ARCHBISHOP STEPHEN EZEANYA: - THE NEW ERA AND NEW EVANGELIZATION IN NIGERIA THE ONITSHA EXPERIENCE

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1 ARCHBISHOP STEPHEN EZEANYA: - THE NEW ERA AND NEW EVANGELIZATION IN NIGERIA THE ONITSHA EXPERIENCE Francis Anekwe Oborji (Professor of Missiology, Pontifical Urban University, Rome) 0. Introduction One of the challenges Pope John Paul II gave to the Church in Nigeria in 1982 when he made his first pastoral visit to the country was the call for a new era of evangelization. Addressing the Nigerian Bishops in the Apostolic Nunciature, Lagos, 15 th February 1982, the Pope said: In this pastoral visit I expressed the hope that it would initiate a new era of evangelization. This is my repeated prayer: that zeal for evangelization will envelop the Church here in Nigeria. 1 While delivery a homily in Onitsha, 13 th February 1982, the Pope began by quoting St Paul the great missionary and apostle. He addressed the faithful who had gathered for the papal Mass at Onitsha thus: With the Apostle Paul I say to you: You are God s chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other (Col. 3:12). It would appear that Monsignor Stephen Nweke Ezeanya, when he became the Archbishop of Onitsha in 1985, took the inspiration for his pastoral ministry from Pope John Paul II call for the new era of evangelization in Onitsha and Nigeria as a whole. This could be seen from his missionary and pastoral initiatives and strategies throughout the ten years of his tenure as Archbishop of Onitsha. In this brief essay we shall attempt to identify the missionary and pastoral initiatives of Archbishop Ezeanya through which he was able to contribute to the promotion of the new era of evangelization in Onitsha Archdiocese and Nigeria as a whole. For an in-depth treatment of this topic, we shall begin with a brief discussion on the relationship between the new era and the new evangelization as they are applied today in the teaching of the Church. Thereafter, attempts will be made to situate the missionary and pastoral initiatives of Ezeanya in Onitsha within the context of the Church s universal call for the new era and the new evangelization. Therefore, the essay will be developed in two major parts as follows: 1. What is New Era and New Evangelization? 2. Archbishop Ezeanya and the New Era of Evangelization in Onitsha. 1. What is New Era and New Evangelization? 1 Stephen Nweke Ezeanya was Archbishop of Onitsha Archdiocese (Nigeria) from 1985 to A pioneer African theologian, he was a contemporary of Vincent Mulago (from Congo) at the Pontifical Urban University, Rome in the early 1950s. He was the first Catholic priest from Nigeria (Igboland) to obtain doctorate in Sacred Theology with a thesis entitled: The Method of Adaptation in the Evangelization of the Igbo-speaking of Southern Nigeria (Pontifical Urban University Rome, 1956). A prolific writer and theologian of class whose works had always reflected the need for inculturation in African Christianity, Stephen N. Ezeanya was a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and pioneer Rector of the Catholic Institute for West Africa (CIWA), from where, he was appointed Archbishop of Onitsha in As Archbishop of Onitsha, he made his pastoral priority the church s closeness to the poor in our midst. He was the first Nigerian Bishop to invite the Missionary Sisters of Charity (of St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta) to Nigeria. He prioritized the mission of the Church to the poor, especially, to those living in the periphery and the remotest zones of the Archdiocese, particularly, the parishes in the riverine areas along the valleys of the Niger and Anambra Rivers of the Archdiocese. He died on November 12, 1996 in his retirement home at Onitsha. NB: The present article, originally written in 2003, was submitted for a volume in honour of the Archbishop in the same year. However, we are publishing it here for the first time in its originally form.

2 What does the Pope mean when he uses the expression new era of evangelization in relation to the Church in Nigeria? Again, how is this expression to be interpreted in relation to the missionary and pastoral initiatives of Ezeanya in Onitsha? In what follows we want to demonstrate that in the Nigerian context in general and Onitsha in particular, the new era of evangelization can be interpreted in two ways. In the first place, the expression new era of evangelization refers to the historical and epoch-making first pastoral visit of John Paul II to Nigeria in It was during this visit that the Pope inaugurated the new era of evangelization for the Church in Nigeria. Secondly, new era of evangelization has its inspiration within the universal context of the same Pope John Paul II call for new evangelization. Right from the beginning of his pontificate, John Paul II has been calling for an evangelization that is new in its zeal, new in its methods, and new in its expression. In fact, and as we shall see shortly, the Pope, while he was in Nigeria in 1982, used the expressions new era of evangelization and new zeal for evangelization, interchangeably. Thus, in this paper, we shall view the phrase new era of evangelization, first, as a historical epoch in the life of the Church in Nigeria, and secondly, as a call for an evangelization that is new in its zeal, new in its methods and new in its expression. 1.1 New Era of Evangelization as a Historical Epoch We shall begin by examining the expression New Era of Evangelization as a historical epoch. The Oxford Advanced English Dictionary describes the term, era as a period in history from a particular time or event; a period in history marked by an important event or development. Thus, new era of evangelization could be interpreted to mean a decisive moment in the history of the Church in Nigeria. This decisive moment was initiated by the pastoral visit of Pope John Paul II to the country in The visit was one of the most important events in the life of the Church in Nigeria. The visit also was a recognition by the Pope of the growth and maturity the Church in Nigeria has already attained. As could be read from almost all the speeches he delivered during the visit, the Pope expressed his trust and confidence on the Nigerian hierarchy and the faithful in the way they are carrying out the work of evangelization and Church implantation in the country. The Pope praised the past missionary efforts. He challenged the Nigerian hierarchy and Christians in general to gain inspiration, wisdom, and strength from the heroic works of the pioneer missionaries and early Christian converts (including catechists, Catholic teachers, indigenous clergy and religious) through whose labor the Christian faith has been truly planted in