The Development of Small Christian Communities in the Catholic And
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Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Summer 2007 The evelopmeD nt of Small Christian Communities in the Catholic and Among the Lugbara People of Uganda After the Second Vatican Council: A Historical, Theological and Pastoral Investigation Diego Cadri Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Recommended Citation Cadri, D. (2007). The eD velopment of Small Christian Communities in the Catholic and Among the Lugbara People of Uganda After the Second Vatican Council: A Historical, Theological and Pastoral Investigation (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/374 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND AMONG THE LUGBARA PEOPLE OF UGANDA AFTER THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL: A HISTORICAL, THEOLOGICAL AND PASTORAL INVESTIGATION A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Theology McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Diego Cadri May 1, 2007 Copyright by Diego Cadri 2007 DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY NAME OF STUDENT: Diego Cadri TITLE OF DISSERTATION: The Development of Small Christian Communities in the Catholic Church and Among the Lugbara People of Uganda after the Second Vatican Council: A Historical, Theological and Pastoral Investigation. DEGREE: Doctor of Philosophy. DATE: May 1, 2007 APPROVED: ____________________________________________________________ Chair, Theology Department Date Dr. George S. Worgul, Jr. Dissertation Director APPROVED: ____________________________________________________________ Reader Date APPROVED: ____________________________________________________________ Reader Date APPROVED: ____________________________________________________________ Reader Date APPROVED: ____________________________________________________________ Reader Date ACCEPTED: ____________________________________________________________ Dean, McAnulty College and Graduate School Date iii Abstract This dissertation depicted the events in the lives of the Lugbara Ethnic group, who will go down in the history of Uganda, through their actual existence, their deeds, their accomplishments and their contributions, but particularly because of their successful, “small Christian communities,” an important segment in all its facets, in the Lugbara Christian life. The new way of being Church that came out of the Second Vatican Council, that is, since the 1960s was the small Christian community. These pages narrated the development, the early struggle, the uncertainty, the needs, the goals, the purposes, the accomplishments and the success of this type of community, without which the African Catholic population would not function in the way it was intended. The small Christian communities play an extremely important role in the Lugbara people’s life, way back to the grass roots. The first chapter of the dissertation focuses on the life and culture of the Lugbara people of Uganda, and answer the question: who are the Lugbara people of Uganda? It explored both how the Lugbara culture and their contact with the outside world impacted their community life and eventually the development of small Christian communities in the Catholic Church. It examined the Lugbara people and their land, and traced the origin and history of the Lugbara people in general, but with special focus on the Lugbara of Uganda. It surveyed the social structure, the economic system, and the political aspect of the Lugbara people, and examined Lugbara traditional religions. It explored the Lugbara contact with the outside world such as the Arab slave traders, the European colonialists, the missionary groups such as the African Inland Mission (Quakers), the Comboni missionaries (Roman Catholic), and the Anglican Church. It also reviewed how these various groups, who occupied their land and the influence received from the outside world, affected community life. The second chapter of the dissertation began with the question, what are small Christian communities? It located the phenomenon of small Christian communities within the Catholic Church today. It explored the development of small Christian communities in Africa, by looking at the background of the community structure in Africa. It reviewed the history of the AMECEA study conferences of the Eastern Africa bishops, during 1973, 1976 and 1979, and their accomplishments. It examined the purpose and development of small Christian communities in Uganda, Arua and Nebbi dioceses, particularly among the Lugbara of Uganda. Chapter