DIRECTIVES
ON BURIAL OF CATHOLICS IN AHIARA DIOCESE
December 21, 2002
The burial of the dead has always evoked grief and religious
sentiments among peoples and cultures from time. The problem
of life after death has been problematic from the earliest
times. Where do the dead go to when they leave this world?
Belief in life after death has therefore influenced the
ceremonies and types of burials given to the dead. In a
given culture where there is belief in re-incarnation, burial
rites revolve around this belief. This was the case of animists
before the coming of Christ. These people were searching
for God in shadows and darkness. It needed Christ to reveal
to us the true case of what happens after death. There is
a resurrection and a true life after death.
"I am the resurrection and the life; * he who believes
in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives
and believes in me shall never die. (Jn. 11: 25-26) Commenting
on death and grief St. Paul admonishes us: “But we
would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those
who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who
have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose
again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those
who have fallen asleep”. (I Thes.4: 13-14).
(A)
WAKE KEEPING AND TIME LIMIT FOR BURIAL
In
1993, we set up the machinery to discuss this all-important
aspect of our Christian life in the diocese. This was carried
out with all the seriousness it deserves at the station
and parish levels throughout the entire diocese. The first
aspect that was very pressing then and needed to be addressed
immediately was the obnoxious long delays of burial and
wake keeping. On their own, many communities had abolished
wake keeping and long delays of burial. When eventually
the Committee set up to look into this matter gave their
report, it was unanimous what the Catholics of Ahiara diocese
wanted. They wanted no more wake keeping and no long delays
for burial. The general view was a maximum of 14 days for
burial.
On
the 3rd of December 1993, I directed that the maximum period
for the burial of Catholics in the diocese is 21 days after
death.
Furthermore after extensive consultation throughout the
parishes in the diocese, I also issued another guideline
about wake keeping. On the 13th of February of 1999, Wake
keeping was abolished. Vigil Mass without the body could
be celebrated in the Church for those who could organize
it.
(B) BURIAL RITES
A
Christian must be given a Christian burial. There should
be no mixed rite. Everything shrouded in superstition should
be completely avoided.
(C)
UMUNNA AND UMUNNE
Umunna
and Umunne should be recognized but their demands should
be minimal.
Recommendations: A few cartons
of beer, and few crates of mineral, palm wine, some bottles
of ‘hot drink ‘ and kola nuts may be offered.
Those demands from Umunna and umunne that bring financial
burden on the bereaved family such as lama/s, goat/s, sheep,
dog/s, cow/s, etc. as sine qua non conditions for burial
should be abolished, more so as these demands have their
origin in the belief in re-incarnation.
(D)
CORPSES FROM THE MORTUARY
It
is recommended that the corpse be brought from the mortuary
on the day of burial. It can be laid in state in the family
home as long as the time fixed for the funeral Mass is properly
taken care of. Flag stop en-route to the family home at
strategic places without any pagan rite is allowed, but
taking the corpse to the maternal home for burial (in case
of a deceased woman) is forbidden. Paying of last respect
should be at the time the corpse is laid in state in the
family. In case of local embalmment, the corpse is treated
as the one from the mortuary.
(E)
IMEFU N’OTU:
Imefu
n’otu during the burial in its present and original
practices, which have the superstitious connotation of separation
of the dead, should be stopped, e.g. throwing of items into
the grave, farm work by any group (e.g. women) izuahia and
similar practices. We as Catholic Christians believe in
the communion of saints. Imefu n’otu is a negation
of that Catholic belief.
Imefu n’otu after burial: This should be abrogated
also while the rights and privileges due to the deceased,
as a former member of the group should be given to the family
during the condolence visit. Shooting of guns during such
visits is forbidden. If there should be entertainment, the
group that pays the condolence visit should provide it.
(F)
WIDOWHOOD DURATION AND MANNER OF MOURNING
Widowhood/duration and manner of mourning: All aspects of
pagan and fetish practices of widowhood in their myriad
forms done in favour of the dead and/or the living must
be stopped. The Bible condemns such things cf: Ecclesiastes
38: 16-24. “My son shed tears over a dead man, and
intone the lament to show your deep grief; bury his body
with due ceremonial, and do not neglect to honour his grave.
Weep bitterly, wail most fervently; observe the mourning
the dead man deserves, one day, or two, to avoid comment,
and then be comforted in your sorrow; for grief can lead
to death, a grief-stricken heart undermines your strength.
