- Enjoins Parish Priests to seek permission before inviting external priests to direct retreats and revivals in parishes
Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos has reissued guidelines for liturgical celebrations in the Archdiocese. “Recall our Archdiocesan Special Circular, no. 048.01, released on September 14, 2016, where we set out a few guidelines for liturgical celebrations in the Archdiocese in order to arrest liturgical aberrations that sometimes find their ways into programmes in some parishes, especially at so-called retreat and Open-Air events,” read the June 2024 Lagos Archdiocesan Circular signed by Archbishop Martins. The Chief Shepherd reiterated that the liturgy is exclusively a sacrifice of praise to God and should not be subjected to enhancing the celebrant’s image.
In his exact words, “We wish to state unequivocally that the liturgy is an act of public worship celebrated in praise of God and not for enhancing the image or popularity of any minister. It is not the individual – priest or layman – or any particular group that celebrates the liturgy.” According to the foremost cleric, the liturgy has a definite structure, its own history, rich tradition, unique rubrics and norms, “which we cannot add to or subtract from without a due process.” The June 2024 circular re-stated 16 practices banned by the Archdiocese. It read in parts,
• Issuing of account numbers, apart from the hosting parish account, to which moneys shall be paid for any purpose is prohibited;
• Selling of items such as candles, oil, salt, mustard seed, handkerchief, etc.;
• Indiscriminate use of Sacramentals/oils during such programmes;
• Distribution of personal envelopes/forms for prayer requests with any amount of cash to be enclosed;
• Using of formulas and books that are not approved by the Church for blessing of various Sacramentals;
• Asking people to perform or carry out any profane exercise and/or rituals that are fetish in appearance;
• Blessing of items that are not religious articles such as crude oil, “back to sender oil”, “coconut oil,” etc;
• Disrespect for the Blessed Sacrament in the form of dancing to traditional drum beats in full vestments, walking along the aisles with the monstrance or carrying it with one hand with the other holding a microphone, etc.;
• Requesting the people of God to throw money onto the sanctuary;
• Inviting people unto the sanctuary during fund-raising and launching;
• Unnecessarily keeping people very late in the Church;
• Soliciting for money for oneself, for private project or requesting for gifts, cars and other accessories. People should give voluntarily;
• Celebrating Mass or exposing the Blessed Sacrament in private homes; • Celebrating Baptism and other sacraments in private homes;
• Organising so-called harvest and bazaar in private homes, Event Centres or Hotels, etc;
• Invited priests bringing along the so-called ‘intercessors or ministers’ i.e. Lay persons meant to perform functions and brought along on the entourage of such priests. If there is any need, members of Prayer Groups in such parishes should be engaged.
The Circular further, read, “In adherence to the principle that donors’ intentions must be respected, we instruct that stipends may be given to invited priests, but it shall not be based on such an agreement as giving a percentage of funds generated for a given purpose to the priests so-invited.” Archbishop Martins said the essence of the guidelines is simply to preserve the integrity of the most precious gift of God to His Church, and the distinctive patrimony of the Catholic Church.
The prelate cautioned, “No one has a right to give an arbitrary interpretation to these guidelines different from what is expressed therein. We shall take serious exception to any such attempt and it shall not be taken lightly.” The Chief Shepherd further enjoined Parish Priests and Priestsin-Charge of the various parishes to compulsorily seek due permission and receive authorisation from the Archbishop before inviting priests from outside the Archdiocese to direct retreats and revivals in parishes. He explained, “This is to forestall aberrations during liturgical celebrations as well as provide an atmosphere for authentic worship.”
