Sacred Boundaries: Why African Royalty and Foreign Religions Cannot Mix
By Ogiri John Ogiri The Core Conflict: Altar vs. Throne I am a Christian of the Roman Catholic rite but I have to make the following submission to clarify certain important misconceptions associated with the modern African traditional Leadership System. As an African, if you are deeply religious or already ordained as a minister in a foreign religion, you have no business accepting African traditional chieftaincy responsibilities. You simply cannot combine the two successfully without offending either your people or the foreign deity. The Obligations of Traditional Leadership. However you may choose to argue it, African traditional rulers are bound by sacred obligations. To succeed and remain in the good graces of the ancestors, a leader must drop the foreign scriptures and fully embrace local traditions. These responsibilities include: 1. Offering prescribed sacrifices 2. Pouring libations to the ancestors 3. Carrying out traditional rituals to appease the gods 4. Hosting and lea...