the soil of the country. Thus, the Pope identifies the past eras in the evangelization of Nigeria as follows: And so, in the course of time and according to the deep mystery of God s plan, the Good News of salvation eventually reached Nigeria, coming first to the Kingdom of Benin almost five hundred years ago. This first attempt at evangelization eventually died out. The lasting work of spreading the faith had to wait until 1863, when missionaries of the Society for African Missions reached Lagos. Then, in 1885, the Holy Ghost Fathers reached Onitsha, and, a little later, the Society for African Missions arrived in Lokoja and Shendam It is because of their dedicated efforts, together with the openness and generous response of your fore-fathers, that we are assembled here today at the altar of the Lord professing our one faith in God and giving glory to his holy name The Church in your land is now largely directed by Nigerian bishops and priests, although you continue to give a wholehearted welcome to the important contribution of the missionaries. 2 This teaching of John Paul II which he gave at the Mass he celebrated in Lagos on the first day of his arrival in the country in February 1982, is the point of departure for our understanding of the expression, new era of evangelization in the Nigerian context. The Pope identifies three eras (phases) of evangelization of Nigeria. The first era was the fifteenth century Portuguese (European) expansion along the Atlantic coast of Africa. The Portuguese missionaries who came through their sailors and explorers under the missionary juridical system of Padroado (papal patronage of

3 privileges which was granted to the Portuguese sovereigns by the popes over their territories in Africa), were the first to preach the Gospel in a Nigerian soil, the ancient Bini (Benin) Kingdom. This took place, around 1486 AD. They came first to the riverine areas of Warri and by 1516 AD, the missionaries had penetrated into the ancient Benin City through Ughoton in the outskirt of Benin. They remained in Benin City until 1688 AD. These missionaries were given letter of accreditation to the Oba (traditional king and ruler) of Benin whose fame had spread even to Europe during this age of exploration. However, the strategic aim of the missionaries was to convert the powerful Oba of Benin who would decree the Catholic faith the religion of his large and powerful kingdom. 3 However, this early missionary efforts which concentrated around the ancient Kingdom of Benin and the coastal regions of Warri did not last and Nigeria has to wait until the nineteenth century for the arrival of new missionaries. Therefore, nineteenth century marked the second era in the evangelization of Nigeria. This was also the period in which Christianity really came to be founded in Nigeria. Furthermore, in the nineteenth century a notable development occurred in the African missions: a change in the missionary juridical system from padroado to ius commissionis. The Congregation de Propaganda Fide issued the ius commissionis, by which mission territories were allocated to particular missionary institutes (religious congregations or orders) to evangelize and administer. During the period, many religious institutes were founded in France specifically for the evangelization of Africans. Among these are the Society for African Missions, the Holy Ghost Congregation, the Missionaries of Africa (commonly known as White Fathers), the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny, and so on. Consequently, Portugal was virtually replaced by France in the missions in Africa. In principal, the pope himself, represented by the Propaganda Fide, had the primary responsibility for evangelization rather than the monarch, as was the practice in the padroado system. The missionary institutes were therefore responsible to the pope and not to their national sovereigns in matters concerning the mission territories. 4 Within this period, Nigeria had not yet attained her political independence and so was governed by the British along line of regional protectorates. The Congregation de Propaganda Fide was to follow the then existing colonial regions and protectorates in assigning territories to the missionary institutes. Vatican had to request, first, some religious orders and, later, missionary institutes to come and begin the work of evangelization in the Nigerian missions. The first request was made to the Jesuits and Dominicans to send missionaries to the Nigerian missions. However, they declined the offer, probably because of their many missions in Latin America and also perhaps, because, West Africa was then known as the white man s grave where many go in but very few come out. 5 Thus, the Vatican had to approach the Society for the African Missions and the Holy Ghost Fathers who voluntarily accepted the challenge and thus became the really founders of the Catholic Christianity in Nigeria. 6 The Western region and Lagos protectorates came to be assigned to the members of the Society for African Missions; the Eastern region went to the Holy Ghost missionaries; and the Northern region (with its large Muslim population, and which until twentieth century was shielded from Christian missionaries by the British colonial powers in respect of their agreement with the Islamic Emirs of that region), was later to be assigned also, to the Society for African Missions. Other missionary institutes and congregations were to come later. From this brief exposé, we see that Catholic Christianity was very much alive in Nigeria within the nineteenth and twenty centuries missionary efforts. However, this was largely as a result of the sacrifices and endeavors of the early missionaries and their Nigerian collaborators. Thus, the new era of evangelization which John Paul II has called our attention to, is the third phase of the evangelization of Africa in general, and Nigeria in particular, which began with the Vatican II. In Nigeria, as we have intimated already, the decisive moment and the local Church s consciousness of this era came with the visit of the Pope in One remarkable thing happened during this papal visit to Nigeria. It is the handing over of the work of evangelization to the Nigerian Christians through their hierarchy. The Church in Nigeria is now at the hands of

