Very often, every church claims to be Christ Church. Even those every body knows very well their founders and the date of their inauguration make bold claims of this. This ridiculous claim is also shared by those established for ritual purposes by native doctors. How many churches did Jesus Christ actually establish while on earth? Is it as many as the present acclaimed Christ Churches, Prayer Houses or Ministries? Or is it just one? If it is one, which is the one? This is the object of the book, “The Catholic Church and Others.”
The design on the cover of the book is superb. Whoever did this work needs commendation. The sprinters on the front cover (one on the track while others outside the track) with a vivid inscription, “Bene Cuccuristi Sed Preter Viam” meaning “Running a Good Race Out of the Track” sends a powerful message on what to expect from the book. The embossed title intermixed with this drawing captures the fancy of any admirer of good art work and inquisitive mind.
The inner content of the book is segmented into three parts. The Catholic Church and its origin besides the Popes from Peter to the present Pontiff are carefully, chronologically and holistically presented on one part. The writer also delved into brief history of other churches: Anglicans (Episcopalians), Presbyterians, Methodists, Calvists, Baptists, Mormons, Congregationists, Jehova Witnesses etc. Many of the still existing ordinary human being founded churches are of more recent years. For instance in 1534, Henry VIII established his own church, “The Anglican Church” because the Catholic Church refused his request for divorce of his wife to remarry. As at today, Jehovah Witness (members are formerly known as Russelites) is only one hundred and thirty seven (137) years old on this planet earth, have been founded by Charles Taze Russell in 1872, a former Congregationist that broke away from the Anglican Church. Who does not know that Martin Luther, a former Catholic clergy, founded Lutheran Church? Do you know and hear about the Hussites; followers of John Huss who was born in Husineta in Southern Bohemia in 1369 later ordained a Catholic priest in 1400? He was tried for heresy at Constance, condemned and burnt at the stake. Are you aware that Joseph Smith, the son of a Vermont farmer who founded the Mormons was killed by a mob in Illinois on June 27 1844 as he taught that Adam’s sin was that of lust?
What are the grudges of some of these dissident church founders? Infant Baptism, Supremacy of the Pope, Purgatory, Veneration of the Saints, etc. It is surprising to observe that not even a single breakaway fundamentalist grudged against the honour Catholics give to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Millions of churches have germinated from these dissidence giving one or the other excuse. On their reasons for separation, the writer reasons that these are not tenable. For instance nowadays, it is a common place occurrence seeing churches holding services for their dead members. What then is the essence of the prayer if these denominations derecognised Purgatory? Can the prayer still be of help to the dead? If it can, is it in heaven or hell or is it just for the sake of prayer or to do like others?
All these churches protesting directly or indirectly against the one founded by Jesus Christ cannot differentiate from other men-founded religions like Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, etc. the writer argues that these human founders could have named their churches after themselves instead of taking cover in Christ Church. Again, that man cannot found new and better churches than the one Christ founded. The view of the writer is that these founders are only “Pastors of the stomach” who bequeath their churches to the members of their nuclear family at death.
The other section of the book x-rays a typical Catholic Parish and what is obtainable there. Christ the King Cathedral (C.K.C.) Parish, Aba – The model Parish – is chosen to expose the Catholic Faith. This portion also deals with how the Catholic Church came to Igboland East of the Niger via the French Missionaries: Rev. Fr. Joseph Lutz; Rev. Fr. Jean-Nicholas Horne; Rev. Brothers Hermas and Jean Gotto. The prolific writer tells how Rev. Fr. Cornelius Liddane came to Aba in 1917 from Mount Carmel Emekuku, Owerri, to establish C.K.C. Aba which oversaw Ikot Ekpene to Port Harcourt and environs. The metamorphosis of C.K.C. into a Cathedral with the creation of Aba Catholic Diocese in April 1990 and the appointment of Most Rev. Dr. V. V. Ezeonyia C.S.Sp as the first Catholic Bishop, the Pious Societies, how seasons of the Catholic Church are observed in the Parish, activities of the parishioners within and the unbroken continuity of head-priests in the Parish from 1917 till date are masterfully presented. The Cathedral special offices and magnificent buildings contained herein the compound are systematically analyzed by this verbatim writer. What is Triduim? Is it true that Knighthood is a canonical social club meant for people of affluence? Could it be true that there is one day in the canonical year of the Catholic Church that Mass is not celebrated? Why do Catholics switch off all light on Holy Saturday Mass? Find answers to these questions and more from this all embracing “encyclopaedia.”
The world is bedevilled with myriads of local and international problems; proliferation of prayer-houses / ministries / churches and their abracadabra, money laundering, looting of public funds, hunger, indecent dressing, diseases, poverty, kidnapping, cold-wars between nations, sea piracy, ritualism, murder, worse still godlessness in Europe. This crusader-writer whose two other books; “NDI IGBO: Lord That They May be One”(Dominus Ut Unum Sint); and “Monkey De Work…” are coming out soon, on the last portion of this book, presents scintillating and revealing write ups on some them. In fact the book, “The Catholic Church and Others” is A-Must-Read Book for everybody: Catholics, Non-Catholics, students, undergraduates, researchers etc for the book is Truth or Transparency in Action. Indeed it is informational, transformational, educative and entertaining.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment