Witchcraft destroying the Catholic Church in Africa, experts say

2/9/2007
Catholic Information Service for Africa (www.cisanewsafrica.org)

NAIROBI, Kenya (CISA) � Witchcraft is real, and it is destroying the church in Africa, Catholic experts warned earlier this week.

Scholars from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) expressed concern that the church continued to dismiss the dark arts as mere superstition, thereby unwittingly helping the devil advance his reign.

For that reason, Christians who suffer because of witchcraft are often dismissed by priests as being superstitious, the scholars said. Because they do not get adequate help from pastoral agents, they seek the assistance of witchdoctors or join the mushrooming evangelical denominations that offer healing, exorcism and deliverance, they said.

Many African priests fear witchcraft or are ignorant of their own power to confront the devil, the scholars said, adding that Christians visit diviners and magicians to seek practical solutions which the church and science apparently do not offer.

The experts spoke here during a three-day symposium on the pastoral challenge of witchcraft organized by the Institute of Spirituality and Religious Formation at Tangaza College.

Michael Katola, a lecturer in pastoral theology at CUEA, said from the African perspective Christianity does not seem to have answers to all questions. And while the church demonized traditional experts such as medicine-men and diviners, it has offered no equivalent alternatives, he added. "We have many Christians who go to consult fortune-tellers when they want to start a project or when faced with problems," he said.

Africans are not any more superstitious than other peoples, he said. The problem is that the church has not come to terms with the African worldview which accepts the existence of evil powers, he said. "It is important for the church to understand the fears of the people and not to attribute them to superstition."

"Witchcraft is a reality; it is not superstition," Katola said, adding that "many communities in Kenya know those powers exist in their midst."

Dissatisfied Catholics are swelling the ranks of the new evangelical movements, he said.. "Many of our Christians seek deliverance, healing and exorcism from other denominations because priests do not realize they have redemptive powers," Katola said.

He said the responsibility of fighting witchcraft lies with the clergy, who should start by accepting the reality of the phenomenon. "If we don't believe in the existence of witchcraft as Satanism then we can not deal with it."

Sister Bibiana Munini said Christians still consult diviners and magicians for practical solutions because the church has not paid much attention to integral healing.

Moreover, she added, the much-valued ministry of the traditional healer has no equivalent in the church today.

Malawian academic, Father Clement Majawa, said the problem of witchcraft is real and needs a serious effort as it had contributed to "superficiality of faith and morals" in Africa.

He listed 14 categories of witchcraft practiced across the continent, stressing that the church's denial of the existence of the evil arts "only escalates the problem."

He attributed the persistence of witchcraft to ignorance within the church of the African worldview and lack of deep knowledge of the faith among Christians.

Father Majawa called for an urgent and coordinated pastoral response to the problem in every diocese.

"Since Christ in the gospels encountered the devil, it is proper for Christians to accept the reality of witchcraft."

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Republished by Catholic Online with permission of the Catholic Information Service for Africa (CISA), based in Nairobi, Kenya (www.cisanewsafrica.org).

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1 - 10 of 10 Comments

Frank Warren
1 year ago
Sure, witchcraft is real. It is not superstition or daydreaming or faking or mental sickness as several priests would call it.
The TRUTH is taht many priests have become so secular in their way of life in that they no longer command any spiritual authority even the devil knows that these are simply lay men in clerical vestments!!!
They have all that it takes to have religous authority by the virtue of their seminary education and canonical rights BUT spiritual wise they are void of ability to deal with demons, withcraft, satan etc which are spiritual powers, and should be dealt with with a spiritual approach not necessarily a religous approach.
It is so much a pit that God's sons and daughters are held captive by the enemy yet daily go to men who are very academically competent as regarda their religion YET sadly incompetent as regards dealing with these spiritual forces.
How i pray that God brings a revival among our priests so that they can be of help to those who are held captive.
Peter Wilson
1 year ago
Witchcraft, satanism, traditional religion, paganism, etc, These are words and terms thrown around loosely, while some people use them interchangeably. I think it is important the African takes the time and effort to go back in time and understand our beliefs and practices before the missionaries came.
A priest once asked a group of us if all our ancestors were evil and therefore destined to hell. Should one conclude that some of our ancestors were indeed good people; and all goodness is through the Holy Spirit - then there is need for more thought.
In many African traditions Almighty God has His name. Yaweh, Bari, Osenebuluwa, etc. No other being bears the name. The english language gives the name "God" or "god" to many.
The African may still be making the same mistake that John makes in the closing of the Book of Revelations; we may still be bowing to messengers - angels, and have not yet been corrected.
This is not to say that there is no evil in African traditional worship, but evil must be differentiated from good. Our elders in the past and still in the present would come out in the open square in full view and pray and libate for the good of the community - harvest, child bearing, truth, etc. The evil ones would hide away and wait til night and do theirs in hidden places..
The above "Witchcraft destroying the Catholic Church" articles calls from great study and contemplation.

