Usually in Igboland and many other parts of Nigeria, there are two marriage celebrations: the traditional marriage and the Christian marriage (wedding). I have argued on several occasions about the superfluousness of these unnecessary and wasteful multiplications. The use of the so-called canonical form is required to validate a Christian marriage. A priest or a deacon (or even a lay person as the case may be), being present, asks a man and...
Introduction Theology as a science was made possible through the efforts of different theologians who sacrificed their time to put into writing our relationship with God. They are numerous and from different continents. Even though they were inspired by the word of God, they were also influenced by their different cultural backgrounds. Almost all civilizations played one important role in this quest, except for a few who did play little or no...
What this is not: It is not the history of Catholicism nor is it a trial of history of civilization. It is not even an evaluation of Nigerian Catholicism, etc. It is, simply, a personal historical-social analysis of why we, as African Catholics in general and Nigerian Catholics in particular, continue to romance certain circles in the Catholic Church instead of joining the Francis Effect that the Church is experiencing presently. Christianity...
Nke anyi bu nke anyi mana nke onye bukwanụ nke onye. Ọ bụ ezie na egbe bere ugo bere kama na onweghikwanu mgbe egbe ga-aga chọba ugo ka ọ bia bere n’ihi na nani onye i gwara ebe mmiri siri tiba gi ga-ahapụrụ gi ọnọdụ n’ihụ ọkụ. Ọ bụkwanụ ezie na nani nwata kwọrọ aka so ndi okenye eri ihe. N’ụbọchi olemole gara-aga, anyi dere maka umu okorobia ndi Afrika mepụtara Afrika...
Ndi mgbasa oziọma iri na-asato agbakọrọla ọnụ wee tinye olu n’okwu gbasara oziọma na omenaala. Ndi mgbasa oziọma a na-arụ ọrụ na nzuko di iche na Kebek ezutele onwe ha n’ụlọ ndi echichi ana-akpọ Jezuwiti iji ghọta nke ọma nsogbu di iche ndi na-arụ ọrụ mgbasa oziọma n’ebe enwere omenaala di iche na-ahụ. Na mkpụrụ ụbọchi atọ a puru iche, anyi lebere anya n’isi okwu : Nsogbu nke mbikọrita omenaala di iche...
À tous mes frères Africains Chers fils et filles d’Anowa Les Grands fils d’Oduduwa Et dignes filles d’Adroa Vos aïeux sont engendrés par Bumba Sur le regard vigilant du maître Anansi Alors que son cousin Kraag écoute La douce musique de Nana-Bukulu Et, quand Muwa-Lisa commençait encore La formation de nos lumières primordiales Il convoqua notre astucieux grand frère, GU Et, lui légua notre spiritualité et nos philosophies Ubuntu, notre philosophie fondamentale...
Sometimes, Western society seems to have either a selective or short memory. The problem is not just that the same ugly scenarios repeat themselves century after century, but that the society pretends to be in constant evolution, whereas it retrogrades. One is even called to ask if this society is genetically engineered to select which part of its ugly past it wishes to replay on and on. In the ’50s, when Josephine...
Fare thee well, brave brothers Commissioned to fight ghosts In a war dedicated to the gods With nothing indeed godly Sleep well dear comrades Freshly plucked from the pride And sent to the infested gallows To feed the rotten cackle of the Sambisa castle Rest in peace, valiant soldiers The pride of our peaceful motherland Boldly sacrificed at the shameless alter Of a cracked nation without leadership Cry no more spouses of...
Africa is blessed with varied languages and cultures, but her diversity has never been transformed into richness. She has been bleeding since she was fragilized by the colonial system and its post-colonial mismanagement. The blatancy of her fragility is so aberrant that she cannot even define her stand on issues like literature and religion. She has been so dealt with that she ignores how to value her cultures and languages. In his...
Last week I questioned the methodology of our «Katikizim Nke Okwukwe Nzuko Katolik N’Asusu Igbo» and I was told it has been upgraded. But from all indications, it was only furbished and nothing more. Now that I have a copy of the latest edition, I’m beginning to think that this Catechism is based on a 19th Century methodology (more than 100 years now). It is everything except adapted to the pastoral exigencies...
