TOPIC: THE CHURCH MISSION ON INCULTURATION AND ITS CHALLENGES
Hearts Magazine: Good day, Your Grace! We are members of the Editorial Crew of the Hearts Magazine. May you be pleased to tell us more about yourself?
His Grace: I am Anthony John Valentine Obinna. I was baptized John the Baptist and confirmed with Valentine. | hail from Umu-ocham, Emekuku- Imo state. I was born in 1946 at lhala, because my father was a migrant teacher in those days. After my primary school education, I was admitted into St. Peter Claver Junior Seminary, Okpala in 1960. In September 1965, | gained admission into Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu to begin philosophical Studies. However, my seminary training at Bigard was interrupted by the Nigeria civil war that broke out in July, 1967. In the meantime, we made use of makeshift campuses till we finished philosophical studies. Later on, having completed my philosophical studies, I continued my seminary formation at the Holy Ghost Fathers formation house, Awo-omamma; this time to study theology. We, both diocesan seminarians from all over Igbo land and the Holy Ghost seminarians were joined by the circumstances of the war in 1969. After the war in April 1970, the Bigard Memorial seminary was reopened and I finished my theology studies there.On the 9th April, 1972, | was ordained a Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Owerri. In September that same year, my Bishop, His Grace Mark Unegbu C of blessed memory sent me on further studies to Rome for Moral Theology. I returned to a Nigeria in 1975. In October 1976, I got a lecturing appointment at the Alvan Ikoku College of Education. My teaching appointment was terminated in 1993 when I was appointed the Bishop of Owerri; but in 199, Owerri was made an Archdiocese. I was also appointed the first Archbishop of Owerri.
Hearts Magazine: The Church has emphasized the necessity of inculturation in carrying out her divine mission; what is inculturation and what are the challenges facing the same today?
His Grace: As an extension of the incarnation of the son of God into the human flesh in the person of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and with the incorporation of human beings into the person of Christ, we become Christians and Christi-animated persons. With the entry of Christ into human flesh, we have been incorporated through baptism and the other sacraments into the body of Christ, into the family of God in Christ so that we now become Christi-animated sons and daughters.
The term ‘Christi-animated’, becomes the full name for Christians (Here, we think about anima Christi- soul of Christ sanctify me, save me, blood of Christ protect me). Christians are those who are supposed to be animated by the spirit, soul and body of Christ, so that they become extensions of the body of Christ. That is one level of the incarnational Dynamism that draws human beings into the one family of God in Christ, transforms us, and makes us children of God and candidates for heaven.
