mardi 20 janvier 2015

Bienheureux CYPRIAN (MICHAEL) IWENE TANSI, prêtre et moine cistercien



Bienheureux CYPRIEN (MICHAEL) IWENE TANSI, prêtre

Iwene Tansi est né à Aguleri, près de Onitsha au Nigeria, en 1903. Il fut baptisé à l’âge de 9 ans et reçut le nom chrétien de Michael. Il exerça pendant plusieurs années comme catéchiste et professeur avant d'entrer au séminaire en 1925. Il fut ordonné prêtre en 1937 pour le diocèse de Onitsha, où il a fit preuve d’un grand dévouement et d’un zèle intense pour le Royaume de Dieu. Devenu moine, au monastère cistercien du Mont-Saint-Bernard, près de Leicester en Angleterre, il mérita d’achever une vie sainte par une sainte mort en 1964.

SOURCE : http://www.paroisse-saint-aygulf.fr/index.php/prieres-et-liturgie/saints-par-mois/icalrepeat.detail/2015/01/20/12520/-/bienheureux-cyprien-michael-iwene-tansi-pretre

Bienheureux Cyprien Michael Iwene Tansi

Moine cistercien africain ( 1964)

"Iwene Tansi est né à Aguleri, près de Onitsha au Nigeria, en 1903. Il fut baptisé à l’âge de 9 ans avec le nom chrétien, Michael. Son baptême l'influençait profondément, même pendant sa jeunesse, et Michael a  bouleversé ses parents non-chrétiens quand il a osé détruire son idole personnelle, donnée traditionnellement à tous les enfants du sexe masculin.

Il a travaillé pendant quelques années comme catéchiste et professeur avant d'entrer au séminaire en 1925. Il a été ordonné prêtre en 1937 pour le diocèse de Onitsha, où il a fait impression durable sur tout le monde par son dévouement, son zèle pour le Royaume de Dieu, son esprit intense de prière." (source: Ordre cistercien de la stricte observance - trappistes)

"Lors de la béatification du Père Tansi, le 22 mars 1998, le Pape Jean-Paul II disait de lui: «Il fut avant tout un homme de Dieu: les longues heures passées devant le Très Saint Sacrement remplissaient son cœur d'un amour généreux et courageux. Ceux qui l'ont connu témoignent de son grand amour pour Dieu. Ceux qui l'ont rencontré sont restés frappés de sa bonté personnelle. Il fut aussi un homme du peuple: il a toujours placé les autres avant lui-même et il fut particulièrement attentif aux besoins pastoraux des familles. Il fit tout ce qui était en son pouvoir pour que les couples soient bien préparés au sacrement de mariage et il prêcha l'importance de la chasteté. Il s'efforça de toutes manières de promouvoir la dignité des femmes. En particulier, il considérait que l'éducation des jeunes était une chose précieuse»." (source: Abbaye Saint-Joseph de Clairval)

"Particulièrement attentif aux besoins des familles, il fait tout ce qui est en son pouvoir pour que les couples soient bien préparés au mariage et le vivent saintement. Il s'efforce de toutes manières de promouvoir la dignité des femmes. Il considère enfin que l'éducation des jeunes est une chose particulièrement précieuse. Il se montre toujours disponible pour le sacrement de la réconciliation. Il implore aussi ses concitoyens de se pardonner mutuellement et de se réconcilier à tous les niveaux de la vie nigériane, ce qui est important dans un pays qui compte tant d'ethnies diverses." (source: Abbaye Saint Benoît)

Lire aussi: Cérémonie de béatification du moine trappiste Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, homélie de Jean-Paul II lors de son voyage apostolique au Nigeria, le 22 mars 1998.

Observatoire de l'Eglise en détresse > Afrique >  Nigeria

Au monastère du Mont-Saint-Bernard, près de Leicester en Angleterre, l’an 1964, le bienheureux Cyprien (Michel Iwene Tansi), prêtre cistercien. Né sur le territoire d’Onitsha au Nigéria, il fit profession de foi chrétienne, encore enfant, malgré sa famille. Ordonné prêtre, il s’adonna avec le plus grand soin au ministère pastoral et, devenu moine, il mérita d’achever une vie sainte par une sainte mort.

Martyrologe romain

SOURCE : http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/10545/Bienheureux-Cyprien-Michael-Iwene-Tansi.html

Bienheureux Cyprien TANSI
Nom: IWENE TANSI
Prénom: Michel (Michael)

Nom de religion: Cyprien (Cyprian)

Pays: Nigeria
Naissance: 1903  à  Onitsha (Etat d'Anambra - Nigéria)

Mort: 20.01.1964  à  Leicester (Angleterre)
Etat: Prêtre - Cistercien

Note: Baptisé à 9 ans. 1937 Prêtre. 1953 Premiers vœux au monastère cistercien de Mount Saint Bernard, à Leicester: Fr. Cyprian. 1986 Son corps est transféré au Nigeria.

Béatification: 22.03.1998  à  Onitsha, au Nigeria  par Jean Paul II

Canonisation:

Fête: 20 janvier
Réf. dans l’Osservatore Romano: 1998 n.13 p.3-4
Réf. dans la Documentation Catholique: 1998 n.8 p.364-367
Notice

Le Nigeria, avec ses 88 millions d'habitants est le pays le plus peuplé d'Afrique. Après cent ans d'évangélisation, l'Église catholique nigériane fait preuve d'une grande vitalité. Riche en vocations, le pays compte plus de 3000 séminaristes. Avec 761 étudiants, le séminaire d'Enugu, en particulier, est le plus 'nombreux' du monde et l'on projette d'en construire trois nouveaux. Déjà des prêtres nigérians se font missionnaires dans s'autres pays africains et dans le monde. L'islam est majoritaire (45%), mais les relations entre les deux religions sont bonnes.

Le Père Tansi a été béatifié le 22 novembre 1998 à Onitsha par le Pape Jean Paul II devant une foule évaluée à 2 millions de personnes. Il est le premier bienheureux du Nigeria et le premier prêtre béatifié d'Afrique (en dehors des saints et martyrs africains de l'époque romaine).

Iwene Tansi naît en 1903 à Onitsha (Nigeria) dans une famille animiste. Il se convertit au contact des missionnaires et reçoit le baptême à 9 ans avec le nom de Michael. D'emblée, il se fait apôtre auprès des autres enfants, puis il entre au petit séminaire. Il est ordonné prêtre en 1937. Comme curé à Onitsha, il exerce un apostolat très fécond. C'est avant tout un homme de prière: il passe de longues heures devant le Saint Sacrement. Les contemporains témoignent de son grand amour pour Dieu; ceux qui ont des contacts personnels avec lui restent frappés de sa bonté. Il cherche toujours à faire passer les intérêts des autres avant les siens. Particulièrement attentif aux besoins des familles, il fait tout ce qui est en son pouvoir pour que les couples soient bien préparés au mariage et le vivent saintement. Il s'efforce de toutes manières de promouvoir la dignité des femmes. Il considère enfin que l'éducation des jeunes est une chose particulièrement précieuse. Il se montre toujours disponible pour le sacrement de la réconciliation. Il implore aussi ses concitoyens de se pardonner mutuellement et de se réconcilier à tous les niveaux de la vie nigériane, ce qui est important dans un pays qui compte tant d'ethnies diverses. Il les encourage à nourrir la vie de la grâce par la parole de Dieu et la sainte Communion.

Le Seigneur lui faisant percevoir avec une clarté croissante l'appel à la vie monastique, et son évêque désirant que l'un de ses prêtres se fasse moine pour implanter la vie monastique au Nigeria, il se porte tout de suite volontaire et en 1950, à l'âge de 47 ans, il part pour se former en Angleterre, au monastère trappiste de Mount Saint Bernard, à Leicester. Mais il n'oublie pas son cher pays et continue à prier pour lui. Il reçoit le nom de Cyprian. Après quelques années il fait ses premiers vœux (1953). Il ne peut pas, comme il en a le désir et l'intention, retourner dans sa patrie et implanter une communauté monastique. Sa santé l'en empêche. D'ailleurs le groupe de moines qui est envoyé doit se détourner de sa destination première, car le Nigeria connaît des troubles politiques, et il se détourne vers le Cameroun. Quant au Père Tansi, il meurt peu de temps après d'une rupture d'anévrisme. A ses funérailles, en Angleterre, il y a plusieurs prêtres nigérians, dont le futur cardinal Arinze. Celui-ci avait été baptisé à l'âge de 11 ans par le bienheureux. En 1986, le corps du Père Tansi est ramené au Nigeria.


Nigéria : Un moine Nigerian, Cyprien Michael Tansi (1903-1964) par Daniel Cardot, sma

Présentation du Père Cyprien Michael Tansi, béatifié le 22 mars 1998, à Onitsha, par le Pape Jean-Paul II qu’il proclama modèle de zèle et de prière pour les prêtres.

Iwene Tansi est né à Aguleri, près de Onitsha au Nigeria, en 1903. Il fut baptisé à l’âge de 9 ans avec le nom chrétien de Michael. Il a travaillé pendant quelques années comme catéchiste et professeur avant d'entrer au séminaire en 1925. Il a été ordonné prêtre en 1937 pour le diocèse de Onitsha, où il a fait impression durable sur tout le monde par son dévouement, son zèle pour le Royaume de Dieu, son esprit intense de prière.

Après 13 années de ministère pastoral dynamique, fécond, exemplaire, Michael a senti l'appel à servir Dieu d'une façon plus directe pour une vie de prière et de contemplation, avec le désir aussi d'apporter au Nigeria la vie monastique et contemplative.

Pour tenir compte de cette éventualité, il fut envoyé par son évêque en 1950 à l’abbaye de Mount Saint Bernard, près de Nottingham en Angleterre, pour y être formé comme moine cistercien. Au monastère il s'appelait "Père Cyprien". Le changement total de milieu, en particulier le fait de vivre l'obéissance monastique - lui qui avait été dirigeant de son peuple, - le changement de climat, de nourriture et surtout le choc culturel ont mis à l'épreuve le sérieux de sa vocation cistercienne, mais il était convaincu que la volonté de Dieu pour lui était d'être dans ce monastère.

En 1962 la communauté de Mount Saint Bernard décida de faire une fondation en Afrique, mais, pour diverses raisons, elle fut faite près de la ville de Bamenda au Cameroun, pays voisin du Nigeria. Même s’il avait été désigné comme maître des novices de la fondation, Cyprien, déjà fort malade, ne put partir. Il mourut le 20 janvier 1964, peu de mois après le départ des fondateurs.

La réputation de sainteté que le père Cyprien avait laissée au Nigeria avant de partir pour Angleterre ne cessa de croître. Beaucoup de personnes déclaraient avoir reçu des faveurs par son intercession. Sa cause de béatification, ouverte d'abord au diocèse de Nottingham, fut transféré à l’archidiocèse de Onitsha en 1986. L’archevêque d’Onitsha était alors Mgr (maintenant Cardinal) Francis Arinze, qui avait été parmi les premiers enfants baptisés par le père Tansi, lorsque celui-ci était jeune curé. Le 22 mars 1998, à Onitsha, durant un voyage au Nigeria fait dans ce but précis, le Saint Père Jean-Paul II béatifia Cyprien Michael Tansi, en le proclamant modèle de zèle et de prière pour les prêtres.
Références
Pour des références supplémentaires sur le Bienheureux Cyprien Tansi, il faut consulter les oeuvres en anglais, étant donné qu'il n'y a presque rien en français à son sujet :

- P. Gregory Wareing, A New Life of Father Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi (Coalville, Leicester LE6 3UL: Mt. St. Bernard Abbey, 1994). On peut trouver sur l’Internet la version électronique de ce petit livre, écrit en anglais par le Maître des Novices du Bienheureux Cyprian: la biographie du Père Cyprien Tansi.

- Veronica Onyedika Chidi Umegakwe, Footprints of Father Tansi: The Tomb is not his Goal (Awhum, Nigeria: Our Lady of Calvary Monastery, 1993). La coordinatrice principale du Mouvement de Prière Contemplative "Father Tansi" présente ici la vie de Bienheureux Cyprien sous forme d'une pièce de théâtre en cinq actes.

- Elisabeth Isichei, Entirely for God. The life of Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi (Kalamazoo, USA: Cistercian Studies Series 43, 1980 and 2000).

- Page Web sur le Bienheureux Cyprien Tansi, élaborée par le Père Chidi Denis Isizoh, secrétaire du Cardinal Arinze au Conseil Pontifical pour le Dialogue avec les Religions non-chrétiennes.


Tansi Iwene Michel Cyprien

Mémoire le 20 janvier. Iwene Tansi est né en 1903 à Igboezunu, un petit village du sud du Nigeria, près d'Aguleri. Ses parents, Tabansi et Ejinkwevi, étaient des cultivateurs et suivaient la religion traditionnelle. Leur maison en terre de barre et en paille, où les cinq enfants issus de leur union ont grandi, a disparu depuis longtemps. Le père fut emporté par la malaria en 1910; la mère en 1922, par la variole. Iwene Tansi a étudié à l'école saint Joseph à Aguleri, une ville située sur le fleuve Anambra. Au baptême, reçu le 7 janvier 1912, il prit le nom de Michel. Il termina ses études et à seize ans il commença à enseigner dans la même école. A l'âge de 21 ans, il était nommé directeur de l'établissement. Il y assurait aussi l'enseignement du catéchisme.
Poussé par le désir de devenir prêtre, il entre en 1925 au séminaire d'Igbariam. Il poursuivra sa formation au Grand Séminaire d'Ekone et il sera ordonné prêtre dans la cathédrale d'Onitsha le 19 décembre 1937.
Jeune curé, il est affecté à la paroisse de Nnewi, où il aide l'abbé Jean Anyogu, le premier prêtre Ibo. De 1940 à 1945, il travaille dans la paroisse de Dunukofia, où il se fait remarquer pour son intelligence et sa méthode, surtout pour son zèle. Il s’occupe, en particulier, de la préparation au mariage des jeunes couples. Il crée deux internats, pour les garçons et pour les filles. Nombreux seront ses étudiants qui entreront au séminaire. L'un d'eux, le futur cardinal Francis Arinze, a été baptisé et a reçu la communion des mains de Michel.
De 1945 à 1949, il travaille à Akpu-Ajalli; de 1949 à 1950 à Aguleri. Au fur et à mesure que les années passent, grandit son désir d'embrasser la vie monastique. Son évêque, Mgr Heery, ne voudrait pas le 'perdre'. L'engagement dans la vie pastorale de l'abbé Michel, sa bonté, les kilomètres qu'il parcourt à pied ou en vélo pour visiter les malades, font l'admiration de tout le monde. On se souvient qu'il disait: "Ce n'est pas pour le plaisir que l'Église appelle Père, Mère, Frère et Sœur les gens qui consacrent leur vie à Dieu et à leur prochain. L'Église s'attend à ce que le Père soit un vrai père, pour tous les gens de la paroisse".
En 1950, avec l'approbation de l'évêque, il peut finalement entrer au monastère du Mont St. Bernard, à Coalville, en Angleterre. Le 3 juillet de cette même année, il commence le postulat et, le 8 décembre 1953, il émet ses premiers vœux. En 1956, il fait sa profession solennelle et prend le nom de Cyprien. Ici aussi la communauté a la joie d'apprécier son fervent attachement au service de Dieu, sa patience et son endurance… au froid de l'hiver. Quelques années plus tard, les moines de Mont St. Bernard se préparent pour réaliser un nouveau monastère en Afrique. L'endroit choisi est Mbengwi, près de Bamenda, au nord-ouest du Cameroun.
Le 30 mai 1963, on établit la liste des moines qui formeront le premier groupe. Le P. Cyprien Tansi est aussi parmi les candidats à la nouvelle fondation. Le départ pour Bamenda est fixé pour au 27 octobre. Mais quelques semaines avant, son état de santé, déjà plutôt inquiétant, s'empire. Le médecin qui le visite le 12 janvier 1964 diagnostique une thrombose à la jambe droite. L'estomac du P. Cyprien, déjà éprouvé par un ancien ulcère, n'accepte plus de nourriture. Transporté à l'hôpital de Leicester, il s'éteint d'un anévrisme à l'aorte, le 20 janvier suivant. Voici ses dernières paroles: "Nous certainement, nous irons à Bamenda"!
Il a été enterré dans le cimetière du monastère. Vingt-deux ans plus tard, Mgr Stevan Ezeanya a ouvert officiellement le procès canonique dans l'archidiocèse d'Onitsha. C'est le dimanche 22 mars 1998 que le pape Jean-Paul II, au cours d'une messe célébrée à l'aéroport de Oba, près d'Onitsa, devant une foule de 100.000 personnes, a déclaré Michel Cyprien Tansi Iwene "bienheureux". Parmi les fidèles présents il y avait aussi Philomène Emeka, une femme nigériane guérie d'un cancer terminal en touchant le cercueil du P. Cyprien, lorsqu'en 1986 les dépouilles du bienheureux furent transférées de l'Angleterre au cimetière de la cathédrale Sainte Trinité d'Onitsha.
Tous ceux qui l'ont connu confirment que Cyprien a essayé de suivre le Christ d'un esprit sincère. Ainsi qu'en témoigne le P. Emeka Nwosu, postulateur de la cause de béatification, P. Cyprien nous a laissé comme héritage un exemple de "charité ascétique". L'histoire de sa vie est l'histoire d'un amour qui l'a conduit à renoncer aux commodités de la vie et aux privilèges dont il aurait pu disposer, pour "servir" son prochain. Mémoire, le 20 janvier.

