Rev. Fr. Theodore Ikemefuna Iloh
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The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin Faculty of Theology Rev. Fr. Theodore Ikemefuna Iloh Index Number: 139988 THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH IN THE LIGHT OF THE TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF NIGERIA, 1965 – 2017 Doctoral Thesis in Systematic Theology written under the supervision of Rev. Fr. Dr. Hab. Andrzej Pietrzak SVD, Prof. KUL Lublin 2019 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As there cannot be an omelette without egg, so also, the success of a work of this magnitude cannot be realized without the grace of God and the support of many people. My optimum gratitude therefore goes to the Almighty God who has sustained me and done wonderful things in my life. To Him be the glory and honour, forever. I am deeply indebted to my bishop, Most Rev. Dr. Paulinus Ezeokafor, and his auxiliary, Most Rev. Dr. Jonas Benson Okoye, for granting me permission to further my studies. My unalloyed gratitude goes to Dr Godwin Maduka (Lion of Africa) for sponsoring my studies here in Poland. Thank you, my big brother. May God’s love continue to remain in your family. I thank in a special way my supervisor, Rev. Fr. Dr. hab. Andrzej Pietrzak SVD, Prof. KUL. His sincere remarks and suggestions remain unquantifiable for the success of this work. I also express my appreciation to the Dean and all the Professors and workers in the Faculty of Theology, John Paul II Catholic University, Lublin. I thank my brother-priests, Rev. Frs: Pat Okeke, Ken Nwabuike, Cy Duru, Theo Ekwem, Nonso Onyegu, Kingsley Ibe, Afam Ekwem, Kingsley Madu, Uche Okeke, Peter Uzoezie, Charly Ogbunambala, Ken Ekeugo, Ig Okoli, A. B. C. Chiegboka, JB Onyia, Peter Ofoji, Mike Muonwe, Austin Onyebuchi, James Ikeatuegwu, Felix Ibegbunam, Ig. Onwuatuegwu, Casmir Anozie, Andrew Emenike, Benignus Nwankwo, Peter Ibeazor, Steve Akujiobi, Msgr B. C. B. Muojekwu and others. Rev. Msgr. Prof J. B. Akam has been part of whatever success I recorded in life. Thanks for been there for me. Rev. Ekene Nwosu brought the idea of my coming to Poland and fastened the submission of some necessary documents to that effect. I thank him for his love. Sincere appreciation also goes to some of my friends: Chief and Mrs Patrick Chidolue (Nnabuenyi), Chief Dr and Mrs Greg Omile, Prof. and Mrs Law Chukwu, Prof. and Mrs P. Okafor, Pastor and Mrs Marcellinus Odimgbe, Chief and Lady Alex Okechukwu, Ogbuehi Simon Okpara, Chief and Mrs Paul Muotolu, Senator A. Igbeke (Ubanese), Chief and Mrs Norbert Emejue, Mr Bernard and Virginia Rote, Mr and Mrs Larry Pembleton, Mr and Mrs Mike Herrick, Lady Ruth Cyr, Lady Jeanine Evans, Lady Chinenye Okonkwo, Lady Dr Ify Udegbe, and Lady Jane Onuegbu. I want also to express my gratitude to Late Rev. Fr. Gerry Creedon, Fr Jack O’Hara, Fr Bill, and the entire parishioners of Holy Family Parish, Dale City, Virginia, USA. Thank you, Fr. Mike and the parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish, Manassas, USA. Nigerian Priests here in Poland showed me much love. They include: Frs Tony Umeh, Faustinus Ugwuanyi, Tony Ohaekwusi, Kinsley Ekeocha, Lambert Nwauzor, Mike Konye, Stephen Ugwu, Patrick Obeleagu and all others. May God reward you abundantly and sustain you in your own academic endeavour. Finally, I am grateful to God for the gift of my father, Late Chief Luke Iloh, and my mother, Ezinne Grace Iloh, for showing me the path to good life. Thank you, Rev. Fr. Julian Iloh, Mr and Mrs Too Iloh, Eze Iloh, Mr and Mrs Peter Iloh, Columbus Iloh, Philip, Stephen, Christy, Lucy and Jacinta, and the entire members of Ilojiukwa family. Thanks so much for your encouragement. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………. 02 TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………………..03 ABBREVIATIONS………………………………………………………....................08 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………….....11 CHAPTER ONE: General notion of Mission: etymological, contents, objectives and its contextual evolution in the Nigerian local church ….................................... 27 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………27 1. Biblical and theological basis of Christ’s mandate (mission) ……………….....28 a. Mission in Old Testament…………………………………………………… 28 b. New Testament as the source of the contemporary mission of the Church….31 c. The Trinitarian Framework in the Church’s mission…………………. ……. 32 2. Second Vatican Council and Post-conciliar Church: the changing faces of Mission……….………………………………………………………..……….. 33 a. Synopsis of the mission in pre-conciliar ecclesiology……………………… 34 b. Conceptual survey of Mission…………………………………………….... 35 c. Mission ad intra and Mission ad extra……………………………………….......38 d. Ecclesiology of Aggiornamento…………………..