MUSIC IN THE CHURCH AND THE YOUTHS, An Interview with Bishop M.O.Fagun

MUSIC IN THE CHURCH AND THE YOUTHS

AN INTERVIEW WITH

BISHOP M.O. FAGUN,

THE EMERITUS OF EKITI DIOCESE, NIGERIA

SSMT: Your Lordship, we, the Spiritans Sound Media Group on the edge of Treasures Unveiler Journal are delighted to be with you right now. Please, are you able to inform us one thing about your self?

BISHOP   FAGUN: I’m Michael Olatunji Fagun. I used to be born on the seventeenth of April, 1935 in Akure, Ondo State. I grew up in a society dominated by paganism; nonetheless, I used to be privileged to have been introduced up within the Christian religion by my mother and father. Having felt impressed, I undertook my journey into the priesthood within the seminary of the Society of African Missions despite the fact that it appeared like an virtually unimaginable activity as a result of, the society didn’t actually encourage the priestly vocation, coupled with the truth that the seminary had a really strict and disciplined system. To the glory of God, I used to be ordained on July 4th, 1965. Thereon, I went on to additional my formal training within the College of Ibadan the place I acquired my first Civil Diploma in French and Literature (not Theology). After that, I went for additional research in Canada for my Grasp’s diploma in the identical topic, French and Literature, within the College of Toronto. I got here again from additional a research in 1971, and in that very same yr, I used to be put in   the   first Auxiliary   Bishop   of Ondo Diocese. Then in 1972, I used to be put in the primary Bishop of Ekiti Diocese. Lastly I retired after serving as a bishop for 37years.

Since my ordination, I’ve had the privilege to serve God in several capacities, and on this interval of service, I’ve achieved fairly a number of issues. Previous to going for superior research in Canada, I served because the Director of Training in Ondo Diocese; I used to be a trainer at St Joseph in Ondo city, then at Annunciation, Ikere-Ekiti. Thereafter, I served because the Chaplain at St Louis, Akure. Upon my return from Canada, I used to be privileged to translate the French version of the Jerusalem Bible into Yoruba language within the yr 1990. I equally translated each the Sunday and Each day Missal into Yoruba. I’ve additionally written some books, all of which may be accessed on my web site: www.bishopfagun.org. Since my retirement, I’ve been invited for retreats all around the nation. I reward God that I’ve been in a position to assist folks’s religious life on this method.

SSMT: My Lord, the youths have been complaining incessantly that the church will not be doing sufficient to help them in music? What’s your tackle this?

BISHOP FAGUN: There’s a little bit of reality of their outburst, choristers are taken without any consideration within the Catholic Church. Sadly, this is not the case in protestant church buildings as a result of their service is centred totally on studying and singing, afterwards, their service ends. However for us Catholics, the core of our service is the Holy Mass (the Blessed Sacrament, the essence of adoration and Sunday service) and as such, the choir is simply part of the celebration. In reality, the Holy Mass may be celebrated with out singing. Owing to this, the Church doesn’t make a lot fuss in regards to the choir, which is sort of unbecoming. However right now, contemplating the enculturation of the liturgy, one would discover that our individuals are overly musically inclined. A child would dance and clap to any track to the purpose of modifying it to go well with his or her personal type of music.

SSMT: What concrete effort is the church making to advertise music within the church?

BISHOP FAGUN: Notably, Music has been taken critically within the church currently. Therefore, the choir is inspired to sing to their full capability. Curiously, through the emergence of enculturation of the Mass in Nigeria, years again, there was a priest by the title, Rev. Fr. Sanusi, who composed “Tewo gbebo wa”, a well-liked track nonetheless sung until date. In the identical vein, different proficient monks and lay folks have introduced numerous enculturated music into the Church. Catholic choristers right now are flourishing on account of such novelty. Candidly talking, there’s a Nigerian Catholic Bishop who has such an infectious ardour for music, within the individual of Most Rev. Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo, the Bishop of Oyo Diocese. Certainly, no youth in his diocese has any causes in any respect to complain that he/she will not be motivated music sensible. I hereby encourage the Spiritans Sound Outreach to proceed its pursuit of gospel music manufacturing.

SSMT: The place do you assume that the lay trustworthy ought to are available, in church music?