4 Nigerian Christians who are expected to continue building up the Christian faith upon the foundation laid by the early missionaries and converts. The new era of evangelization means that the future of the Church in Nigeria rests squarely on how prepared the Nigerian Christians, under their bishops, are to take up this challenge of building up the Church in their land. It is a new era that calls for initiatives on the part of the Nigerian hierarchy for the promotion of works of evangelization and Church implantation in the country. It is also a new era that should grantee a certain amount of autonomy to the local Church in the work of evangelization within the universal church-family. Again, John Paul II call for a new era of evangelization in Nigeria has its inspiration from the Vatican II mission theology. Vatican II developed a missionary theology of local Churches as agents of mission in their respective territories, however, in communion with the sister churches of the universal Church-Family and under the Petrine ministry of the See of St. Peter in Rome. The Council also developed a theology of reciprocity within the universal church-family. 7 This conciliar mission theology is based on the gospel image of the sowing of the Good News and on the Council s theology of the local Churches that are established in every place. The Church in Nigeria for instance, having been planted through the word of God proclaimed by the pioneer missionaries and early native converts, should be now allowed to grow, making use of the nutrients from the Nigerian soil in which it has been planted. The nutrients are the Nigerian Christians themselves, their culture and traditions. The growth of the Church is nurtured through local initiatives under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and by autonomy of the local Church herself within the universal church-family. It is through such condition that the local Church would begin to express the new faith received within its territory and cultural context. This is the process of evangelization highlighted by the Vatican II. Furthermore, the Council s theology of mission is in itself a new era. The Council developed a missionary juridical system of mandatum which replaces the ius commissionis. The conciliar juridical missionary system of mandatum empowers the local bishops as fully responsible for the work of evangelization in their dioceses. The missionaries are to enter into contract with the bishop in whose diocese they wish to serve. 8 It was on the basis of this principal that Pope Paul VI, in 1969 advised the missionary institutes and orders in Africa, who were still operating under the old juridical system of ius commissionis, to hand over the structures (which included church buildings, schools, hospitals, social centers, and so on) in their former mission territories to the diocesan bishops. However, and as already emphasized, the new awareness is centered on the Council s theology of mission as reciprocal activity between sister churches. This new theology of mission applies universally to all the churches, even while not denying their differences. However, the Council still affirms, and rightly so, that in the midst of these new circumstances and relationships, there is still need for formation of experts, or rather, trained missionaries. But the missionaries are to recognize that their task pertains to the whole Church. They are to appreciate that they are sent as ambassadors of one local Church to another local Church (where such a local Church already exists), as witnesses of solidarity and partnership, and as expressions of mutual encounter, exchange, and enrichment. 9 The Council s theology is based on cultural diversity in the Church and the role of local Churches (in communion with the universal church-family) in the work of evangelization and implanting of the Church in the various cultural contexts. This is reciprocity. In addition to assuming all that the Church has acquired in its earthly pilgrimage, each local Church is challenged to contribute something from its cultural setting to enrich the patrimony of the universal church-family. In other words, the Council developed a theology of co-responsibility in evangelization and of trust in the local churches. 10 Therefore, this is an aspect of the new era of evangelization which John Paul II has prayed that would envelop the Church in Nigeria and indeed, all the African continent. 1.2 The Relationship between the New Era and the New Evangelization

5 We are now in a position to say few words on the term New Evangelization in the light of the preceding discussion on New Era of Evangelization. This is important because with the introduction of the term new evangelization or re-evangelization in the documents of the Church in recent times, some have tended to interpret it as having the same meaning as the expression new era of evangelization. Moreover, in some circles, there are tendencies to equate the call for a new evangelization in those countries with ancient Christian roots with the missionary activity ad gentes in the newly established young Churches of Africa, Asia and Latin America. The term, new evangelization was used by John Paul II for the first time in his Pontificate in 1983 in Haiti 11 at the meeting with the Latin American Bishops (CELAM). 12 However, it is in the encyclical letter Redemptoris Missio that the Pope developed the theology and the real practical meaning of the term. However, what the Haiti meeting did was to make the new evangelization the central theme within the whole issues to be discussed in the later Conference at Santo Domingo in October 1992 by the Latin American Bishops. 13 Furthermore, and as already noted, some authors have interpreted the expression new evangelization to mean that the same missionary situation can be found everywhere. In other words, that the missionary effort of the new evangelization is needed everywhere. Thus, the problem is centered on the fact that while we emphasis the reevangelization of those nations with ancient Christian roots, care must be taken so that the force of the missionary activity ad gentes is not ignored. 14 Aware of this problem, John Paul II, in the Redemptoris Missio, situates the call for a new evangelization within the universal missionary activity of the Church in the modern time. In this encyclical, the Pope teaches that today the mission of the Church is pursued in a complex and changing reality. Faced with this picture, the Church carries out its various activities which are directed towards three concrete situations: a) mission ad gentes; b) pastoral care; and c) new evangelization or re-evangelization. 15 First, the mission ad gentes is the missionary activity of the Church which is directed to peoples, groups, and socio-cultural contexts in which Christ and his Gospel are not yet known, or which lack Christian communities sufficiently mature. 