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Father Benedict had changed things in the parish, such as insisting that the Credo and kyrie be recited only in Latin; Igbo was not acceptable. Also, hand clapping was to be kept at a minimum, lest the solemnity of Mass be compromised.
In this quotation from Part 1, Breaking Gods, we see that Father Benedict’s and Eugene’s version of Catholicism sets itself up not only as a model of religious truth but cultural superiority. Although over the course of the novel we see Father Amadi and other Catholics find space to bring Igbo traditions into Catholic ritual, Father Benedict sees them as detrimental to the sacred nature of Mass. This attitude implies that these traditions are inherently tainted, not solemn or properly spiritual.
When I asked, Papa said it was the remnants of ungodly traditions, the idea that it was the family and not the man alone that married a wife, and later Mama whispered, although we were alone in my room, “I am her wife, too, because I am your father’s wife. It shows that she accepts me.”
In this quotation from Part 2, Speaking with Our Spirits, Kambili explains her confusion over Aunty Ifeoma referring to Beatrice as nwunye m, which means “my wife.” Eugene views the term extremely literally, believing that it cannot be divorced from its origin in describing traditional Igbo family structures. Beatrice, however, sees the loving intent behind Aunty Ifeoma’s use of the phrase. It is a traditional way for Aunty Ifeoma to address her sister-in-law, and she is using it affectionately. Eugene’s desire to erase all traces of this tradition shows a belief that Igbo traditions should die out and succumb to colonial replacements.
Do you know how quickly he learned English? When he became an interpreter, do you know how many converts he helped win? Why, he converted most of Abba himself! He did things the right way, the way the white people did, not what our people do now!
In this quotation from Part 2, Speaking with Our Spirits, Eugene praises Beatrice’s father for his early conversion to Catholicism and his complete rejection of and disdain for Igbo traditions. Eugene fully believes that Igbo traditions are inherently wrong, spiritually and intellectually, whereas English traditions are “the right way.” This belief suggests that Eugene sees a complete binary between traditional and colonial ways of being, denying the possibility of finding meaning in both.
The only time Papa had talked about ima mmuo was to say that the Christians who let their sons do it were confused, that they would end up in hellfire.
This quotation comes from Part 2, Speaking with Our Spirits, when it becomes clear that Jaja doesn’t understand as much about the mmuo procession as he’s expected to because Eugene wouldn’t allow him to undertake the ima mmuo. In keeping Jaja from completing a traditional Igbo coming-of-age ritual, Eugene cuts Jaja off from cultural knowledge that other Igbo boys will learn. From Eugene’s perspective, this traditional knowledge has no value and will only lead to hell. However, Jaja has a deep sense of loss for missing out on this connection with his ancestors and culture.
What the church is saying is that only an English name will make your confirmation valid. ‘Chiamaka’ says God is beautiful. ‘Chima’ says God knows best, ‘Chiebuka’ says God is the greatest. Don’t they all glorify God as much as ‘Paul’ and ‘Peter’ and ‘Simon’?
In this quotation from Part 3, The Pieces of the Gods, Amaka challenges Father Amadi over the church’s mandate that she take an English name for her confirmation. Amaka here observes that this rule is too colonial because it casts traditional Nigerian names as inherently pagan even though many of them explicitly glorify God. It also treats Nigerian Catholics as permanently new converts instead of full Catholics capable of participating in the church without foreign guidance other than the pope. The church’s colonial gaze on its Nigerian branches prevents Nigerians from finding ways to embrace it with their own traditions.
