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By Gilbert Ekezie
Recently, the parish priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Ewu-Owa Gberigbe, Ikorodu, Lagos State, Rev. Fr. James Anelu, prohibited Igbo songs in his parish and was subsequently suspended by Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, His Eminence, Alfred Adewale Martins, for his action.
However, many people have described the act as absurd and ungodly, saying the priest had no love of God in him, but acted as an unbeliever who haboured hatred and envy for his fellow humans.
A non-governmental organisation, Igbo Women Assembly, has joined others to condemn the act, saying the priest issued the ban to further supress the Igbo and their language.
President of the group, Chief (Mrs.) Nneka Chimezie, frowned at the ugly development, especially at this time when priests of his kind were preaching unity and peace in the country. She noted that the banning of Igbo songs in a Catholic parish was funny and unrealistic because Igbo were majority in the church and contribute most to the development of the church.
“How on earth would a priest do such a thing when he knows that these are pillars in the Catholic Church? If he wants his local language songs to be sung, he should teach the choristers or bring someone who can teach them, since people from his tribe are not ready to identify with the church, instead of the unjustified attack,” she said.
Chimezie observed that Rev. Fr. Anelu seemed to have acted a script written by him and other priests who were uncomfortable with the population and what they see as Igbo domination of the various parishes across the nation, even when they are being taken care of by Igbo in their various parishes.
“Obviously, the priest did not act alone. I believe there are still others who are stylishly doing similar things in their churches, but are not bold enough to come out. But he felt he was bold and could do anything he wanted. So, without thinking about the implication, he voiced it out.
“However, it is good that it happened like that, to let Igbo know the mindset of some of those they see as spiritual leaders. I will also say that it is a big lesson for the Igbo who leave their gates open for others to enjoy their sweat, that is what warrants others to take them for granted. That we give our best wherever we find ourselves should not give room for factors that seem to be endangering the survival of our language and culture,” she said.
Chimezie, who is an advocate of Igbo language and culture preservation, as well as publisher of Igbo language newspaper, Ekwe Kuo Ama Agbaa, noted that if a Mass could be celebrated for Indians in their language in Lagos once a month, nothing was wrong for priests to be allowed to celebrate Masses in Igbo language in Lagos, too, because the Igbo contributing more to build the church.
“Igbo build the Catholic Church, but, thereafter, they will be pushed aside. In fact, that has to stop. They should be commended and applauded for their contributions in the Catholic Church, instead of maligning and humiliating them,” she said.
She called on leadership of the Catholic Church to look inwards to unravel the activities of some overzealous priests who promote tribalism and hatred in the church, instead of focusing on their spiritual calling of winning souls for God.
According to her, the “leadership of the church knows that there are many Anelus as priests, who are working against the interests of the church. So, they should do something about that because members are really complaining.”