16 In the second place, comes the pastoral activity which is the evangelization effort in those areas or Christian communities where adequate and solid structures exist. It is the giving of pastoral attention to the cultures and the practicing Christians who live in areas that have already been evangelized or are still in the process of deepening the faith just received. Lastly, is the new evangelization or re-evangelization. It is a new direction in the Church s evangelizing efforts aimed at addressing the emerging situations in the field of evangelization, directed to those groups of the baptized who have lost a living sense of the faith and live a life far removed from Christ and his Gospel. The situation that calls for a new evangelization is particularly found in most of the countries of Europe and North America, 17 and occasionally, in the young churches of Africa, Asia and Latin America. 18 The encyclical cites examples of where the new evangelization is most needed: the rapid and profound transformation which characterizes today s world: urbanization and the massive growth of cities, especially where demographic pressure is greatest, where human problems are often aggravated by feeling of anonymity experienced by masses of people; to the immigrants from various religious backgrounds; the refuges; and also to the situations of poverty which is today on an intolerable scale. Another situation that calls for the new evangelization, is what the Pope has described as cultural sectors, the modern equivalents of the areopagus. This includes, the world of communications, commitment to peace, the development and liberation of peoples, the rights of minorities, the advancement of women and children and safeguarding the created world. Others are, the immense areopagus of culture, scientific research and international relations, with all the vast opportunities as well as challenges they offer to mission. 19 Thus, at present, there are three major situations which require a different approach to mission. Among the three situations, however, the first and most important is the mission ad gentes. Its importance and its priority are derived from its object: the non-christians. These are the people in the world who are most in need of the mission of the Church in order to be enlightened in a

6 credible and intelligible manner as to God s plan of salvation. They have the right to know the way that plan has been carried out in Christ, and to be offered the chance to hear and embrace it. It is therefore necessary to ensure that this specifically missionary work that Jesus entrusted and still entrusts each day to the Church, does not become an indistinguishable part of the overall mission of the whole people of God and as a result become neglected and forgotten. 20 In other words, the encyclical Redemptoris Missio insists that the old categories related to mission ad gentes are still useful and should be retained, and that care must be taken to avoid the risk of putting very different situations on the same level and of reducing, or eliminating, the Church s mission and missionaries ad gentes. 21 The encyclical accepts that there is only one mission. This mission is one and undivided, having one origin and one final purpose. However, within the one mission of the Church, there are different tasks and kinds of activity. The reason for that diversity is not intrinsic to mission, but it depends on the circumstances within which the same mission is exercised. Thus, at present, there are three major situations which require a different approach to mission. 22 So, this is the context under which we speak of a new evangelization in the Church. The Latin American Bishops at Santo Domingo Conference, employed the principle of deduction in defining the new evangelization. For the Bishops, to speak of a new evangelization is to acknowledge that an old one or first one has already taken place. It would be incorrect to speak of a new evangelization of ethnic groups or peoples who never received the Gospel. Again, to speak of a new evangelization does not mean that the previous one was invalid, sterile, or short-lived. Rather, it means that today Christians face new challenges and new questions that urgently require a response. To speak of a new evangelization does not mean proposing a new gospel different from the first. There is only one Gospel, but it can shed new light on those new problems. The expression new evangelization does not mean re-evangelizing. Thus, in communities with ancient Christian roots, the point is not to act as though there were no first evangelization, but rather, to start from many rich values it has left in place and proceed to complement them by correcting previous shortcomings. The new evangelization has emerged in the Church as a response to the problem plaguing some communities with ancient Christian roots and also in many of the young Churches, where a divorce between faith and life leads to situations of injustice, social inequality, and violence that cry out. New evangelization means taking up the magnificent endeavor of energizing the Church and the Christian faith of our time. Thus, for the Latin American Bishops, the starting point for the new evangelization is the assurance that Christ holds unfathomable riches (Ephesians 3:8), that no age or culture exhausts and to which we human beings can ever turn to be enriched. 23 In the same way, in their teaching at the Synod of Bishops, Special Assembly for Africa, the African Bishops presented an integral concept of evangelization in the light of the call for the new evangelization and as clearly set forth in the relevant official documents of the Church. For the African Bishops, evangelization involves, no doubt, the preaching of the Word, inviting hearers to accept Jesus and his saving message and to enter into his Church. 24 But it is wider and deeper than that. It includes the transformation of human society through the message and living witness of the Church and her members. It is therefore that what the gospels refer to as the <<reign of God>> which comes about: promoting peace and justice, restoring human dignity and bringing this world as close to God s designs as possible. Evangelization touches all human beings and every human person, as also every aspect of human life. 25 Furthermore, in the African context, one often speaks of phases of evangelization which sometimes overlap, but which follow the three concrete situations in which the Church does her evangelizing activities today as already indicated by John Paul II in the Redemptoris Missio. These are: primary evangelization whereby the Gospel is brought to those who have never received it, pastoral care of those already in the Church and witness of Christian living as a necessary implication of our faith. Furthermore, the Fathers of the African Synod viewed evangelization from the perspective of a missionary activity which aims at building up the Church as the family of God on earth. Evangelization should aim at founding local Churches which would express the profound Christian and African values of communion, fraternity, solidarity and peace. In other words, the Synod Fathers did not concern themselves so much with the new