………………………… 40 e. Some basic principles of Mission…………………………………………… 41 i. Mission and the sender: the scriptural import of “sending”……………41 ii. Mission and the sent: apostolos……………………………………….43 f. The complex interplay between mission and evangelization………………..44 g. Difinitional Nuances of evangelization…………………………………….. 46 3. Missionary ecclesiology and objectives………………………………………......48 a. Etymological derivations of the Church in relation to her mission…..............48 b. Relevant images in understanding the church……………………………......50 c. Proclamation of the word of God to all nation as integral part of mission…...51 d. The hermeneutics of witnessing as an offshoot of proclamation in the Church’s mission……………………………………………………………..52 e. Recipients of the Gospel message……………………………………………54 f. Human development, peace and social justice: ingridients of mission ………55 4. Evolution of Mission: Nigerian experience………………………………………56 3 a. Fundamental basic explication………………………………………………. 57 b. The formation of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria……………...........58 c. Historical and theological basis for episcopal conferences…………………….59 d. Awareness of the Church’s missionary responsibility and notion of mission ……………………….……………………………………………...61 e. Drawing strength from the universality of the Church’s missionary activity…63 f. The mission of the Church as a collective commitment and action…………….64 g. CBCN as the vanguard of missio ad intra and missio ad extra………………...66 h. CBCN’s vision of Mission: The import of the Magisterium appeal letter to Nigerian Bishops……………………………………………………………..67 Summary……………………………………………………………………………….69 CHAPTER TWO: Mission and evangelization in the local church: historico-contextual approaches………………………………………………………71 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 71 1. Socio-cultural, political and religious background……………………………….72 a. A brief historical touch on Nigeria………………………………………………72 b. Political considerations in Nigerian Development………………………............74 c. The Economic Resources considerations………………………………………..77 d. Religious consideration………………………………………………………….78 e. Cultural and social Elements in the life of the People…………………………..79 f. Islam in Nigeria: A Brief Historical Review………………………………........ 81 g. The fall of Sokoto Caliphate in 1903 as ground for Christian persecution...........83 h. The advent of Christian missionary activities in Nigeria………………………...84 i. Sowing the seed of evangelization: Early missionary encounter with the natives..84 i. First encounter of the Portuguese with Nigeria……………..........................86 ii. Second attempt: the era of ius commissionis .………………………………90 iii. Freed slaves as catalysts in the missionary work in Nigeria………………..92 iv. Third phase of the birth of the Church: the era of mandatum ………………..93 2. The Gospel’s encounter with African Traditional Religion……………………….97 a. The idea of religion as Deo-humani encounter…………………………………..97 b. Christianity and African Traditional Religion: the problematics………………..99 c. Some missiological caveats for the missionaries……………………………….100 d . The initial encounter of the Gospel and the African Traditional Religion……...102 4 i. CBCN’s interventional approach (between ATR and Christian religion)......105 ii. Conflicts between the Church and Islamic religion…………………………108 3. Mission in the hands of local church authorities………………………………….109 a. Short historical framework……………………………………………………..109 b. The indigenous clergy and religious as vanguards of evangelization………… 112 c. The import of vocation in Nigerian missionary experience……………………115 d. Mission on trial…………………………………………………………………118 i. Nigeria-Biafra war, 1967-1970…………………………………………… 119 ii. Federal Government takeover of mission schools…………………………121 iii. Quick response from the Nigerian Bishops………………………………..121 4. Methods of evangelization used by the European missionaries ……..…………..123 a. Education as a pivotal method…………………………………………………123 b. Integral Human Development…………………………………………………126 Summary……………………………………………………………………………..128 CHAPTER THREE: The integral missionary approach of the CBCN…………….129 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….129 1. Contextualized missionary ecclesiology…………………………………………..130 a. The Nigerian voice………………………………………………………….....130 b. Prophetic role of the Church in the Nigerian context…………………………133 c. Education in the evangelizing mission of the Church…………………………136 i. Church and educational establishments…………………………………136 ii. Catholic Education as an imperative in the Church’s mission………….140 d. The New Evangelization in the mission of the Nigerian Church……………..146 i. Contextual consideration……………………………………………….146 ii. Reception of the new era of evangelization by CBCN…………………148 2. The Gospel as instrument of justice, peace and progress………………………149 a. The multi-religious nature of Nigerian society and the Church’s mission…...149 b. Promotion of justice and equity in Nigerian society…………………………150 c. The Church for the poor……………………………………………………...153