BISHOP FAGUN: Thanks for that query. Whereas the clergy ought to make concerted effort to advertise non secular music manufacturing, it shouldn’t be left to them alone to grapple with identical to prior to now; lay folks can also develop into leaders in music manufacturing for the church. Nonetheless, the lyrics of the music must be taken into issues to make sure they aren’t inimical to the Catholic religion. Catholic liturgical layouts and doctrines have to be adhered to. The theological educating have to be clear. Youths who’re considering music as Spiritans Sound Outreach is spurring them on, must be unequivocally inspired by different folks. Nonetheless, the issue lies in funding. Many youths could not present curiosity in a scenario the place finance is missing.

SSMT: My Lord, are you of the opinion that the youths must be financially motivated in order to encourage them to be musical oriented?

BISHOP FAGUN: The reality is that it’s fairly unlucky, monks (myself inclusive) additionally mistakenly presume that since we don’t work for cash, others are hitherto anticipated to observe go well with. Remunerations that may preserve the youth motivated and inspired, as choir members, must be inspired as a result of they’re additionally ministers in God’s winery. I spotted after I was nonetheless within the ministry, when a gaggle within the church come for conferences and the likes, they might come a couple of times and so lengthy there is no such thing as a incentive, they won’t present up the umpteenth time. So, this subject must be seemed into and addressed. Nonetheless, the youth ought to equally be taught to not rely massively on monetary good points for the issues they do within the church. They need to be capable to present magnanimity with their service to the God and the folks.

SSMT: So, my Lord, what recommendation do you’ve got for the youth of their life’s pursuits?

BISHOP FAGUN: As I normally say, one of many three values majority of people contemplate rather a lot I, cash (which is the least of all of them within the hierarchy of significance). Everyone needs cash, little doubt, that is good. The church however, emphasises that cash is the car of evangelisation. That is completely true however cash has a restrict it could go if not correctly dealt with. St James tells us that the love of cash is the foundation of all evil. The implication of this assertion merely connotes that, cash is hereby desired to the detriment of oneself and others. Due to this fact, our youth must be taught that cash is supposed for use and never for accumulation, that means that, when one has sufficient monetary wherewithal to maintain life, there’s actually no must stash away tens of millions in cash, robs or deprives different folks of the essential wants of life. The most important motive poverty abounds within the nation, is essentially as a result of wealth will not be evenly circulated and distributed. The youth want to indicate contentment in no matter they’ve/want in life and help others with the spare they’ve since being helpful within the society with monetary sources, helps to enshrine benefactors within the minds of the plenty, which additional helps preserve their reminiscence evergreen within the annals of posterity.

SSMT: Ought to Christians go into secular music?

BISHOP FAGUN: Music as a expertise is a kind of vocation. Individuals uncover they’re musically proficient however their manufacturing depends upon their background, both on the earth or within the Church. What are secular and spiritual music? Secular music is any track that’s not religiously inclined and a non secular music however, is any track which has a purely non secular orientation. There may be nothing improper with each. So, as a musician who has a non secular background, the need to compose non secular songs simply come naturally as she or he will get impressed. A great instance is, when one is relaxed and finds himself simply singing effortlessly. That is how songs are composed. They need to be channeled within the non secular facet of life. If the non secular life is reposed in a person, it can mirror in his music but when the world takes over and if immorality is dominant at that time, immoral songs will certainly be birthed. Therefore, out of the abundance of the guts the mouth speaks

SSMT: My Lord, what else do you assume the church must do to advertise non secular or gospel music?

BISHOP FAGUN: The responsibility of the Church is then, to make Christians develop with a non secular

mentality in order that with none formal preparations, non secular/adoration songs will spring from their coronary heart in worship and reward of God, even within the consolation of their properties. Christian youth must be imbued with non secular concepts so that it’ll mirror of their music. Good examples are the cultural musicians in these days who had been a lot rooted and embedded in people lores of the which influenced their style of music. Individuals get pleasure from these songs and dance to them. With out inspiration from people lores, these set of musicians wouldn’t have been in a position to put their concepts into music. Equally, a gospel musician who has a deep information of the gospel won’t stray in his music. Catholic youths, then, ought to imbibe Christian values. It will positively resonate of their music both within the choir or in the event that they select to go solo. As within the case of Mozart, J. S. Bach, the German composers, who extolled God with their songs, this was potential as a result of they had been entrenched and indoctrinated in Christian ideas. As an illustration, the Alleluia refrain when it was composed, was not meant for the church however the track is now popularly sung in church buildings as a result of the track glorifies God. I congratulate the Spiritans Sound Outreach and promise to one of the best of my potential to assist carry these concepts to the information of fellow Bishops.

SSMT: Thanks my Lord, we’re immensely grateful for this superior exposition into this wealth of data.

BISHOP   FAGUN:   You might be welcome. I provide you with my blessings.