The body of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi on display during his silver jubilee celebration at Holy Family Catholic Church, Festac Town, Lagos.


Homily at the Mass for the
Beatification of Father Cyprian Tansi

BY
HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II

"God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself" (2 Cor 5:19).

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

1. God has given me the joy, for the second time, of coming here to Onitsha to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with you. Sixteen years ago you welcomed me to this fair land, and I experienced the warmth and fervour of a faith- filled people, men and women reconciled to God and eager to spread the Good News of salvation to those near and far.

Saint Paul speaks of "the new creation in Christ" (cf. 2 Cor 5:17) and goes on to tell us: "God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, not holding men's faults against them, and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled . . . the appeal we make in Christ's name is: be reconciled to God" (2 Cor 5:19-20). The Apostle is touching here on the history of every man and woman: God, in his only-begotten Son Jesus Christ, has reconciled us to himself.

This same truth is presented even more vividly in today's Gospel. Saint Luke tells us of a young man who left his father's house, experienced the painful consequences of this action, and then found the road of reconciliation. The young man comes back to his father and says: " Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants" (Lk 15:18-19). The father welcomes his son back with open arms, he rejoices because his son has returned. The father in the parable represents our Heavenly Father, who wishes to reconcile every person to himself in Christ. This is the reconciliation which the Church proclaims.

When Bishops from all over Africa gathered for a Special Session of the Synod to discuss the problems of this continent, they said that the Church in Africa has to become, through the witness of her sons and daughters, a place of true reconciliation (cf. Ecclesia in Africa, 79). Being first reconciled among themselves, the Church's members will bring to society the forgiveness and reconciliation of Christ our peace (cf Eph 2:14). "Otherwise" — the Bishops said — "the world will look more and more like a battlefield, where only selfish interests count and the law of force prevails" (Ecclesia in Africa, 79).

Today I wish to proclaim the importance of reconciliation: reconciliation with God and reconciliation of people among themselves. This is the task which lies before the Church in this land of Nigeria, on this continent of Africa, and in the midst of every people and nation throughout the world. "We are ambassadors for Christ . . . and the appeal that we make in Christ's name is: be reconciled to God" (2 Cor 5:20). For this reason, the Catholics of Nigeria must be authentic and effective witnesses to the faith in every aspect of life, both in public affairs and in private matters.

2. Today, one of Nigeria's own sons, Father Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, has been proclaimed "Blessed" in the very land where he preached the Good News of salvation and sought to reconcile his fellow countrymen with God and with one another. In fact, the Cathedral where Father Tansi was ordained and the parishes where he exercised the priestly ministry are not far from this very spot in Oba where we are gathered. Some of the people to whom he proclaimed the Gospel and administered the sacraments are here with us today — including Cardinal Francis Arinze, who was baptized by Father Tansi and received his first education in one of Father Tansi's schools.

