The impact of catholic Christians’ perceptions of an ideal African Christology doe effective Sunday Worship: Kkonge Parish, Kampala Archdiocese.

Abstract

The topic dealt with in this research work is, Christians’ perceptions of an ideal African Christology for Effective Sunday worship: Case study Kkonge Parish, Kampala Archdiocese. The major objective of this work is investigate what Christians perceive as an Ideal African Christology for the effective obligatory Sunday worship. However, an inner understanding of this day Sunday is dug deeper. Sunday is an obligatory day for all Christians to worship God the creator of the universe as the Code of Canon Law (1983, can.1246-1248) emphasizes. In John Paul (1998, No.3) in his letter Dies Domini recorgnized the relevance that should be accorded to the Lord’s day (Psm 118:24).Unfortunately, some Christians in Kkonge Parish hardly participate in the liturgical celebrations on this day thus a better understanding of the Christology can enable them worship well on the Lord’s day. In the literature Review, we trace the Biblical and historical justifications as to why Christians (Catholics) worship God on this day. In the historical background,The Didache (70AD) elaborates the Christian practice of meeting on the first day of the week to celebrate the Eucharistic sacrifice. Other early teachings on Sunday observance include: The Letter of Barnabas (A.D. 74), St.Ignatius of Antioch (A.D. 110), Justin the Martyr (Dialogue with Trypho the Jew 18, 21 in A.D. 155), Tertullian (A.D. 203), (Didascalia (A.D. 225). Origen (A.D. 229). It is further elaborated in Victorinus (A.D. 300), Eusebius of Caesarea (A.D. 312), Athanasius (On Sabbath and Circumcision 3 (A.D. 345), Cyril of Jerusalem in the Catechetical Lectures (A.D. 350), Council of Laodicea (A.D. 360), John Chrysostom (A.D. 402), Augustine (A.D. 412) and Pope Gregory I (Letters 13:1 (A.D. 597). Furthermore, the investigator made comparison with the related researches and found out that Christology can be contextualized even in liturgical celebrations so as to become lively and consciously celebrated. With this, Waliggo (1999,p.45) noted that: ‘ religion will have entered the bones and blood veins of the people.’ However, Contextualizing the Christology, we should be aware of syncretism, Christological heresies, and it should be done in with consultation of the Diocesan Bishop and the liturgical Committee of a given Diocese as Sacrosanctum concilium (1963, art45-47) justifies. In this endavour, the researcher employs questionnaires, direct observation, in-depth interview and document review so as to come up with concrete evidences having taken a sample size of 300 people of whom 171 responded to research. Considering the time for the research, the researcher was confident that this is a well-represented sample because according to Gay (1983) for descriptive studies, 30% of the accessible population is sufficient. Having analyzed the data, it was discovered that the Christians’ perceptions of an Ideal African Christology included: Servitude, Compassionate, Justice and Passionate. It is worth noting that from this analysis, the sample population contextualized Christ as a great Ancestor (Ssabajjaja), though an ancestor could not have been celibate in life because African culture emphasizes fertility and reproduction. According to Sarpong (1974,p.35), one who does not reproduce is considered to be “a useless person.” Christ was also attributed to as King (kabaka). It is important to emphasize that ‘the kingship of Jesus’ is never exactly like any of the earthly African kingships, that the kingship of Jesus transcends African traditional religious cultures, but that at the same time there is a complementarity between the kingship of Christ and African kingship. Other titles from the analysis were: Christ is a Liberator (Mununuzi wange), Life Giver (kawabulamu). However, it was analysed that no Single attribute can describe the entire Mystery of Christ thus an integral approach. It was also analyzed that the active participation in the Choir, Liturgical dance, Nice African Art, Liturgical Architecture, Well-Instruction accorded to Catechists, valuing attentive listening while in Sunday worship also greatly influences the Christians’ effective participation in the Sunday Liturgical worship in Kkonge Parish. Having seen all that, the researcher has come up with practical recommendations that can enable Christians’ perceptions of an ideal African Christology for an effective Sunday worship. The need for spontaneous prayers in individual families with approved indigenous titles attributed to Christ can call for an active and conscience Sunday Worship. There is need to contextualize Christ while preaching in the homilies. An African Christological week should be encouraged to enrich the Christians about an ideal African Christology. Irrespective of the Ideal African Christology, there is also a need to educate the Christians on the relevance of Sunday being an indispensable day of worship. Furthermore, the Christians should be educated about the benefits of observing Sunday as a day of Worship.

When we have the witness of St. Justin the Martyr in the Second Century who notes the basic lines of the order of the Eucharistic celebration. St. Justin wrote to the pagan emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161). This order was carried on by the Church though some changes were made in later centuries but it is the order of the Liturgical celebration which should be observed in the Sunday worship.