7 evangelization debates, but rather of the missionary activity ad gentes which must aim at primary evangelization, and, at formation and solidification of local Churches; of pastoral care to those already living the faith; and of witness of Christian life. In all this, the magisterium of the African Bishops at the Synod, showed that the relevant image of what evangelization is all about in the African context is seen in the building-up of the Church as the family of God on earth. 26 Evangelization invites humanity to participate in the very life of the Trinity, calling it to return, through the Son, in the Spirit, back to the Father <<so that God may be all in all>> (1 Corinthians 15:28) New Era of Evangelization: An Evangelization that is New in its Zeal John Paul II mentions three dynamisms that should accompany the missionary activity of the new evangelization. The new evangelization must be new in zeal (fervor or ardor), new in methods and new in expression. However, there is need to work out what this means in the context of the different local Churches of Africa. 28 This is necessary because, it is within the context of these three dynamisms that one can locate immediately, the relationship between the new era and the new evangelization. For instance, in the Nigerian context as we have indicated already, John Paul II equates his call for the new era of evangelization with his prayer: that zeal for evangelization will envelop the Church here in Nigeria. In other words, new era of evangelization, in addition to its historical nuances, also means, in the words of John Paul II, new zeal for evangelization. Thus, new evangelization in its Nigerian context could be located within this call of the Pope for an evangelization that is new in its zeal, new in its methods and new in its expression. This is the core of the Pope s call for a new era of evangelization in Nigeria in general and Onitsha in particular. Furthermore, for John Paul II, evangelization is new in its zeal only, if in the measure in which it is carried out, it renews and brings us always closer and in fellowship with Christ, the first evangelizer. The new era of evangelization begins with conversion of the heart. The new era of evangelization invites us to rediscover once more that the Christian vocation is the call to holiness of life. Sin, is that which draws back the ardor of evangelization. 29 In addition, new era of evangelization as a new evangelization should also be new in its methods. New in method of the new era of evangelization is an invitation to every member of the Church to become a protagonist of the diffusion of the message of Christ. Evangelization is the duty of all members of the Church. Also, evangelization should be today new in its methods for the simple reason that it ought to meet the challenges of the new realities in which the Gospel proclamation is addressed. 30 Lastly, for John Paul II, evangelization should be new in its expression. The evangelization that is new in its expression is that which strengthens the fibre of the ecclesial community. In other words, evangelization is new in expression when it strengthens and accompanies the growth and maturity of the faithful in their consciousness of the truth and treasure which they have in Christ. This includes also, the Christians awareness of being bearers of the truth which saves, and which, from the beginning of the Church, has been decisive in stimulating the missionary commitment. Thus, the primary condition of evangelization is the promotion of that which strengthens the missionary commitment of the ecclesial community. New in its expression means forming mature Christian communities from which the faith emits and realizes all its original meaning and adhesion to Christ and his Gospel. 31 The foregoing discussion has furnished us with the meaning of the new era and new evangelization. When evaluated from Nigerian and Onitsha context, it means two things: Firstly, new era of evangelization begins the new phase in the missionary and pastoral commitments of the Church in Nigeria. The visit of John Paul II to Nigeria in 1982 made visible this new phase in the life of the Church in the country. Secondly, the new era of evangelization in its relation to the new evangelization, refers to the call for the renewal of the evangelizing activity of the Church in Nigeria. It is an awareness of the missionary commitment that awaits the Church in Nigeria in its

8 own territory. The dynamism for the realization of this commitment has been expressed in the three terms of an evangelization that is new in zeal, new in method and new in expression. 2. EZEANYA AND THE NEW ERA OF EVANGELIZATION IN ONITSHA We are now in a position to discuss Ezeanya and the new era of evangelization in Onitsha. However, for an adequate treatment of it, there is need to situate the era in which Ezeanya presided over the See of Onitsha within the preceding phases in the evangelization of the area. Thus, in this section of the paper, we shall begin with a brief overview of the preceding eras in the evangelization of Onitsha Archdiocese. Thereafter, we shall dwell on the missionary and pastoral initiatives of Ezeanya in the light of the preceding discussion on the new era and new evangelization. 2.1 A brief overview of the Preceding Evangelization Eras in Onitsha The tenure of Ezeanya as Archbishop of Onitsha began in 1985 and ended in 1995 (when he retired on account of ill-health). He succeeded Cardinal Francis Arinze (who had been appointed a year before to head the Vatican Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue). 32 Onitsha, though, established as a mission in 1885 when the first Holy Ghost missionaries arrived in the area, was erected as prefecture in 1889 (and Father Joseph Emile Lutz, C.S.Sp. was appointed the first Apostolic Prefect of Onitsha Mission). In April 1920, Onitsha became the See of the Vicariate of Southern Nigeria, and Joseph Shanahan, C.S.Sp., the then Apostolic Prefect, was ordained the first resident Bishop of the city the same year. However, Onitsha was, in April 1950, raised to the status of Archdiocese and Metropolitan See of the Ecclesiastical Province. Thus, Ezeanya was the second indigenous and the fourth bishop of Onitsha since the time of Bishop Joseph Shanahan, C.S.Sp. Therefore, the first phase of the evangelization of Onitsha was the era of the foreign missionaries (French and Irish Holy Ghost missionaries). The early part of this phase ( ), was the era of the French Holy Ghost missionaries. 33 Father Celestine A. Obi, the Onitsha Archdiocesan Church historian, describes this early period as the era of the local Superiors, at that time known as Apostolic Prefects. 