In the great joy of this event I greet all those taking part in this liturgy, especially Archbishop Albert Obiefuna, Shepherd of this local Church of Onitsha, and all the Bishops from Nigeria and neighbouring countries. With particular affection I greet the priests, the men and women Religious, the catechists and all the lay faithful. I thank the members of other Christian Ecclesial Communities, of the Muslim community and of other Religious Traditions who have joined us today, and the various state and local authorities present at our celebration. In a special way, I ask God to reward those who have worked so hard, giving generously of their time, talents and resources, so that this Beatification might take place on Nigerian soil. I make my own the words of the Psalmist as I invite all of you: "Glorify the Lord with me; together let us praise his name" (Ps. 34:3)!

3. The life and witness of Father Tansi is an inspiration to everyone in the Nigeria that he loved so much. He was first of all a man of God: his long hours before the Blessed Sacrament filled his heart with generous and courageous love. Those who knew him testify to his great love of God. Everyone who met him was touched by his personal goodness. He was then a man of the people: he always put others before himself, and was especially attentive to the pastoral needs of families. He took great care to prepare couples well for Holy Matrimony and preached the importance of chastity. He tried in every way to promote the dignity of women. In a special way, the education of young people was precious to him. Even when he was sent by Bishop Heerey to the Cistercian Abbey of Mount Saint Bernard in England to pursue his monastic vocation, with the hope of bringing the contemplative life back to Africa, he did not forget his own people. He did not fail to offer prayers and sacrifices for their continuing sanctification.

Father Tansi knew that there is something of the Prodigal Son in every human being. He knew that all men and women are tempted to separate themselves from God in order to lead their own independent and selfish existence. He knew that they are then disappointed by the emptiness of the illusion which had fascinated them, and that they eventually find in the depths of their heart the road leading back to the Father's house (cf. Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, 5). He encouraged people to confess their sins and receive God's forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He implored them to forgive one another as God forgives us, and to hand on the gift of reconciliation, making it a reality at every level of Nigerian life. Father Tansi tried to imitate the father in the parable: he was always available for those searching for reconciliation. He spread the joy of restored communion with God. He inspired people to welcome the peace of Christ, and encouraged them to nourish the life of grace with the word of God and with Holy Communion.

4. "God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself" (2 Cor 5:19).

When we speak of the world as reconciled to God, we are speaking not only of individuals but also of every community: families, clans, tribes, nations, states. In his providence, God made covenant after covenant with mankind: there was the covenant with our first parents in the Garden of Eden; the covenant with Noah after the Flood; the covenant with Abraham. Today's reading from the Book of Joshua reminds us of the covenant made with Israel, when Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in the land of Egypt. And God has now made the final and definitive covenant with all of humanity in Jesus Christ, who reconciled individual men and women — as well as entire nations — to God by his Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Christ is thus a part of the history of the nations. He is a part of the history of your own nation on this continent of Africa. More than a hundred years ago missionaries arrived in your land proclaiming the Gospel of reconciliation, the Good News of salvation. Your forebears began to learn of the mystery of the redemption of the world, and came to share in the New Covenant in Christ. In this way the Christian faith was firmly planted in this soil, and in this way it continues to grow and to produce much fruit.

Blessed Cyprian Michael Tansi is a prime example of the fruits of holiness which have grown and matured in the Church in Nigeria since the Gospel was first preached in this land. He received the gift of faith through the efforts of the missionaries, and taking the Christian way of life as his own he made it truly African and Nigerian. So too the Nigerians of today — young and old alike — are called to reap the spiritual fruits which have been planted among them and are now ready for the harvest. In this regard, I wish to thank and to encourage the Church in Nigeria for her missionary work in Nigeria, in Africa and beyond. Father Tansi's witness to the Gospel and to Christian charity is a spiritual gift which this local Church now offers to the Universal Church.

5. God, in fact, has blessed this land with human and natural wealth, and it is everyone's duty to ensure that these resources are used for the good of the whole people. All Nigerians must work to rid society of everything that offends the dignity of the human person or violates human rights. This means reconciling differences, overcoming ethnic rivalries, and injecting honesty, efficiency and competence into the art of governing. As your nation pursues a peaceful transition to a democratic civilian government, there is a need for politicians — both men and women — who profoundly love their own people and wish to serve rather than be served (cf. Ecclesia in Africa, 111). There can be no place for intimidation and domination of the poor and the weak, for arbitrary exclusion of individuals and groups from political life, for the misuse of authority or the abuse of power. In fact, the key to resolving economic, political, cultural and ideological conflicts is justice; and justice is not complete without love of neighbour, without an attitude of humble, generous service.

When we see others as brothers and sisters, it is then possible to begin the process of healing the divisions within society and between ethnic groups. This is the reconciliation which is the path to true peace and authentic progress for Nigeria and for Africa. This reconciliation is not weakness or cowardice. On the contrary, it demands courage and sometimes even heroism: it is victory over self rather than over others. It should never be seen as dishonour. For in reality it is the patient, wise art of peace.