Imagine if the first missionaries had first found out from my ancestors that Osenebuluwa was our name for Almighty God the Creator of Heaven and earth, who introduced himself as "I AM" to Moses, and then gone on to teach that Osenebuuwa is capable of dividing the sea into two, of turning dry land into fertile land, of making a barren woman bear children, of making a virgin bear a child. Then would tell my ancestor that Osenebuluwa has a Son. Imagine . . . .

Peter
Clive Holland
3 years ago
Really? Witchcraft? You can't be serious? I've got news for you and anybody who doesn't realize this stuff exists. You've lived a sheltered life. Although early in my life I would have dismissed this as mumbo jumbo, after getting involved with someone who practiced Santeria, I can assure you that witchcraft is very real and very dangerous. In reply to Nicholas:The century we live in has very little to do with the matter.
Anthony Morales
3 years ago
Shepherds humbIe watch their fIock before a wiIding bIue white star.
Simon
3 years ago
Really? Witchcraft?

You cant be serious?
makokha matsukhu idris
3 years ago
The catholic church should understand that africans have their own beliefs and if they(catholics)feel like doing away with some of the beliefs,then it should be done in stages.You cant abolish the practice in a bang,it should take time.
Nicholas
3 years ago
What century are we living in?
solly
3 years ago
Catholics should learn how to be strong at their christian life. Christians are called to live by the power of the holy spirit and to experience the power in the name of Jesus. I am a catholic as well in south africa, I know and Understanding that witchcraft do exist but we have a remedy which is to pray, to give ourselves in full to christ, to accept Jesus in our hearts as saviour and to allow him to take control of our souls and mortal life. I went through a lot by the time I was growing up, but because I knew Christ at the younger age in the catholic church, and I understood that catholic church doesn't give you the protection, but it gives you the guidelines on how to ask for God's protection and intervention. Lets be real christians, lets use the power that Jesus christ conferred to us against the devil and all its deeds. IN the name of the father, the son and of the holy spirit; In Jesus Name, AMEN
ng'ang'a ndung'u
4 years ago
All catholic christians not just those in the Charismatic renewal must accept the power of the Holy Spirit and His gifts to effectively fight wizardly and witchcraft,demonic forces, evil spells and generational curses among other forces that confront humans. the church must be ready to consistently conduct healing and deliverance sessions before, during or after church services(masses) and should strongly uphold praise and worship as an integral part of the church worship- this is where i get lots of spiritual nourishment, supernatural joy and inner healing; it is a session i miss seriously in the conventional catholic church worship
Ibe, Nwabunwannem Leonard
4 years ago
Catholics should accept the fact that witchcraft is into existence.In Nigeria here it is prevalent and the church seems to be doing nothing to that effect.I've had an experience one night where incubus spirit/witches wanted to take away my life,thanks to blood of Jesus Christ that saved me.Some of our Nigerian priest are trying in line with that,people like fr mbaka,fr ede,fr okunaelele etc are really trying.So I want to urge Kenya priests to blaze up the challenge and tackle the problem for it is a fact.Failure to do that will be tantamount to Catholic Church losing her members to these mushroom Churches for they threats to Catholism.This is Ibe, Nwabunwannem Leon. From University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

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