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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