The Catholic church's misguided stance on Zulu traditions

It is amazing that the Catholic Church has decided to police its black faithful around the issue of traditional practices. I suspect there is a lack of understanding from the leaders of the church that traditions and religion don't actually clash.

Institutionalised worshipping is man-made, just like traditions. The growth potential of the Catholic Church rests with the regions outside of Europe. Latin America and Africa are very important regions for the church.

Latin America strongly believes in traditional practices, evidenced by the significant indigenous and Afro-descendant populations, enduring superstitions, and the influence of cultural traditions on daily life, art, and community values. While religion and architecture have a strong European background, these are often blended with indigenous and African traditions to create unique Latin American expressions of culture. Archbishop Siegfried Mandla Jwara needs to tread carefully here when it comes to the issue of syncretism. People's culture is very central to their approach to life and the attendant traditional practices then become somehow a way of life. Congregants are Africans first before they are Catholics. Most importantly, the Zulu nation, which is the most dominant ethnic group in KwaZulu-Natal and holds the majority number of congregants in the Catholic Church. 

The church needs to be cognisant of this. 

Forcing people to abandon their traditions is archaic and an antithesis to the church's inculturation. It is ironic that the church has one of the most highly trained priests, academically, yet the church seems too lazy to apply its mind to this polarising issue. The threats by some faithful to break away are real. Observing traditional practices and praying to God is not serving two masters. 

The church needs to meet its African followers where they are. | Vusi Khumalo, Durban