Death of a pope
Like many Catholics worldwide, I received the news of His Holiness Pope Francis’ passing on Easter Monday with sadness.
Of course, given his advanced age and his recent health issues, it did not come as a surprise to many.
I must admit that in the past three decades or so, my Catholicism has gradually become somewhat wobbly and rusty at the edges.
In secondary school, I rose to the position of Vice-President of the Legion of Mary Society on campus.
A chorister par excellence in those days, long before chilled beer corrupted my angelic vocal cords, I ended up leading the Catholic choir in Upper Six.
My rusty edges notwithstanding, I remain very aligned with my Roman Catholic faith.
Ancient protocols, traditions
Given the global eminence of the Roman Catholic Church, together with the fact that its leader is also the head of state of the Vatican City, which is recognised as a state in its own right, Pope Francis’ death was bound to capture international headlines.
Eventually, all roads led to Rome over the weekend for the grand funeral, with global personalities such as US President Donald Trump, Prince William, French President Emmanuel Macron, Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and former US President Joe Biden in attendance.
From its elaborate, arcane protocols surrounding the announcement of the death to the timelines for burial, for the funeral and for the cardinals to go into conclave to elect the new pope, among many others, this is an institution that insists on doing things its own way, unwilling to bend and yield to the rapidly passing fads of the day in a bid to be ‘modern’ or ‘progressive’.
Church doctrine on various social, economic and political issues reflects this stance, even if Pope Francis was rather liberal, relative to his very conservative (some would say, hardline) immediate predecessor Pope Benedict XVI.
Simple funeral?
The late pontiff was known for his simplicity, humility and down-to-earth nature. He chose not to live in the grand papal apartments but instead to reside in simple lodgings.
He was also noted for his personal connection with people and his willingness to listen.
Even in death, he opted for a simple funeral via his will. In a marked departure from tradition, he insisted on being buried in a simple, wooden coffin with zinc lining instead of the practice of three coffins nestled in each other.
Among others, he also wanted to be buried in a simple tomb outside the Vatican, in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. The last pope to be buried in that basilica was Clement IX, back in 1669.
In the context of the church’s flexibility towards a pope’s personal funeral wishes, an interesting question emerges.
If a Ghanaian from my hometown Ankaase should ascend to the papacy, to what extent will his socio-cultural background be allowed to influence church procedures, including a preference in his will for an Asante style funeral, with all the jollof, kete dancers, professional mourners along with all the bells and whistles of our cultural heritage?
On social media platforms, quite a number of fellow Ghanaians appear to drool over the simplicity of the funeral in Rome, including the solemnity, the dress code, the coffin and the procession, among others.
Someone wrote, “I was shouting at the top of my voice today calling African ‘powerful’ men to come and see simplicity coupled with diplomacy.”
I am not sure if I was the only person who found the funeral a bit too stiff and staid, lacking colour and vibrancy. I certainly did not drool.
I believe that social events such as weddings and funerals are a direct, unique function of the society in which they take place and they are unique to that society.
One cannot just transplant a certain modus operandi from one culture to another and expect it to stick.
We are essentially a vociferous, vibrant, expressive and communal society, and these attributes necessarily reflect in our social events.
As someone stated in response to the drooling, “what funeral is that, no huge speakers arrayed, and posters everywhere, spinners blasting…songs and dancers of all types from cultural to contemporary.... these people don’t know how to do funeral... no wailing and no iced water sellers...aaaah!” Another added, “how could people get funeral jollof to eat?
They should have given the funeral to my Asantes to organise it properly”.
True, our social events can be rather chaotic, but so what? There is a reason Pentecostal and charismatic churches thrive in Ghana and Africa, with their vibrant drumming, singing and dancing.
Orthodox churches with western roots have had to modify their hymns and drab services to adapt quickly to the African reality in order to remain relevant.
The Emeritus Archbishop Peter Akwasi Sarpong, for instance, has been widely recognised for his work in driving this narrative in Ghana in the 1970s when he was Catholic Bishop of Kumasi.
Conclave beckons
A new pope, the 267th, is to be selected soon by the cardinals at conclave. Our beloved, esteemed Cardinal Peter Turkson’s name has been thrown in the ring by pundits as a possible successor to Pope Francis.
The Church's records tell us there were potentially three Black popes in Catholic history: Pope Victor I, Pope Miltiades and Pope Gelasius.
This was over 1500 years ago. It would be lovely to see Cardinal Turkson take over as pope. I will be praying the rosary for him.
Like many Catholics worldwide, I look forward to white smoke billowing from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel soon, with the subsequent appearance of the Protodeacon of the College of Cardinals on the balcony of the basilica to announce the immortal words ‘Habemus Papam’ (Latin for ‘we have a pope’).
Viva Ecclesia Catholica! (Long live the Catholic Church!).
Rodney Nkrumah-Boateng,
E-mail: rodboat@yahoo.com
