The Igbo Catholic Church represents a unique blend of traditional Igbo culture and Catholic faith. This article explores the historical development of the Church, its core beliefs, and its ongoing dialogue with Igbo traditional religion. It also examines the vibrant Catholic life in Igboland and the challenges and paradoxes it faces.
Igbo people in traditional attire.
Early Encounters and the Growth of Christianity
The initial interaction between Igbo Traditional Religion and Christianity was characterized by antagonism. Igbo traditional beliefs were often dismissed as "pagan" and "devilish." However, Igbo traditional religion demonstrated resilience even as Christianity expanded rapidly within Igbo cosmology. The general motive of Western missionaries was in line with Jesus’ mandate to his disciples: “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:18-20, Mk 16:15; Lk 24:27; Acts 1:8).
The encounter of the Igbo in Southeastern Nigeria with the first missionaries will be a focal point to concretely answer the above question. Unlike the colonial encounter, which was marked by antagonism and the rejection of Igbo traditional belief, this study argues for a relationship that needs to be identified with communal reverence, comprehension, acceptance and free will, emancipation and authenticity in this era.
A Brief History of the Igbo People
The origin of the Igbo people has been a topic of much speculation. The Igbo tribe is located in Southeastern Nigeria and occupies a geographical area known as Igbo-land. Igbo-land is divided by the River Niger into two parts: the Eastern region and the Midwestern region, and is surrounded by other tribes like Urhobo, Itsekiri, Ijaw, Ogoni, Igala, Tiv, Yako, and Ibibio.
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The earliest inhabitants of Igbo likely came from the Niger confluence. As one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa, Igbo is associated with many dialects. In rural Nigeria, Igbo people work mostly as craftsmen, farmers, and traders, producing yams, cassava, maize, and various leguminous crops.
Igbo people first encountered Europeans in the mid-fifteenth century with the advent of the Portuguese. When the slave trade was abolished in 1807, trade shifted to industrial products. By 1900, the area administered by the British Niger Company became the Protectorate on Southern Nigeria. There had been twenty-one British military troops among the Igbo people between 1900 and 1914, when Northern and Southern Nigeria were amalgamated. In 1928, Igbo men were made to pay tax for the first time in Igbo history.
Different migrants came separately and settled in the closest geographical units which include Abakaliki, Onitsha, Enugu, Owerri and Umuahia regions in the Eastern Central State, and fractions of Benin, Warri, and other Delta regions in Midwestern Nigeria. There are two different spellings in Igbo studies: “Ibo and Igbo”. The technically more correct pronunciation, ‘Igbo’ is chosen in this work since many Igbos prefer it that way as contrary to.
Map of Nigeria showing the location of Igboland.
Core Beliefs and Practices of Igbo Traditional Religion
The Igbo world, in its entire ramification, material, spiritual, and socio-cultural dimensions are made comprehensible by their cosmology, which elucidates how everything came into being. The core of Igbo traditional religion is the belief in a spiritual being and an ultimate reality known as “Chukwu” or “Chineke,” which is the same entity as God in Christianity.
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Chukwu (high being or Omnipotent) or Chineke (creator being) in Igbo is believed to be the creator of the whole universe. To express their connection and emanation from Chukwu, typical Igbo parents always express their gratitude by the type of name they give to their children like Chukwuebuka “God is great”, Chinyere “God’s gift or God has given”, Chibuikem “God is my strength”, AkaNsoChwukwu “Holy hand of God”, Ngozichukwu “God’s blessing” and many others. Immediately in rank after Chukwu are the small gods known as divinities, which are believed to be created by Chukwu and they serve as his agents.
Ala (the Earth goddess) is outstanding among the divinities since she is the most powerful of all. She is the custodian of Igbo morality and a very merciful mother due to her provisions and intercession for her children. In Igbo culture, some moral offences that are committed by people are regarded as deification of the land (ilunso ala). Bearing in mind that Ala as a divinity can serve as an intermediary between people and Chukwu, a typical Igbo person often feels himself or herself secure when standing and being in touch with the Earth to ask for favors or make appeasements to Chukwu for some offences committed.
Other Igbo divinities are comprised of Anyanwu (sun god), Amadioha (god of thunder sky), and Kamalu (god of Thunder). Subsequent to the divinities are the ancestors who are the most cherished spiritual beings in Igbo traditional religion. The ancestors are the dead and departed elders of families (Umunna). They are consequently called Ndi nna anyi ha (our fathers or our forefathers). Next to the ancestors are the oracles. The existence of oracles is still felt in most Igbo religious practices even in this modern era.