34 The later part of this phase, however, was dominated by the Irish missionaries, beginning with the appointment of Joseph Shanahan C.S.Sp., in 1905 as the Apostolic Prefect and thereafter as Bishop of Onitsha ( ). Charles Heerey, another Irish Holy Ghost missionary, who succeeded Bishop Shanahan in 1931, became the first Archbishop of Onitsha when the See was raised to the status of an archdiocese in But in June 1967 (at the heart of the Nigerian Biafra War), Francis Arinze was enthroned as the first indigenous Archbishop of Onitsha. Ezeanya, as we intimated already, succeeded Arinze in The missionary activity of this early phase centered around the primary evangelization, the first proclamation of the Christian faith to the people. To achieve their purpose, the missionaries, first tried the method of building Christian villages in some major mission centers and outstations (such as Onitsha, Aguleri, Nsugbe, etc.). 36 However, the Christian village system was later abandoned. In its place, the missionaries concentrated much of their energy in school and hospital apostolate. 37 The missionaries also relied on the local converts for the grass root catechetical work and teaching. Local catechists and teachers became the bearers of the Catholic faith and missionaries the managers of schools. In fact, it has been said that what the missionaries brought to the Igboland were schools for the education of the people both in the Christian faith and the western way of life. They transformed the entire Igboland with the school apostolate. But the actual grass root evangelization was done by the local converts who served as Catholic teachers and catechists under the supervision of the missionaries themselves. That was the situation of Onitsha during the era of the foreign missionaries. The second phase of the evangelization in Onitsha which began with Arinze s tenure as Archbishop of Onitsha, and later that of Ezeanya, was an era of indigenous pastoral initiatives and challenges. This era also witnessed the implementation of the Vatican II reforms in the local

9 Church. Arinze who was the immediate predecessor of Ezeanya at Onitsha, was confronted with the task of consolidating the work done by the early missionaries and responding to the situation of the area battered by the Nigerian Biafran War. He responded to this challenge by initiating programs aimed at building-up the Christian communities through parish apostolate. The local people were encouraged to build churches in their various towns and villages in the Igbo spirit of community development. Statutory bodies such as Catholic Women Organization (CWO), Catholic Men Organization (CMO), Catholic Boys Organization (CBO), Catholic Girls Organization (CGO), etc. (as well as other lay apostolate and pious Associations, e.g., St Anthony Society, St Jude Society, Shanahan Society, and so on), were formed or consolidated. These organizations assumed in the Church almost the same role of social development that the age-grade and Town Unions play in the traditional and civil Igbo society; however without losing sight of the specific religious objective of their charisms. Through these organizations and Associations, the people were sensitized on the need for their active participation in building-up the Christian communities through local efforts and corporate contributions. The people themselves assumed the responsibility of building their parish churches, halls, centers, and so forth. They also began to take care of the financial welfare of their priests and often of the seminarians and religious. It was really an effort towards a self-reliant Church. Furthermore, the tenure of Arinze marked the beginning of the so-called vocations boom in Igboland. With the expulsion of the foreign missionaries in Eastern Nigeria after the war by the Government of Nigeria, Arinze began a massive campaign for the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and religious life in Onitsha and throughout the ecclesiastical province. Again, when the Government took over the Church schools after the War, the Block Rosary Prayer Crusade centers (which was founded in honor of Our Lady of Fatima), spread like a wildfire in Onitsha, and within a short time these centers became places not only for the teaching of catechism to Catholic children but also for nursing vocations to the priesthood and religious life. In fact, John Paul II, during his visit to Nigeria in 1982 referred to the then two major seminaries of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province (at Enugu and Ikot-Ekpene), as the largest in the Catholic world. 38 Therefore, the early stage of this second phase of evangelization of Onitsha was centered on Church establishment through parish apostolate and empowerment of indigenous clergy and religious men and women. It was also the period that witnessed the formation of the laity for active participation in the development of the ecclesial community as they do in the ordinary Igbo civil society. So, it could be said that in 1985, Ezeanya inherited from Arinze a viable and a promising self-reliant Church in Onitsha. 2.2 New Era of Evangelization in the Pastoral Initiatives of Ezeanya in Onitsha Archbishop Ezeanya was a worthy successor to Cardinal Arinze. They say that it is not easy to maintain a high standard, but it is much more difficult to do so if that standard was set by a genius. Hence, it is to Archbishop Ezeanya s undying credit that he kept up that high standard in spite of his fragile health. It is also to his credit that he followed closely on the foot-steps of his great predecessor, and meticulously pursued his policy. The result was marvelous. Bishop Anthony Nwedo, C.S.Sp. (of Umuahia), while delivery a homily at Onitsha on December 7, 1985 to mark a hundred years of the coming of Catholicism to Eastern Nigeria, identified five phases in the evangelization of the region. 39 The last phase ( ), according to him, is a period that gave us much to be proud of and very much to lament at. It was the period that saw the dynamic growth of the Nigerian Province of the Holy Ghost Fathers; it witnessed the rise of indigenous clergy, religious and formidable lay faithful; and therefore, the birth of the local Church in the region. But, on the other hand, it has been a period of social turmoil and political instability, a period which experienced an upsurge of our national economy into a very hopeful boom and then, a downward plunge into near helpless doom. The period, also, witnessed multiplicity of Universities and Institutes of higher learning, of exaggerated notion of the excellence of academic degrees and a wild pursuit of these degrees, a period of unprecedented unemployment