Let grief end with the funeral; a life grief oppresses the
mind. Do not abandon your heart to grief, drive it away,
and bear your own end in mind. Do not forget, there is no
going back; you cannot help the dead, and you will harm
yourself. ‘Remember my doom, since it will be yours
too; yesterday was my day, today is yours.’ Once the
dead man is laid to rest, let his memory rest too, do not
fret for him, once his spirit departs”.
In the spirit of the Bible therefore our period of mourning
should be as short as possible: one month, two months, three
months, six months (anything from one month to six months),
though the traditional one year is acceptable in so far
as those concerned appear clean and decent. Appearing unkempt
with dirty clothes, long dirty finger nails, and Bob Maley
moustache is not the best sign of mourning.
Listen
to 1 Thes. 4:13-18. “We want you to be quite
certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure
that you do not grieve about them, like the other people
who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again,
and that it will be the same for those who have died in
Jesus: God will bring them with him. We can tell you this
from the Lord’s own teaching, that any of us who are
left alive until the Lord’s coming will not have any
advantage over those who have died. At the trumpet of God,
the voice of the archangel will call out the command and
the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have
died in Christ will be the first to rise. Then those of
us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together
with them, to meet the Lord in the air. So we shall stay
with the Lord forever. With such thoughts as these you should
comfort one another”.
The “culture” of shaving after: Must the bereaved
shave as a sign of mourning? Does the shaving have to be
from top of the head to the sole of the feet? In the cases
of women, must another widow do it?
(G)
ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment is not obligatory but should there
be one, it ought to be moderate ; groundnuts, biscuits,
soft drink/minerals would suffice. The Christian community
could help in providing this light refreshment. It is not
an occasion for the family to show off their material wealth.
There is time for everything Ecclesiastes: 3: 4-5: “A
time for tears , a time for laughter, a time for mourning,
a time for dancing”. To honour and immortalize the
name of the deceased, the family can donate to the poor
and the needy or establish scholarship programme for the
community and or donate to the Church. If however the family
in addition to the above suggestions can still conveniently
themselves or through gifts or donations in kind provide
animals – goats, cattle etc. for slaughtering, the
meat should be given out indiscriminately to people to eat
at the ceremony. There should be no items or any specific
part/s or such slaughtered animals designated for any particular
set of people, e.g. Ndi Opara or Ndi Ezeji.
(H)
OKWUKWU [1ST ANNIVERSARY]
There should be no Okwukwu for and by Christians. Doing
so through others is equally forbidden. Okwukwu in any shape
or form is a No; No indeed, a never by and for Christians,
Corpse around or Not.
(I)
ANNIVERSARY/MEMORIAL SERVICES
Anniversaries or Memorial services whether 1st or not in
the spirit of remembrance and any special prayers for the
dead is a welcome idea. Music, whether Christian or cultural
on the eve of the anniversary/memorial service is prohibited
for obvious reasons. Anniversaries or Memorial services
should be free from any and all actions that smack of paganism.
During such occasions, there should be no gun shooting either.
If these few points are adhered to, we shall make things
easy for ourselves.
Violation
of any of these directives will attract appropriate ecclesiastical
punishment.
BRIEFLY:
-
A maximum of 21 days for burial of a Catholic in Ahiara
diocese.
-
Demands
for burial shrouded in superstition are not accepted.
Mixture of Christian and pagan rites is unacceptable.
-
Imefu n’otu – a rite of separation from
the dead by groups is superstitious and so unacceptable.
-
No
more wake keeping.
-
Widowhood-
a good practice - The period should not be very long.
The period of between 1-6 months is recommended. Gloomy
and unhygienic appearance should be avoided.
-
Entertainment:
This is not the time to display affluence. Entertainment
should be very minimal. Demands by any group whatsoever
is to be abolished.
-
Okwukwu
is henceforth abolished, the period not withstanding.
-
Anniversary/Memorial
services are permitted. They should however be free
from any superstitious belief and practice.
-
VIOLATION
WILL BE PUNISHED APPROPRIATELY.
Given
at Ahiara, this 2nd day of February, 2003, the feast of
the Presentation of the Lord
This
law comes into effect on the 5th day of March, 2003, Ash
Wednesday.
Most Reverend Victor A. Chikwe
Bishop of Ahiara.
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