There are also different types of spirits that the Igbo believe in. These spirits are believed to have the capability to harm or affect human lives. Amongst these spirits is chi, the individual god of each Igbo person that unites him or her with Chukwu. Chi who is believed to be either male or female could determine the future life of everyone. Igbo religion is rooted in the belief and worship of, Chi-ukwu, the ‘Great Chi’ or the ‘Great God’. Chi is the fundamental nature of “Chukwu” which is known as divine essence. Chukwu is coined from Chi and Ukwu which can be described as Supreme God.
Igbo Traditional Religion believes in moral righteousness as conserved in the Omenala or Omenani, which is the Igbo code of conduct. They also believe in the practice of medicine popularly called á»gwu and in the sacred personages which include the priests, diviners, and medicine men. As earlier indicated, a critical analysis by the scholars that is cantered on belief and worship systems portrays that Igbo traditional religion has constituents of monotheism, polytheism, and pantheism.
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Moreover, Igbo people traditionally believe that the earth is Chukwu’s footstool; this is a typical pantheistic religious outlook. Igbo religion is polytheistic as the Igbo religious world is alive with many gods which the people worship. Igbo emerged as a tribe which acknowledged and accepted the traditional religion of their forefathers. This religion remained intact and continued in existence prior to the arrival of Europeans.
The Impact of Christianity on Igbo Society
The Igbo of Southeastern Nigeria were attracted to Christianity because of European ideas of establishment of schools, free education, and free medical care. The Western teachings in schools and in Christianity made Igbo children see the cultural practices of their parents as demonic. Western colonization of Igbo continued in 1914 before the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.
Many schools and colleges were built for the education and training of Christian children. Igbo educated elites then, started increasing in number and most of them were very cruel to the missionaries. Private individuals and the government started opening and owning schools which later transitioned from being the church’s form of evangelization to a lucrative business. This led to the desertion of the efficient teachings of Christian doctrines until after the 1967-1970 Nigerian civil war, when the schools were finally taken over by the government.
Churches, mostly European based, then started acquiring ideas that made them appear more indigenous by adapting to certain cultures and some Igbo traditional practices. In a bid to indigenize the churches, some personalities in the church were requested to take some bigger features of Igbo cultures like the Ozo title.
Igbo culture is a system in which traditional religion laid the basis of moral and social behaviour even before the arrival of Christianity. There was a clear understanding of social and cultural identification and the principles of socialization among people. This was diluted with the arrival of missionaries and traders from 1857 onwards. Plurality of religious beliefs and value concepts were recorded for the first time.
Igbo traditional belief and social control methods like divination and consultation of oracles were challenged by Christianity. The new converts to Christianity were advised to disobey this custom. It became a long-lasting war between Christians and Igbo Indigenes which even took some lives.
Christians were taught to desist from paying the extended family and village levies for various activities since a piece is used in sacrifice to idols. Part of the levy is also for some activities that are related to burials, like the masquerades.
Catholic Life in Igboland Today
Though Catholicism is a minority religion in Nigeria-the northern half of the country is primarily Muslim; the south is primarily Christian, but most Christians belong to Protestant and African Independent Churches-Catholicism is by far the dominant faith among the Igbo people, whose homeland is a large section of southeast Nigeria.
Catholic life in Igboland is exceptionally vibrant and vital, though not without tensions and paradoxes. Catholic practice there embraces the spectrum from traditional Roman Catholic devotions like the Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration to charismatic and Pentecostal forms of dancing devotion-and in some contexts combines all of these at once. The designation Igbo embraces people from hundreds of very localized ethnic identities with their own local traditions, which complicates any attempt to speak broadly about Igbo culture.
Enugu is a place where authority and charisma are both very clearly on display in Catholic life, and where tradition is alive. Parents still value having many children, so the number of young people far outweighs the number of elderly.
RELIGION AND IDENTITY
By all accounts, Igbo traditional religion continues to have a profound influence on Catholic life in Igboland, including among people who are deeply committed to the Church. Even among the relatively pan-Igbo deities, their character and status varied from community to community. The divinities and the ancestors are capable of intervening for good or ill in the lives of humans as they see fit. Ancestors and deities expect acknowledgement and sacrifices as a sign of respect, and can reward and punish according to the level of respect they receive.
Seen from this perspective, Igbo culture has undergone a remarkable and rapid transformation in relatively short time. At the same time, Enugu is also a place where many traditional Roman Catholic practices are flourishing. He would be heartened to see the attendance at early morning Masses, catechism classes, “Block Rosary” meetings, adoration chapels, and at a wide array of lay Catholic associations.