10 with resultant over-crowding of urban areas and its concomitant moral evils, manifesting itself ironically in the proliferation of sects and much room churches. This, too, is the period that witnessed the tremendous growth in number of the children of the Catholic Church in the territory, the period that has given us hundreds of native priests, given to Bishop Shanahan s former Prefecture 16 Dioceses, 13 indigenous Bishops, two Archbishops, and two Cardinals. It is the period which for the Catholic Church ends gloriously today with our Centenary celebrations. Tomorrow we shall begin a new Era. How is this New Era going to end? 40 As Bishop Nwedo noted, the answer to this question is still hidden in God s infinite knowledge and wisdom. Be that as it may, one thing is certain, the early missionaries and their immediate native successors have left us a dynamic Church in Eastern Nigeria which has Onitsha as its patriarchal See. But it means also that their present successors have a very serious assignment indeed, for, they either make a success of it, or rue for it. In the words of Nwedo, they have only one alternative, namely, swim or sink. In their joint pastoral letter to mark the centenary celebration (entitled: Put out into deep water), the Bishops of Eastern Nigeria said: To whom much is given of him much is expected. We give thanks to God for the rich harvest. However, we must not rest in the assumption that the faith has been solidly established. Indeed there are evident signs that our people have received Christianity but have still shallow faith. 41 a) New Era of Evangelization as an Era of Spiritual Renewal We have already noted that another word for the new era of evangelization is new zeal. The evangelization that is new in its zeal is that which begins with holiness of life. It is an evangelization that springs from the spiritual renewal of the faithful. Hence, in the spirit of the new era of evangelization, Ezeanya began his pastoral ministry in Onitsha by initiating programs for spiritual renewal in the Archdiocese. For him, personal sanctity is imperative for the faithful and clergy of the Archdiocese; it must be their first objective. As a Bishop of the centenary year, Ezeanya drew the inspiration for this call for spiritual renewal both from the teaching of John Paul II and the spirit that reigned during the centenary celebrations. The year1985 marked the centenary of the coming of the Catholic faith in Onitsha. Ezeanya, who was enthroned the Archbishop of Onitsha on May 11, 1985, had the honor and privilege of being the chief organizer and principal celebrant of this all important event of a hundred years of the Catholic Church in Eastern Nigeria. In his pastoral programs for the centenary year, he insisted on the spiritual dimension of the celebration. Spiritual exercises, retreats and seminars were held on regular basis in parishes and ecclesiastical institutions and for members of various organizations and associations throughout the centenary year and have continued as annual events in the Archdiocese ever since. Ezeanya was aware of the fact that as we rejoice at our centenary celebrations, thank God for His goodness to us, and congratulate our missionaries for work well done, and for the beautiful legacy they bequeathed to us, we should think seriously for the legacy we too are going to bequeath to our future generations. For Ezeanya, to be worthwhile it should be principally spiritual, a legacy of strong faith, and a legacy of devout Christian families in a Christian country whose sons and daughters are aglow with apostolic zeal born of the love of God and their neighbor. As he puts it: The centenary year was a year of intensive and fervent prayers and reflection, a year of more study and deepening of our holy faith, a year above all, of thanksgiving to God Who called us out of darkness into His own marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). 42 Thus, in his pastoral initiatives (as was evidence in his first Pastoral Letter), 43 Ezeanya showed that with the beginning of another centenary we are also entering our new era of evangelization, which is an era of spiritual renewal and of a call to holiness of life. This awareness informed the choice of his motto as a Bishop, ad Iesum per Mariam (with and through the Blessed Virgin Mary we go to Jesus Christ). In fact, Ezeanya, bequeathed to the Church in Onitsha, a deep Marian 44 and Trinitarian

11 spirituality. He emphasized the fact that the Blessed Trinity is the principal patron of the Archdiocese and the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of all Christians. Furthermore, in the light of the spiritual dimension of the new era of evangelization, Ezeanya encouraged devotion to the Blessed Eucharist. He instructed that all rectories in the Archdiocese should have their chapels reactivated (if not so already), and the Blessed Eucharist be placed in the tabernacle to encourage priests to visit our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament more frequently. For the new era of evangelization to reach the desired height in the Archdiocese, there is need to have priests who live their priesthood and who are models of life of holiness and generosity. For the monthly and annual spiritual retreats, Ezeanya initiated the program of dividing the priests into small groups for an active participation in the exercise. There also began in many parishes a daily exposition of the Blessed Eucharist to encourage the lay faithful to make regular visit to the Blessed Sacrament. In addition, Ezeanya encouraged the faithful to join at least one of the lay apostolate and pious associations whose members meet once a week in the parish Church. These organizations and associations provide for its members an opportunity for gradual growth and maturity in the Catholic spirituality and lay apostolate in the Church. It is a great credit to the Church in Igboland where Catholics frequent in large numbers and in regular basis, the Sacrament of Reconciliation. No wonder, John Paul II, made the Sacrament and reconciliation in general, the theme of his Second Pastoral visit to Nigeria in 1998 (during which he beatified at Onitsha, the Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi from Aguleri in the Archdiocese of Onitsha). 45 At a time when many Christian communities elsewhere are experiencing crisis in this Sacrament as a result of decline on the number of the faithful who go to the sacrament, Catholics of Igboland still love the Sacrament of Confession. Aware of this fact, Ezeanya saw the Sacrament of Reconciliation as a major way to promote the spiritual renewal in the Archdiocese. One of his Pastoral Letters was on the sacrament. 