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Thesis Title THESIS TITLE: EXCESSIVE FUNERAL EXPENDITURE IN THE BLACK TOWNSHIPS, A PASTORAL CHALLENGE BY BISHOP STEPHEN MOSIMANEGAPE MOREO SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE FACULTY OF PRACTICAL THEOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA SUPERVISOR: PROF M.J. MASANGO © University of Pretoria I. DECLARATION I Stephen Moreo, declare that this dissertation on, Excessive Funeral Expenditure in the Black Townships, a Pastoral Care challenge, which I submit for the Degree of MA (Practical Theology) at the University of Pretoria. This is my own work and all the sources I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. Signature: _________________________ Date: __________________________ SM MOREO (BISHOP) Supervisor: Date: MSJ MASANGO (PROF) 2 © University of Pretoria II. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I would like to thank the following people for their help and contribution in completion of this research. Thank you to my beloved wife Liziwe and my children Onalerona and Tebogo, Bontle, Siyabulela and Grandchildren for their support and encouragement through this research. I would also like to thank our friend Nonhlanhla Nkosi, and for her words of encouragement. Thank you to Kesaobaka Moipolai who first put into my head the idea of pursuing this degree. Thank you to all the people who helped me compile this research, especially Nomawethu and (son) Katleho Dingiswayo, together with Jane Lawther. To Prof. Maake Masango, for his special gift in making that I push myself to the best of my ability, and believing in me in an extraordinary way. Thank you to Mrs Masango and the Mother at Alexandra-Presbyterian Church for looking after us on our contact days. Thank you to Tshepo Cherry for her support to Prof. Masango and us in the Class. 3 © University of Pretoria Thank you to my fellow Parishioners, but particularly, the Parish Council and the Executive of St George’s Parktown for allowing me the time and space to pursue this degree. Thank you to Ministry Formation Portfolio – The Diocese of Johannesburg for affording me the opportunity to study further. Thank you to all my classmates who have journeyed with me. Thank you to Reverend Dr Jeremy Jacob for being in-charge of the Parish of Parktown, whilst I was studying and encouraging me to complete this thesis. Thank you to Dr Munthali for reading the script and making suggestions. Thank you to Reverend Margaret Place and Dr Helen Place for helping with the grammar, etc. Thank you to Archbishop Thabo Makgoba for his gracious support and encouragement. III. SUMMARY: 4 © University of Pretoria Funerals are still considered as very important and well attended occasion in the black townships of South Africa. In the recent past, traditional African funerals practices have affected a number of powerful and complex systems that have been interaction in Africa. The three most important being traditional African cultures, modern Western culture and the environment. The study was conducted to establish factors that led to excessive funerals expenditures in some black townships communities of South Africa, in order to create a pastoral response to this phenomenon. The project was done in Ramatlabama village in the North West province and also in Soweto in the province of Gauteng. A qualitative methodological plan was followed allowing exclusive experiences to emerge. Families, adults and young church groups, clergy, Bishop, Social group and a Funeral undertaker , an in-depth qualitative analysis was employed in order to find the real reasons that led to excessive funeral expenditure. The data collected and analyzed revealed that factors such as impressing neighbors, meeting community and family expectation were the reasons for the phenomenon. There were other external factors that contributed indirectly to the practice and such as commercialization and politicization. In order to address this practice that is making the poor more vulnerable, the Shepherding Model of Gerkin’s and Pollard’s Theory of positive deconstruction was explored. It was found that the Clergy needed to be helped to be aware of the fact that excessive funeral expenditure requires a pastoral response with the right attitude and meaningful dialogues with those affected. The pastoral care-giver with adequate knowledge and exposure to life of pastoral care seeker will have a greater advantage to help most if not all families that usually find themselves in this predicament or dilemma. The best way for the church to help the poor families venture into the future, it’s by educating our communities on how not to spend beyond their means. 5 © University of Pretoria IV. DEFINITION OF TERMS : Bishop The Bishop has the oversight of a geographical area — a Diocese. The understanding is that all ministries within a Diocese are the right and property of the Bishop, some of which he may delegate to others. Canons Has two meanings: •A senior priest or a lay-person awarded an honorary title which may carry responsibilities. •The rules regulating a province, with a Constitution. Clergy Persons who are ordained to the office of Bishop, Deacon or Priest in the Anglican Church. Death of a loved one The ‘loved one’ in this research is any person who caused the respondent to feel robbed as a result of their death. The death of anyone they have invested in – were emotionally attached to or depended on. This suggests that it is the nature and the quality of the attachment that determines the intensity of grief rather than the magnitude of the psychosocial transition that results. The pangs of grief are more easily explained in the terms of attachment theory than transition Nyanjaya cf. (Dickeson, Malcolm & Katz 2000:330). Family According to the Universal English Dictionary 6 © University of Pretoria (1996) family is described as “group of persons living under the same roof including both those actually related by blood, and all others, dependents, friends in a household. The term in this article will be used in a broader extended family in Western sense of the word. Funeral Rituals Cook & Oltjenbrun (1998:128) describe ritual as a specific behaviour that gives symbolic expression to certain feelings or thoughts. It serves as a public acknowledgement that death has occurred and provides an opportunity for mourning. It is acknowledgement of death at a formal level, which provides powerful therapeutic experience for both individuals and families. It symbolizes transition, healing and continuity. Rituals invest death with religious, psychological and social meaning for the participants. In spite of it being public, it uniquely benefits the individual in dealing with the unfinished business. For example, the ritual of distribution of the deceased’s items, the remembrance ceremonies and the appointment of guardians for the remaining spouse and children for the mourning period until the final ceremony is carried out, are an acknowledgement that loss has occurred. Grief Refers to, “ the cognitive and emotional reactions that follow the death of a loved one” Nyanjaya cf (Newman and Newman 7 © University of Pretoria 1998:491). According to Lewis Nyanjaya cf (1998:6), there is great hurt in grief, generally a feeling that no one else really understands, that no one else has ever suffered in quite the same way or to the same extent. The assumption that is often made by those who have lost loved ones are therefore not fair and are unfounded, when I tell them that “I do understand what you are going through” or “I know what it means”. These utterances might mean that we project our grief into current griever. If grief is the price one pays for the love invested in a relationship then no one can understand how the grieving person feels Mourning According to the Heinemann English Dictionary (2001) mourning is described as, “the outward signs of bereavement or grief, e.g. the wearing of black clothes.” It denotes the social prescription for the way in which a person is expected to display grief and often reflects the practices of one’s culture. Parish A smaller geographical area within a Diocese, which usually has a Priest, under the Diocesan Bishop’s research and license, with oversight – usually called a Rector. A parish may have one or more congregations which meet in different church buildings. Praxis Praxis may be defined as an intentional action or behaviour by individuals or group directed 8 © University of Pretoria or inspired by their Christian faith. Priest A person ordained for the office of priesthood in the Church. Province A geographical area – under the oversight of an Archbishop – and part of the Anglican Communion. A province is divided into smaller geographical areas – Dioceses. Rector From the Latin word “regular” meaning “rule”. The Rector is appointed by the Diocesan Bishop with the responsibility for pastoral ministry, preaching and teaching in that place. Trauma It is defined as a psychic injury as a result of emotional shock, which continues to remain unhealed and sometimes manifest in dissociated memory. This sometimes results in behavioural and emotional disorder. Nyanjaya cf (Dickeson, Malcolm & Katz 2000:330) V. TABLE OF CONTENTS i) Declaration...................................................................................................................1 ii) Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................2 9 © University of Pretoria iii) Summary......................................................................................................................4
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