practice. Ancestral cult is still widely practised by the elderly and that beliefs persist with regards to ancestors, bad spirits and invisible power of the dead. In Burkina Faso, where existing scientific knowledge and technology cannot address problems, ATR remain the focal point of the peoples' lives and even Christian elites return to it during childbirth, sicknesses, funerals and problems of insecurity. In Cameroon, the young already cultivated sense of shame and culpability and yet, they still seek ATR for solutions with life problems such as misfortune, sickness and death. Central African Republic have generally banished ATR as many received western education. Isizoh (1996) acknowledges that in most parts of of Gabon, aspects of initiation, healing and clairvoyance still remain while in Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone, ATR is strong in rural areas and the urban folks seek it for the riddles of life. The Bara people of Madagascar still adhere to ATR as a "source of ancestral customs" as religious ceremonies mark every significant stage of a Bara person as land of ancestry or "raza" form as an attachment from ancestors of the land. In Rwanda, Christianity has been perceived a alienation and colonialism. Somalia is basically a Muslim country although traces of ATR still persists. In Uganda, many still adhere to ATR with family as their stronghold while Zambia have no homogenous ATR. In Sudan, about 30 percent of the population adhere to ATR while the rest were Muslims. Witchcraft and magic are still widely considered in Ghana while state functions are typical of pouring of libations and invocation of ancestors while mode of worship and practice are also disseminated through use of modern technology. In Kenya, ATR can be seen in attitudes although Christianity in general is seen as a form of colonization. Some ATR influenced Christian rites include the penitential rite of Ash Wednesday, the "rite of engagement" during priestly ordination, the carrying of the sacred tree and the gong during the procession with the book of the Gospel (Isizoh, 1996) while Congo is known for its "Roman Liturgy of the Zairian Rite" while ATR form part of the seminarians' curriculum in Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Ghana. Isizoh (1996), likewise noted that: Some traditional elements of religion and culture have been introduced to enrich Christian liturgy and celebrations as a result of pastoral attention to African Traditional Religion: funeral rites, widowhood rites, purification and thanksgiving ceremonies after calamity, blessing of fields, people and homes. Following were also noted by Isizoh (1996) as integration of Catholicism with ATR in the following countries: Angola religious sense of life popular religiosity solidarity in funerals, groups, community sharing of goods respect for life festive dimension of life silence hospitality sense of community notion of God the creator, good and great faith in life after death sense of communion between the dead ancestors and the living marriage - covenant of families and of persons prophetic value of the elders Burkina Faso Belief in God, supreme creator of all things and belief in the great beyond. Important place of religion which is an integral part of life for an African and which is expressed in rites, prayers and constant reference to God. Effectiveness of the mediation by ancestors and spirits. Traditional initiation as a consecration or as a rite of passage. Importance of sacrifices strong sense of the sacred, reverence to God. hospitality and solidarity. obligatory contribution of each person for sacrifice or rites, in the spirit of participation and of sharing. Community aspect of education, etc. Cameroon respect for ancestors as mediators between God and men libation to the same ancestors, rite which could help make comprehensible the Communion of the Saints and the concept of the Church as communion. great concern to situate man in his environment, in order to find joy there. presence of religion in daily lives. solidarity: solidarity during the events of life, solidarity in work, solidarity during misfortune. efforts to guarantee the stability of marriage some of elements of periodic initiation agricultural feasts, sowing, harvesting some prayers the rites of human life, birth, naming, marriage, funeral. Central African Republic Respect for elders Charity (Ndoye) Congo (Democratic Republic): belief in God belief in afterlife links with the dead and the cult of ancestors initiation rites solidarity and sharing/communion/fellowship respect for life the sense of mystery: awareness and communication with the invisible world. Ghana: veneration of, and communion with, ancestors belief in life after death concept of intercession use of symbols and gestures respect for elders and authority respect for the totality and sanctity of life total involvement of the whole person, body and soul, in religious celebrations attention given to crisis situations, e.g. infertility, barrenness co-responsibility and communality in worship and sacrifice Kenya: Family life Emphasis on spontaneous prayers coming straight from the heart Preservation of religious sacredness in liturgy, dress and places of worship Bodily purification before offering a sacrifice to God without foregoing provisions for spiritual purification also. There is no distinction between life and Religion. They are all tied up into one whole process of being. Solidarity in community: African Traditional Society had a strong sense of solidarity and strong spirit of charity going through concept of the extended family - the poor and the sick are taken care of, widows and orphans are not left out. Moral education for youth was seriously taken Traditional blessings are so rich and meaningful to the African people. The respect for authority was much adhered to rituals of blessings of seeds for planting and farms, etc. Blessings by the elders Symbolic acts of showing our communion with the dead Mozambique rites of initiation Nigeria: Rites of initiation. Sense of communion Marriage rites Burial rites Installation of titles. Sense of the Sacred Reverence for ancestors Festivals African holistic view of life. Rwanda belief in one Supreme God, unique, transcendent and immanent. alliance based on blood relationship. cult of some family ancestors or some mythical heroes belief in afterlife respect for life the social virtues of mutual assistance, and respect for elders traditional gradual initiation rites sense of prayer fidelity to engagements, promises sense of the Sacred. The Sudan: rich variety of traditional rites for naming ceremonies, marriages, funeral. rituals of thanksgiving at harvest time. rituals in times of sorrow or joy. veneration of the ancestors. the strength of the traditional extended family structure. Uganda: belief in the continuity of life and communion between the living and the dead. Family unity and strength. Sanctity of human life Importance of sacrifices Faith in divine providence Prayers Use of many blessings Reverence