three of the dissertation investigates the theological and pastoral aspects of the small Christian communities in the Catholic Church and among the Lugbara people of Uganda. The theologies of small Christian communities are deeply rooted in the Catholic tradition such as Comboni missionary activities among the Lugbara, the Second Vatican Council, Papal documents, and the African synod of bishops. The contemporary pastoral activities of small Christian communities among the Lugbara people will include: Bible sharing in their meetings; networks and twinning with other small Christian communities both local and international; the rites of Christian initiation of Adults (RCIA); caring for needy people and developing a health care ministry. iv Chapter four of the dissertation attempted to evaluate the small Christian communities among the Lugbara people of Uganda. It examined the positive aspects and contributions of the emerging small Christian communities and their effect upon the Catholic Church in the Arua and the Nebbi dioceses among the Lugbara people. It focused also on the negative elements and submitted some suggestions to improve them. The chapter end with the general conclusion. v Dedication…………………………………………………………………………...…....ix Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………….......…...…x Abbreviations…………………………………………….………………………........…xii Introduction……………………………………………………………….…………......xiv CHAPTER ONE: The Lugbara of Uganda: Life and Culture Introduction…………………………………………………………………..…1-4 1.1 The Lugbara People and their Land………………………………………….…4-6 1.2 The Origin and History of Lugbara People………………………………..……6-9 1.3 The Social Structure of the Lugbara of Uganda……………………….…..…..9-23 1.4 The Political System of the Lugbara of Uganda…………………………...…23-30 1.5 The Economic System of the Lugbara of Uganda……………………………30-34 1.6 Lugbara Traditional Religion……………………………………………...…35-42 1.7 The Lugbara and their Contact with the Outside World…………………..…42-51 1.8 The Missionary Groups...………………………………………………………...51 1.8.1 Islam in West Nile……………………………………………………………51-56 1.8.2 The Christian Missionaries: Protestants And Roman Catholics………..……56-57 1.8.2.1 The African Inland Mission: Quaker Group…………..…………………..…57-59 1.8.2.2 The Church of Uganda: The Anglican Group…………………………….…60-61 1.8.2.3 The Comboni Missionaries in Uganda: Roman Catholic Group………….…61-64 1.9 Conclusion…………………………………………………………….…………65 CHAPTER TWO: Historical Development of Small Christian Communities in Africa With Particular Focus on the Lugbara of Uganda after the Second Vatican Council Introduction………………………………………………………………..…66-68 2.1 What Are Small Christian Communities?........................................................68-73 2.2 The Location of Small Christian Community in the Catholic Church Today.......74 2.2.1 Mainstream Small Christian Communities………………………………………74 2.2.2 Marginal Small Christian Communities…………………………………...…75-76 2.3 The Evolving Small Christian Communities in Africa………………………77-78 2.4 The African Experience of Community Life…………………………………78-79 2.4.1 The Family Community in Africa……………………………………………79-81 2.4.2 The Village Community in Africa……………………………………………81-82 2.4.3 Basic Community in African Independent Churches……………………...…82-84 2.4.4 Community in African Traditional Religion…………………………………84-86 2.4.5 The Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar.…………………...…86-87 2.4.6 The Bishops Conference of Eastern Africa………………………………..…87-88 2.5 The Emergence of Small Christian Communities in Eastern Africa…………88-89 2.5.1 The Contribution of Fr. Daniel Zwack…………………………………….…89-90 2.5.2 The Contribution of Marie-France Perrin Jassy…………………………...…90-93 2.5.3 The Contribution of the Mini-Synod in the Lilongwe Diocese of Malawi………93 vi 2.5.4 The Contribution of the 1973 AMECEA Plenary Study Conference on Building Christian Communities in Eastern Africa…………………………….…….……94 2.5.5 The Contribution of AMECEA Documentation Service after the 1973 Plenary Study Conference...…………………………………………………......……95-97 2.5.6 The Contribution of the 1976 AMECEA Plenary Study Conference on Building Christian Communities in Eastern Africa………………………..…..…….…97-99 2.5.7 The Contribution of the 1979 AMECEA Plenary Study Conference on Building Christian Communities in Eastern Africa…………………..……….………99-104 2.6 The Emergence and Development of Small Christian Communities in Uganda…………..........................................................................................104-107 2.7 The Catholic Church in Southern Sudan and Northern Uganda……..……107-111 2.8 The Catholic Church in West Nile………………………….……………..112-114 2.8.1 The Mission