Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has shared her candid and emotional reaction to recent fan messages. In a video posted on her Instagram page, the award-winning author was in a pensive and empathetic mood while reading messages she received from fans offering support to her, following her recent interview detailing her ordeal with the Catholic priest who verbally attacked her during her mum’s funeral thanksgiving mass. The fans went on to also share their own stories of exploitation and lack of empathy by Catholic authorities, particularly in the South Eastern region of Nigeria.
It would be recalled that the author had revealed she was verbally attacked by her hometown parish priest at the funeral thanksgiving mass of her mother, Mrs. Grace Ifeoma Adichie held at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Abba, Njikoka council of Anambra State in May 2021.
The Instagram video which showed Chimamanda Adichie holding a pile of notes from fans and users across social media is a reflection of how she has become a rallying point for those who felt pained by their shared experiences.
The stories Adichie read detailed some of the most inhumane and shocking personal experiences. These were stories of grieving Nigerians who were either faced with coughing up exorbitant sums of money in a short time, or humiliated and rebuked just to ensure that their loved ones had a befitting Catholic burial.
“Burials are seen as payback time. It clearly defeats the essence of Christianity and compassion” – Adichie read a message written by Chideiebere Onwumere.
The ridicule that the surviving families members in the Catholic system faced was also highlighted in another tale.
“The Catholic priest refused to conduct a funeral mass for my father who had been a staunch catholic all of the 98 years he lived simply because we refused to provide their unreasonable demands for a cow,” wrote another fan, Omosomi Broome.
“This happened in Nnewi, Anambra State. I lost my father two weeks ago.” writes Adaeze Iloka. “My uncles went to the priest in charge of this same church to inform them of the demise of my dear father and to get a date for the burial. The parish priest acted in a distasteful, condescending manner that left me in tears, anger and hatred for his person. He cared more about my father not paying any current tithe than condoling the family. He didn’t even say sorry or express any sort of pity for the dead. He walked out on my uncles and demanded that we go through the catechist”. Adichie read Adaeze’s story.
Again, another experience that Adichie read showed that no one was spared from this unwholesome practice.
“We were made to pay all sort of levies. We had to pay some money to the choir for them to sing during their funeral. Now, this is a man who dedicated his life to the growth of the catholic church in the town. Instead of actually supporting the burial, extortion was the case. If they can do that to a catechist what then was the fate of ordinary church members?” Anselm Nsolo questioned.
The author was so moved by the stories shared, she offered to support.
On April 28th, 2022, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will receive an honorary doctorate degree from one of Europe’s oldest Catholic universities, the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.