More contemporary manifestations of Catholicism are also quite evident here, particularly charismatic and Pentecostal-inspired forms of Catholic worship. Catholicism has a very public role in the life of the community, not only through the many churches, hospitals, social services and ministries for the indigent, but also at public institutions. At work, people feel at ease displaying Catholic images. Many workplaces, including government ones, invite priests into the workplace to say Mass fairly regularly.
Discussions with lay Catholics in Enugu showed a whole range of ways that people prayed, from relying overwhelmingly on official, formulated prayers such as the Rosary, St. Jude Prayers, or the Legion of Mary’s Catena to free-form prayer in charismatic services. Marian devotion is thick and widespread, but does not overshadow devotion to Jesus. Saints are called upon as protectors and intercessors, but no saint seems especially prominent.
One Igbo pastor said that he thought that morning family Rosaries, Adoration and daily local Masses are successful precisely because they fill a gap left from traditional morning devotion to local gods at household shrines. In Igbo traditional religion, “Events at the material level are mere manifestations of what has been pre-determined at the spiritual level...
Respect for ancestors remains a powerful ethical imperative. It is the outcome of an enduring, powerful belief among Igbo people that the actions, failings, or displeasure of their ancestors can still easily come home to impact the living. Fear of witchcraft and of demons is an equally powerful reality. Interviewees in 2019 reported that their fellow Igbos’ first tendency when they encounter misfortune is to turn to “persons” to explain why the problem came their way.
Priests also said that they believe in witchcraft. In a universe so full of such powerful forces, the phrases encountered most frequently were “My God is more powerful than,” or “Almighty God, mightier than all gods,” rather than “There is no other God than...” One highly educated Igbo Catholic asserts that this may be a reason why Rosary beads and scapulars are important here-not only as aids to prayer and signals of religious devotion, but also as protection from evil spirits.
Igbo tradition also relies on dibias, or diviners and seers, who have the capacity to “obtain information which is not available by direct sensory perception,” whether about events in this world or the spiritual realm. Interviews with a number of catechists and parish priests posit that a major reason people come to them for prayers or guidance is for “spiritual problems.” “Spiritual problems” does not refer to problems that arise from one’s own inner spiritual failings, but from the external causes identified above: ancestors or witchcraft.
Traditional religion holds that the spirits of a good person are able to return to the material world through their own progeny. Traditional religion holds that the spirits of a good person are able to return to the material world through their own progeny. This is not because people had not been taught about the Christian view of the afterlife, people make clear, but often occurs because people see evidence that reinforces the traditional worldview, such as when individuals see characteristics of a deceased uncle or father in a child.
The enhancement of Catholic traditions by Igbo ones is manifest in traditions around names, and the ritual for conferring names. Breaking, sharing and eating a kola nut is an essential traditional means to welcome guests and in a range of other contexts. As Catholics and other Igbo people practice it, the ritual always begins by invoking the ancestors.
Like all cultures, Igbo culture holds together a variety of values in tension, beyond those elucidated here. While traditional influences have been emphasized in this article, contemporary influences should not be underestimated. Seminaries, convents, Masses, and prayer meetings are full, and Pentecostal Christianity has made big strides here. Catholic as Enugu is, there is still a surprising amount of movement by laypeople among denominations.
Interviewees regularly described the Igbo people as “naturally” or inherently religious. At moments, the relationship between traditional religion and Catholicism seems like a challenge, but interviewees also reject the idea that they should or could turn back on their own culture. They are proud and grateful to be Igbo, and the ones I met all managed any seeming tensions seemingly to their own satisfaction.
One deeply committed Catholic man didn’t hesitate to report that he participates in masquerades in his village, though these have been a site of real tension for some Catholics. More frequently, perhaps because they are stripped down into entertainment, adapted as non-religious “culture,” or Christianized, the tensions are reconciled.
The Igbo Catholic Community in Houston
Masses in Igbo language had been celebrated in the Houston area to mark occasions like weddings, christening, and or requiems dating back to about 1984. However, in the 1994, Mrs. Veronica Ohazurume initiated the celebration of Catholic mass in Igbo language on a regular and sustained basis when she pleaded with Fr. Wence Madu, a visiting Igbo priest, to help organize Igbo mass for the sake of her mother, Mrs Catherine Okereke and other visiting parents that could neither speak nor understand the English language.
