Inculturation in Action:
The rite is a living witness to how the Catholic Church can authentically embrace local traditions while preserving its universal message. It brings its africaness in the liturgy.
Liturgical Empowerment:
The Zairian Rite offers a wide range of opportunities for lay participation, uniquely including roles such as the Nkumu (community elders) and announcers, whose functions are deeply rooted in African cultural traditions. Alongside them are acolytes, dancers, choir members, and the Bana Nkembi (Children of Praise), who express devotion through movement and song. This inclusive structure fosters a strong sense of cohesion, communal ownership, and collective worship, making the liturgy a true reflection of African spiritual life.
The rite affirms the presence of ancestors as spiritual intercessors, reshaping traditional understandings of communion and sacred memory in an African context. It uses African oral styles, storytelling, metaphor, call-and-response to deepen engagement with scripture and prayer.
It breaks from colonial liturgical models and centers African values of unity, respect, and symbolic meaning affirming the Church’s identity in post-colonial Africa. The rite shows African Freedom from the Western behaviors.