for Sacred places, persons and objects Communal confession, necessity for purification of oneself from sins for the public good and that of the persons involved Zambia: Belief in the afterlife Sense of mutual dependence and belonging Spiritual cults catering to emotional needs of people Meaningful use of symbolism Belief in the existence of spirits Bonds between the living and deceased relatives Strong sense of community Prayer to ancestors in times of crisis Belief in the supreme God and Creator Sacred shrines Initiation rites at different stages of life Times of festival and celebration such as harvest Importance of family and extended family Traditional prayers and titles of God Inseparable link between life and faith Rites of purification for individuals and communities. The studies done on ATR have already enabled the introduction of the following liturgical rites: Burkina Faso: socio-religious images of the African family introduced in the catechesis under the form of human experiences. sung biblical narrations (for example: creation, the exodus, the Decalogue, etc.) motivated directly by the traditional songs and rhythms of initiation in several dioceses. liturgy of Good Friday. It has, as the source of inspiration, the traditional funeral ceremonies and is celebrated in several dioceses. One speaks then of the "Funeral of Christ" baptism of adults celebrated as Christian initiation and borrowing elements or rites from the traditional initiation. That has led to the elaboration of a ritual of baptism of adults in a certain number of dioceses. In Cameroon, rites already introduced because of Pastoral Attention to ATR include: rite of Ash Wednesday rite of engagement during priestly ordination sacred dance rite of the celebration of marriage. Congo Democratic Republic musical instruments ritual dances in liturgical celebrations use of African symbols invocation of the saints and the ancestors liturgy of the Mass - the Roman Missal according to the Zairian rite. The Gambia, Liberia & Sierra Leone: We celebrate the "naming of the child", and the "forty days ceremonies" for the dead. Ghana: Some African liturgical rites being introduced as a result of pastoral attention to African Traditional Religion are Funeral rites Widowhood rites Purification and thanksgiving after calamity Blessing of fields, people and home. - Initiatives taken include: Drumming and dancing The use of shakers and local music for celebrations The use of the local languages. Kenya: some ritual dances or processions. Drum and African music, and ululation during celebrations. Nigeria: Indigenous names are used for baptism Many hymns with traditional background have been composed Dance has been performed on special feasts like Corpus Christi Rwanda improvement of funeral rites, invocation of dead who have followed God's will liturgical songs with musical instruments ( tambourines, cloches). Zambia: "Para-liturgical" service for girls completing initiation use of proverbs and folklore stories for catechetical instructions some elements of funeral rites. In view of modernization of terms or words as well as general understanding of Catholics scattered all over the world, following are the most popular traditional Catholic prayers: The Lord's Prayer Our Father who art in heaven Holy be Your name Your kingdom come Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our sins As we forgive those who sinned against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil, Amen. Ashanti (Ghana) - Prayer for Blessing O Lord, O God, creator Of Our land, our earth, the trees, the animals and humans, all is for your honor The drums beat it out, and people sing about it, and they dance with noisy joy that you are the Lord. You also have pulled the other continents out of the sea. What a wonderful world you have made out of the wet mud, and what beautiful men and women! We thank you for the beauty of this earth. The grace of your creation is like a cool day between rainy seasons. We drink in your creation with our eyes. We listen to the birds' jubilee with our ears. How strong and good and sure your earth smells, and everything that grows there. The sky above us is like a warm, soft Kente cloth, because you are behind it, else it would be cold and rough and uncomfortable. We drink in your creation and cannot get enough of it. But in doing this we forget the evil we have done. Lord, we call you, we beg you: tear us away from our sins and our death. This wonderful world fades away. And one day our eyes snap shut, and all is over and dead that is not from you. We are still slaves of the demons and the fetishes of this earth. When we are not saved by you. Bless us. Bless our land and people. Bless our forests with mahogany, wawa, and cacao. Bless our fields with cassava and peanuts. Bless the waters that flow through our land. Fill them with fish and drive great schools of fish to our seacoast, so that the fishermen in their unsteady boats do not need to go out too far. Be with us youth in our countries, and in all Africa, and in the whole world. Prepare us for the service that we should render. (Source: ICBS, 2006) Conclusion: This research shall conclude with the idea that traditional global Catholicism as compared with African Catholicism in general have a remarkable differentiation when it comes to liturgical service as well as adaptation of ancestral mediation in prayer and blessing to the belief of supreme being "God". The liturgical service and adaptation of the drum beats in music or Catholic hymns is very prevalent and unique in Catholic Africa alone and generally accepted as the most Africanized part of Catholicism. Likewise with the prayer in comparison with Catholic's The Lord's Prayer, and the Ashanti of Ghana both invokes the blessing in simple daily lives which are quite parallel to one another although much emphasis on the physical and simple material aspects on the Ashanti is quite obvious. Nevertheless, this researcher concludes that the Catholics have quite an effective adaptation of African traditional religious beliefs for the integration of Catholic doctrines with African culture. Reference: ICBS. "Ashanti Gana, Prayer for Blessing." Holistic online. 2006. Isizoh, Chidi Denis. "Dialogue with African Traditional Religion in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Changing Attitude of the Catholic Church." 1996. Hastings, Adrian. "African Catholicism." Discovery, SCM Press, 1989. Lettinga, Neil. "African Christianity." 2000. From http://www.bethel.edu/letnie/AfricanChristianity/Author.html Maluleke, Tinyiko Sam. "Of Collapsible Coffins and Ways of Dying: The Search for Catholic Contextuality in African Perspective." The Ecumenical Review, Vol. 54. 2002. Quist-Arcton. "Pope Leaves Deep Legacy in Africa." npr. April 5, 2005. Phelps, Jamie T. Black and Catholic: The Challenge and Gift of Black Folk Contributions of African American Experience and Thought to Catholic Theology Marquette University Press. 1997. Suarez, Ray. "Challenges to the Church." Online Newshour. April 20, 2005. Read More