Following this request, Fr. Madu obtained the permission of Fr. Brian Fox, the pastor of St. Francis Xavier parish, to use his parish as the worship center. On February 6, 1994, the first Igbo Catholic Community mass was recorded in the books at St Francis Xavier Parish with the following priests in attendance; Frs. Madu, Muọneke, Ọfọha, Fox and Deacon Henry. At end of the mass Fr. Fox reiterated his commitment to make his parish available for our regular masses and commended Mrs. Vero Ọhazurume for her efforts in bringing the celebration of masses in Igbo for the Igbo Catholic Community in Houston to fruition.
To direct the activities of the now formally established Igbo Catholic Community, the following were asked to serve; Sir Cyprain Obiọzọr- president, Dr Sebastine Osueke-catechist, Sir Emmanuel Nnabuife- secretary, Mrs. Grace Nweke-women leader, Mrs Nneka Ike-Sunday bulletin publisher. One of the goals of the leadership was to bring our children together to meet and know themselves.
On April 12 1998, Easter Sunday, Archbishop emeritus, Joseph Fiorenza, the then Bishop of Galveston - Houston Diocese, officially celebrated mass for the Igbo Catholic Community. By March 3, 1999, His Eminence, Cardinal Francis Arinze visited Igbo Catholic Community on invitation. He celebrated masses with us, through the Holy Week, which culminated with a huge gathering for the Easter mass held at the Charismatic Center on 5th of April 1999.
The newly appointed leadership of the ICCH formulated a mission statement thus: “We, members of the Catholic faith of Igbo descent based in Houston, Texas, USA, committed to imparting the Igbo culture and language in our children born in foreign lands, and preservation of same in us and our visiting aged parents; pledge ourselves to the establishment of a Catholic worship center where the medium of worship and religious instructions would be based on Igbo language and culture.”
On January 15, 2004, Igbo Catholic Community leadership signed a five-year contract with St Mary of Purification Parish for a place to worship. In 2006, after a scheduled mass, the congregation of the Igbo Catholic Community, Houston Chapter had its first elected council members under the guidance and supervision of Fr. Muoneke, the chaplain. The current women groups include; St Anthony’s, St Michael’s, Mystical Rose and Immaculate Heart.
The most important challenge facing the ICCH now is the actualization of the proposed eight hundred- seat capacity church building and the one thousand- seat capacity banquet hall, all projected for completion during the next few years.
Nigerian Igbo Catholic Community (NICC) in Baltimore
Our burning desire to have a Nigerian Igbo Catholic Community (NICC) grew following the establishment of a ‘Catholic Prayer Ministry of the Holy Spirit’ in Baltimore in the 1995 by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Edeh, an evangelical catholic priest. We started offering Igbo Mass at Church of the Little Flower in Baltimore, a worshipping space we were blessed to have through Fr. Paul Anekwe who became our premier priest.
The Nigerian Igbo Catholic Community was officially born with the formation of the first coordinating council and the appointment of Aloysius Ibe and Dr. Bert Ekeocha, as the premier chairman and vice chairman, respectively. In 1997, we moved to our present worship site, St. Mathew Catholic Church in Baltimore, a multicultural parish pastured by Rev. Fr. Joseph Muth, Jr. In 2005, the Archdiocese of Baltimore formally granted us official status, and the Nigerian Igbo Catholic Community was included in the United States Catholic Conference (USCC) official Catholic directory.
Encouraged by this official recognition by the Archdiocese, we committed ourselves to building a vibrant religious community where faith and catholic tradition in ministering to the spiritual and communal needs of our people was the primary focus. Currently, we celebrate our Igbo mass on the last Sunday of every month. The NICC Women Wing is presently at its formative stage and we hope to use this medium as a springboard to offer our women strong spiritual formation and social enrichment.
We are presently engaged in developing a curriculum for the cultural and religious enrichment of our children. We plan to educate our children on the geography of Nigeria, its sociopolitical history and development, cultural linguistic aspects, and grounding in the basic language and culture of the Igbo people. We intend to incorporate into this program a formal catechesis for the religious education of our children.
Igbo Catholic Mass celebration.
Liturgical Calendar and Community Engagement
Welcome to the Igbo Catholic Church, where the liturgical calendar plays a significant role in fostering community engagement. Discover the profound impact of the Igbo Catholic Church’s involvement in community service on fostering unity and compassion. At Igbo Catholic Church, we believe in the power of coming together to make a difference. At Igbo Catholic Church, community engagement is at the heart of our mission. We believe in the power of coming together to make a positive difference in the world. At Igbo Catholic Church, we are more than just a place of worship.
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