6. The passage from the Book of Joshua which we heard in the First Reading of today's liturgy speaks of the Passover which the children of Israel celebrated after arriving in the Promised Land. They celebrated it with joy because they saw with their own eyes that the Lord's promises to them had been fulfilled. After forty years of wandering in the desert, their feet now stood on the land which God was giving to them. The Passover of the Old Testament, the memorial of the exodus from Egypt, is the figure of the Passover of the New Testament, the memorial of Christ's passing from death to life, which we recall and celebrate at every Mass.

As we stand before the Altar of Sacrifice, soon to be fed and nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ, we must be convinced that each of us, according to our particular state in life, is called to do no less than what Father Tansi did. Having been reconciled with God, we must be instruments of reconciliation, treating all men and women as brothers and sisters, called to membership in the one family of God.

Reconciliation necessarily involves solidarity. The effect of solidarity is peace. And the fruits of peace are joy and unity in families, cooperation and development in society, truth and justice in the life of the nation. May this be Nigeria's bright future!

"The God of peace be with you all. Amen" (Rom 15:33).

(Sunday, 22 March 1998 at Onitsha, Nigeria)

Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi

Also known as

Iwemmaduegbunam

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20 January

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Son of Tabansi of Igboezunu-Aguleri and Ejikwevi of Nteje; one of five children. Though his parents were non-Christian, they sent the boy to live with and be educated by a Christian uncle. He was baptised on 7 January 1912, and given the name Michael. Studied at Onitsha and Aguleri. Accidentally blinded in his left eye while playing with schoolmates. Taught at Holy Trinity School, Onitsha in 1920. Headmaster of Saint Joseph’s School, Aguleri in 1924. Entered Saint Paul’s Seminary at Igbarium in 1925Ordained on 19 December 1937 in the archdiocese of OnitshaNigeria. From 1937 to 1950 he served as parish priest in Nnewi, then Dunukofia, Akpu/Ajilla, and finally Aguleri, travelling on foot for hours on end to minister to his widely-scattered parishioners. One of his notable ministries was his work with women planning to marryPilgrim to RomeItaly in 1950Travelling to England, he became an oblate at the monastery of Mount Saint Bernard. He took the name Brother Cyprian, and lived the rest of his life as a Trappist monk at the monastery.

Born

September 1903 in Igboezum, Aguleri, Nigeria as Iwemmaduegbunam

Died

20 January 1964 at the Royal Infirmary, Leicester, England

buried in the cemetery of Saint Bernard’s monastery

re-interred in the priest‘s cemetery, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Onitsha, Nigeria on 17 October 1986

Name Meaning

let human malice not kill me (Iwemmaduegbunam)

Venerated

11 July 1995 by Pope John Paul II

Beatified

22 March 1998 by Pope John Paul II at Oba, Nigeria

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MLA Citation

“Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi“. CatholicSaints.Info. 26 March 2020. Web. 19 January 2021. <https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-cyprian-michael-iwene-tansi/>

SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-cyprian-michael-iwene-tansi/


Sculpture of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi by Leicester Thomas on the wall in Mount St Bernard Abbey


Today, we celebrate the feast day of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi (1903-1964), the first Nigerian to be beatified for his holiness and service to the people of his country.  Father Tansi spent his life, despite sickness and adversity, caring for those he loved in a country where Catholics are frequently persecuted.  His courage and dedication to the Word of God remains an inspiration for all of us.

During his beatification Mass in Nigeria, Pope John Paul II proclaimed of him: “The life and witness of Fr Tansi is an inspiration to everyone in the Nigeria that he loved so much. He was first of all a man of God: his long hours before the Blessed Sacrament filled his heart with generous and courageous love. Those who knew him testify to his great love of God. Everyone who met him was touched by his personal goodness. He was then a man of the people: he always put others before himself, and was especially attentive to the pastoral needs of families. He took great care to prepare couples well for Holy Matrimony and preached the importance of chastity. He tried in every way to promote the dignity of women. In a special way, the education of young people was precious to him. Even when he was sent by Bishop Heerey to the Cistercian Abbey of Mount St Bernard in England to pursue his monastic vocation, with the hope of bringing the contemplative life back to Africa, he did not forget his own people. He did not fail to offer prayers and sacrifices for their continuing sanctification. 

Father Tansi knew that there is something of the Prodigal Son in every human being. He knew that all men and women are tempted to separate themselves from God in order to lead their own independent and selfish existence. He knew that they are then disappointed by the emptiness of the illusion which had fascinated them, and that they eventually find in the depths of their heart the road leading back to the Father's house (cf. Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, n. 5). He encouraged people to confess their sins and receive God's forgiveness in the sacrament of Reconciliation. He implored them to forgive one another as God forgives us, and to hand on the gift of reconciliation, making it a reality at every level of Nigerian life. Fr Tansi tried to imitate the father in the parable:  he was always available for those searching for reconciliation. He spread the joy of restored communion with God. He inspired people to welcome the peace of Christ, and encouraged them to nourish the life of grace with the word of God and with Holy Communion.... 