46 In this Pastoral Letter, Ezeanya noted that one would expect that the keen interest of our people in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance) and the frequency with which they receive it, would naturally produce a corresponding change or conversion of life for better. That it would result in a steady growth in union with God or holiness of life. Unfortunately, one observes that the frequent confession does not produce the salutary effect it should in the souls of many of our Christians. For instance, many of those who go to confession frequently and apparently with every seriousness, still continue to live in the habit of a grave sin. Ezeanya noted that some, before Confession, do not give the slightest thought to a serious change in their lives like avoiding a particular mortal sin into which they fall frequently. What happens is that they go to Confession and confess those sins and soon return to them again. Thus, the reason why Confession does not change the lives of many of our Christians who go to Confession frequently is that they have never understood really what the sacrament of Penance stands for and how it can change their lives. He concludes that it is part of his pastoral concerns to guide the people as their Pastor and to put before them as clearly as he can, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, what this Sacrament stands for and precisely how they can become holy by making use of it. 47 Therefore, spiritual renewal was paramount in the pastoral program of Ezeanya in Onitsha. He saw it as the foundation for ushering in the new era of evangelization. b) New Era of Evangelization as an Era of Missionary Formation As already mentioned, the new era of evangelization is also defined as an era of placing in the conscience of every baptized the missionary dimension of our Christian vocation. Every Christian, by virtue of his or her baptism is called to be an evangelizer. However, Archbishop Ezeanya realized that it is not enough for one to be aware of his or her missionary calling. The particular Church has the responsibility of not only awakening in the conscience of the clergy and faithful this fundamental truth about our faith in Christ, but also of forming or rather training them in the dynamics of the new evangelization. Also, it was during his tenure that priests of the Archdiocese began to participate in large number in the Fidei donum program. 48 In fact, by the time

12 Ezeanya was retiring as the Archbishop of Onitsha in 1995, the Archdiocese has many of his priests working as missionaries in over fifteen dioceses and institutions both within and outside the country. It could be said that one of the greatest achievements of Ezeanya in Onitsha, was the missionary formation and animation of the clergy and faithful in the Archdiocese. How did he achieve this? In the first place, Ezeanya had another single privilege of leading the Church in Onitsha during the decade of evangelization declared by John Paul II in 1990 in preparation for the Jubilee celebrations of the Year He made sure that his priests, seminarians and some lay people got the opportunity to participate in missionary formation and series of seminars organized by the Rome Office for the Evangelization The Evangelization 2000 Office in Rome was charged with the task of promoting the Church s agenda and conscientizing all Catholics for the program of the New Evangelization. This Office does its work principally by promoting the establishment of schools of evangelization, dedicated to the training of Catholics for the task of the new evangelization. Schools of evangelization, therefore, are centers where Catholics, especially, lay faithful, are trained and equipped with dynamics for the Church s modern methods of evangelization. Areas of training include: on-going personal conversion, character formation; spiritual, intellectual and practical skills in pastoral and social witness to the Gospel in the spirit of the new evangelization. There are other services being provided by the Catholic Schools of Evangelization. But they are all aimed at motivating and stimulating Catholics for the task of dynamic evangelization that is new in zeal, method and expression. 49 Throughout his tenure as the Archbishop of Onitsha, Ezeanya never ceased in making a special call on all in the Archdiocese for intensified drive in the work of evangelization. In one of his pastoral letters, he writes: When the Holy Father Pope John Paul II paid his historic visit to Nigeria in February 1982, he launched the New Era on Evangelization in Nigeria: The Church in the Archdiocese has since intensified its mission of evangelization in response to the Holy Father s appeal. Last year, we celebrated the 10 th anniversary of that memorable visit in a befitting way in the Archdiocese. 50 Thus, Ezeanya was captivated by the program for the decade of Evangelization In 1990, a good number of the Archdiocesan priests and seminarians attended the second world-wide retreat for priests in Rome. The retreat was organized by the Rome Office for the Evangelization It was part of this world-wide program for the new evangelization. The theme of the retreat was: Called to Evangelize. Also, in 1991, Ezeanya sent two of his clergy to two months course on the theme: Dynamics of New Evangelization 2000; and Methods for the Establishment and Proliferation of Catholic Schools of Evangelization. This course was conducted for priests from West Africa sub-region and was held at the Pastoral Center, Issele-Uku, Nigeria in August and September In addition to conscientizing the priests on the dynamics of the new evangelization, Ezeanya also felt the need to begin a wider project in which the lay people and also religious men and women in the Archdiocese would be part of the whole program. The opportunity came in 1992, when the Archdiocese celebrated the tenth anniversary of the first pastoral visit of John Paul II to Onitsha. To commemorate this event, seminars on the dynamics of the new evangelization were conducted, first for the Archdiocesan priests, and then to the lay faithful through the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council. And on February 16 th, 1992, during the Holy Mass to mark the tenth anniversary at the centenary field, Onitsha, Ezeanya inaugurated and commissioned the first Archdiocesan School of Evangelization. The school was named Trinitas School of Evangelization, in honor of the Blessed Trinity, the principal patron of the Archdiocese (and Fr. Francis A. Oborji was appointed as the coordinator of the school). 51 This school is now offering training in the new evangelization to parish instructors for parish evangelization. Both the diocesan and parish based schools of evangelization in the Archdiocese are non-residential. The schools conduct monthly weekend