IN THE SPIRIT OF THE LITURGY: Inculturation of the Roman Liturgy and its Chants in Nigeria

Okeke, Basil (2023) IN THE SPIRIT OF THE LITURGY: Inculturation of the Roman Liturgy and its Chants in Nigeria. Bigard Theological Studies, 43 (2). pp. 1-16. ISSN 2636-5936

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Abstract

The church holds in high esteem the Latin chants and accords them a prime of place in her liturgy, especially when celebrated in Latin. It is the music proper to the Roman rite. However, in her Vatican II’s Constitution on the Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, the church allowed the use of good and suitable music styles from other cultures in her liturgy. This conciliar gesture gave rise to the upsurge of the so-called indigenous musical compositions that were sometimes good for liturgy and at other times inadequate and theologically bankrupt. Today, the practice of using only the indigenous liturgical music in the liturgy has relegated the traditional Roman rite practice of singing antiphons at Mass. This article calls for a rediscovery of the rich theological treasures in the traditional Latin chants. It suggests the translation of many of the Latin antiphons of the Mass into Igbo and the production of its common standard text. Thus, the vernacular texts become a principal source for liturgical music composition in Igboland. Thus, in the spirit of the liturgy, a balance will be struck between the tradition and modernity, between the substantial unity of the Roman rite and the legitimate cultural variations.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	M Music and Books on Music > M Music
Divisions:	Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Art
Depositing User:	Uchenna Eneogwe
Date Deposited:	09 Jun 2025 09:47
Last Modified:	09 Jun 2025 09:47
URI:	http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/id/eprint/4794

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