Blessed Cyprian Michael Tansi is a prime example of the fruits of holiness which have grown and matured in the Church in Nigeria since the Gospel was first preached in this land. He received the gift of faith through the efforts of the missionaries, and taking the Christian way of life as his own he made it truly African and Nigerian. So too the Nigerians of today young and old alike are called to reap the spiritual fruits which have been planted among them and are now ready for the harvest. In this regard, I wish to thank and to encourage the Church in Nigeria for her missionary work in Nigeria, in Africa and beyond. Fr Tansi's witness to the Gospel and to Christian charity is a spiritual gift which this local Church now offers to the universal Church.”

Iwene Tansi was born in Aguleri, Near Onitsha, Negeria in 1903. One of five children, his parents sent him to be raised by a Christian uncle, who instilled in him a love of God.  Baptized when only 9 years old, he took the Christian name Michael and surprised his parents by destroying his personal idol—a traditional symbol given to each male child at birth in Nigeria.  His baptism impacted him deeply, and he devoted himself to study of the Gospel and charitable works.  Blinded in his left eye while playing as a child, Michael never complained.

At the age of 22, after working as a catechist and school teacher at the Holy Trinity School in Onitsha, he became headmaster of Saint Joseph’s School.  Not long afterwards, he entered the seminary of Saint Paul’s, called to a deeper level of service.  Ordained in the Onitsha diocese at the age of 34, he dedicated himself to constant service of the people of Easter Nigeria for the next 13 years.  Given the geographical spread of the diocese, Father Tansi spent most of his days walking from village to village, spending time at each parish, hearing confessions all day (and oftentimes through the night).  He preached the importance of preparation for marriage, and the joy of Christian love, actively working against the cultural tradition of “trial marriages.”  Many were converted throughout the Igbo villages he visited, a testament to his constancy and zeal.

Father Tansi felt called, however, to devote himself more fully to the formation of Catholicism in Nigeria.  He wished to serve the Lord more directly in contemplation and prayer, and in doing so, bring the monastic life to Nigeria.  He traveled to Mount Saint Bernard Monastery, a Trappist Abbey, near Nottingham, England, and undertook training in the establishment of contemplative monastic communities.  Taking the name Cyprian, he devoted himself to his eventual goal of building a monastery in Onitsha. However, the change of weather, cuisine, and community provided a drastic shock to his system, and Father Cyprian found himself quite ill.

When Mount Saint Bernard founded a monastery in Africa (in Cameroon, rather than neighboring Nigeria), Father Cyprian was appointed as Novice Master.  However, the years of toil that he had undertaken had exerted their toll on him, and he was too ill to participate.  He died only a few months later.  However, his reputation had never left Nigeria, and many reported miracles and favors via his intercession. The call for his beatification began shortly following his death.  On March 22, 1998, at Onitsha, during a trip to Nigeria made for that very purpose, Pope John Paul II beatified Father Cyprian Michael Tansi, proclaiming him to be a model of priestly zeal and prayer.

An extract from a retreat Father Cyprian Michael Tansi gave in 1962:

We do very little good when we embark on our own. We do much good when we allow God to direct us and direct our enterprises. The apostles, you remember, went out fishing, laboured the whole night and got nothing. They were on their own, the Lord came and told them to cast the net and they would find. They did so and were not able to draw up the net, so great was the number of fish caught.

When they worked by themselves, they took nothing. When they worked in the company of our Lord, they were full. So with us. We must learn to avoid worrying ourselves about things, learn to do away with anxieties of all sorts.

When you have something to do, an assignment to perform, remembering that we are not doing our work, but God's work, we must first go to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, place our plans before Him and ask for his advice and assistance. We must examine before him how he would like us to produce, whether he would like us to do one thing or the other. If any doubt, consult your spiritual director for advice. You should never undertake to do anything unless you are sure that God wants it done in the way you are planning. Above all things you should never do your own will: you should do only what the superiors want to be done. You should never force the superiors to yield to your will by any stratagem.

And while doing whatever you have to do, you should do it at a pace and speed that will allow you time continually to turn to God for guidance. Your conversation with God should be continual. Remember that you cannot achieve this spiritual disposition in a day. You need time, practice and patience. All that I request you now is to examine and to see whether what you are told is the truth. If it is, then make a resolution to continue to make effort in this direction without minding whether you succeed or fail.

