Fr Ennio Mantovani SVD 31 side doors a slow procession advanced guided each by a big man - traditional clan leader - in full traditional regalia of birds of paradise and painting - followed by his clan. I recognized the two clans of the couple that intended to be married. Each of the spouses was in full traditional regalia as well. Quite a sight. The two big men met in front of the altar and now the usual preparations for a marriage, now shortened, took place. The one leader said that he had a boy who needed to find a partner to which the other responded that he had a girl needing a partner. They agreed on the marriage and each called his child to come forward and the leaders told them that now they would be husband and wife. At the point, the catechist in full regalia, read a biblical passage regarding marriage and then invited me to take over. Now the most difficult part was taking place. In PNG marriage was called sek hands shaking hands. Touching in any way by two people of different sex in public, married or not, was an extremely shameful action. Usually, during marriage in church, the girl in embarrassment, would turn her back, when giving her hand. This case was different. I was called father in local language, hence, I was allowed to touch the hands of the two, my children. I would take the hands in my hand and ask for the marital vow. The following Sunday I had the Mass after the people had already entered and filled the church. I was surprised at seeing faces of people outside that I never met before. We had the new rite of marriage and after Mass I asked my co-workers about the ‘visitors’. They told me that the Lutheran congregation had heard about the beautiful rite of marriage and wanted to witness it in person. Later catechists told me that old men were concerned: now the young people would flock to the church for marriage before the community had time to prepare them. Quite a compliment for our success. The question: was it real inculturation? Principles of Inculturation Which are the principles we need to apply to answer this question? Inculturation deals with culture, and, though it is a theological concept we need to turn to anthropology to get an answer. In PNG working with simple people who could hardly read and write, regarding culture they distinguished very clearly between what one can observe and what gives meaning to it. Often people told me, I do not know the roots of this phenomenon, or its meaning got lost, which means the phenomenon lost its relevance. A dance, a canoe can lose its roots and have become an empty shell. There is no life, no power, no effect. Philosophically expressed, for these Melanesians one needs to distinguish between the visible, the phenomenon and the ideas that through it are expressed. To express this fact in PNG I use the picture of leaves and roots. The leaves are what we can see of a culture, the superficial, however, what gives life to them are the roots that one cannot see. One needs to dig. The leaves might fall, but that does not mean that the roots are dead. As a matter of fact, sometimes the leaves need to fall and new, fresh ones, will replace them as part of the process of life in nature. That the leaves change is a sign that the culture is alive. Simple bush Anthropology; very simple but very helpful. From my experience of inculturation, I state that it should not deal so much with leaves but with roots. Given the fact that the leaves are the only things we see, the danger is that inculturation wastes its energies in secondary things - works with leaves, The leaves might fall, but that does not mean that the roots are dead. As a matter of fact, sometimes the leaves need to fall and new, fresh ones, will replace them as part of the process of life in nature.
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