African Tradition Vs Western Tradition? Why a Nigerian Catholic Priest Supports Polygamy

Rev. Father Gabriel Ngbe of Akwangwa Catholic Church, in Nasarawa State, on Sunday proposed the need for the Catholic Church to inculcate some aspects of the African culture in its doctrine, which in this case is polygamy.

While celebrating the  Acculturation Mass at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Akwanga, the Reverend father insisted that the Catholic doctrine must be amended, especially in African Catholic Churches in order to accommodate every member of the Church. He buttressed his claim by saying;

“The Whiteman that brought Christianity to us mixed the religion with his culture and Africans just accepted it like that at the expense of our culture. If we did not incorporate parts of our culture into the way we worship God, our culture would in no distant time go into extinction.”

The Father,  explained that our local foods should henceforth be used for communion in the Catholic Church rather than using imported products. The priest also stated that meaningful local names should be given during Baptism and Confirmation in Catholic Churches rather than ‘English names’.

He further urged members to imbibe the habit of wearing our traditional attires, during weddings, as well as celebrating Mass in local languages. He said that anybody who practiced monogamy before accepting Christ should be given equal treatment in the Church along side those that have only one wife. He explained by saying,

“It is better to have many wives at home than to have only one and yet have many girl friends and lovers outside,” the priest said.

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Rev. Father Ngbe, commended the Yoruba people for incorporating their culture in the way they practiced both Christianity and Islam and urged others to emulate them.

Culled from: Vanguard