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Liturgical Ministers as Ministerial Leaders: Implications for Parish Worship in Nigeria



Author(s)

Emmanuel Chinedu Anagwo

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DOI:10.17265/2328-2177/2017.05.001

Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

This paper explores liturgical ministers as ministerial leaders to embrace different liturgical functions as ministries of service. This is against the backdrop of Tridentine liturgy whereby the worship is looked up as an exclusive leadership function of the priests alone to lord it over others. It identifies lack of active participation by the lay faithful as one of the major factors escalating passive participation in the liturgical celebrations in Nigeria. In this way, the paper argues that rethinking ministerial leadership is a medium to promote active and parish liturgical participation. Their implications suggest the bishops and priests to ensure that the lay faithful take part fully aware of their ministerial leadership role, actively engaged in the rite and enriched by its effects. Employing descriptive and analytical methods, the mantra of the paper is that in a parish worship where liturgical ministers thrives well as ministerial leaders, it produces mature Christian faithful who know their faith, understand their liturgical roles and diligently exercise them. Such a parish community operates on a level of facilitative and participatory leadership where everyone is carried along through direct participation in directing the liturgical celebrations of the parish. 

Ministerial leadership, Liturgical Ministers, Parish worship