Bl. Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi

Bl. Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi was born in 1903 in Igboezunu, at the edge of: the forest near the ancient city of Aguleri in southern Nigeria. His parents, Tabansi and Ejikwevi, were Igbo farmers who practised the "traditional religion" and gave him the name Iwene at birth. In 1909 he was sent to the Christian village of Nduka, where he was baptized three years later by Irish missionaries and given the name Michael. His peers described him as studious and very demanding with himself, with a precocious personality and deep piety. At the age of 16 he received his first school leaving certificate, which qualified him for teaching. He taught at Holy Trinity Primary School in Onitsha for three years and served for a year as headmaster at St Joseph School in Aguleri. In 1925, against the wishes of his family, he entered St Paul's Seminary in Igbariam. After finishing his philosophical and theological studies, he was ordained a priest in the cathedral of Onitsha on 19 December 1937 by the missionary Bishop Charles Heerey. The second indigenous priest of Onitsha and the first in the Aguleri region, he began his pastoral ministry in the parish of Nnewi. In 1939 he was appointed parish priest of Dunukofia (Umudioka region), where he courageously tackled immoral customs and destroyed the harmful myth of the "cursed forest", which weighed heavily on the peace of consciences and families. To combat premarital cohabitation, he set up marriage preparation centres where girls and young women could be sheltered and receive Christian formation. For the moral education of young people he also established the League of Mary, with remarkable success. On foot or bicycle, Fr Tansi went from village to village preaching, catechizing and setting up prayer centres that eventually became parishes. He spent hours and hours hearing confessions, even until late at night. His zeal, shining example and life of prayer and penance transformed the people into a true Christian community resulting in so many vocations to the priesthood and religious life that his parish held the diocesan record. The same energy characterized his years as parish priest of Akpu, where he served from 1945 until his transfer to Aguleri in 1949. On an unspecified date between 1949 and 1950, during a priests' day of recollection, Bishop Heerey expressed the desire that one of his priests would embrace the monastic life so that he could later establish a contemplative monastery in his Diocese. Fr Tansi immediately said he was willing. Bishop Heerey contacted the Trappist Abbey of Mount St Bernard in Leicestershire, England, which was willing to receive him for a trial period as an oblate. In the summer of 1950 he led his parishioners on a pilgrimage to Rome for the Holy Year and left from there for Mount St Bernard. After two and a half years as an oblate, he was admitted to the novitiate on the vigil of the Immaculate Conception, taking the name Cyprian. One year later he took his simple vows and was solemnly professed on 8 December 1956. For the next seven years he lived a hidden life of prayer and work, humility and obedience, in faithful and generous observance of the Cistercian rule. In 1963, after 13 years of valuable experience as a Trappist, the time now seemed ripe for establishing a monastery in Nigeria. However, political tensions led his superiors to choose neighbouring Cameroon for the foundation instead. This was a hard blow for Fr Cyprian, who had been appointed novice master for the African monastery. It was the only time in 13 years of monastic life that he ever lost his temper, but he quickly regained control and accepted God's will with supernatural heroism. In January 1964 he began experiencing intense pain in one of his legs. Diagnosed as having thrombosis, the following morning he was found unconscious and was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Leicester, where examination revealed an aortic aneurysm. He died the following morning, 20 January 1964. He was buried at Mount St Bernard on 22 January. Present for the funeral liturgy were several Nigerian priests living in London, including his spiritual son, Fr Francis Arinze, the future Archbishop of Onitsha, Cardinal and President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue. His body was exhumed in 1988 and reburied in the priests' cemetery near the cathedral of Onitsha, where he had been ordained a priest 51 years earlier. After the beatification ceremonies, his remains will be buried in the parish church of his native village, Aguieri.

SOURCE : https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/saints/cyprian-michael-iwene-tansi-405

Beato Cipriano Michele Iwene Tansi Religioso

20 gennaio

Primo beato della Nigeria, è stato beatificato da papa Giovanni Paolo II il 22 marzo 1998 ad Onitsha. Nacque nel 1903 ad Igboezunu nel Sud della Nigeria nella tribù degli Igbo, protagonisti negli anni 1967-70 della guerra civile del Biafra. Iwene (questo il suo primo nome) fu mandato a scuola dai missionari, che erano in Nigeria dal 1890. A nove anni venne battezzato col nome di Michele. Vincendo l'opposizione dei genitori nel 1925 entrò in seminario a Igbarian, diventando sacerdote nel 1937 nella cattedrale di Onitsha. Nominato parroco a Dunukofia, si impegnò in una vasta opera di evangelizzazione permettendo a molti di superare superstizioni e ingiustizie vissute nel nome della religione tradizionale. Dal 1945 al 1949 fu parroco ad Aguleri. Seguendo il desiderio del vescovo di avere in diocesi un'esperienza monastica, padre Tansi si recò in Inghilterra, entrando nel 1950 nell'abbazia trappista di Mount St. Bernard. Nel 1952 fu ammesso al noviziato, diventando fra' Cipriano ed emettendo nel 1956 i voti perpetui. Nel 1964, al momento di recarsi in Camerun per guidare la nuova comunità monastica, fu colpito da un aneurisma aortico che il 20 gennaio lo portò al decesso nell'ospedale di Leicester. (Avv.)

Martirologio Romano: Nel monastero di Mount Saint Bernard presso Leicester in Inghilterra, beato Cipriano (Michele) Iwene Tansi, sacerdote dell’Ordine cistercense: nato nella regione di Onitsha in Nigeria, ancora fanciullo professò, contro la volontà della famiglia, la fede cristiana e, ordinato sacerdote, con grande zelo si dedicò alla cura pastorale, finché fattosi monaco meritò di coronare la sua santa vita con una morte santa.

Primo beato della Nigeria, è stato beatificato da papa Giovanni Paolo II il 22 marzo 1998 ad Onitsha – Nigeria. Ha la caratteristica di aver avuto nella sua vita ben tre nomi, Iwene alla sua nascita, Michele quando divenne cristiano e Cipriano come frate trappista.

Nacque nel 1903 ad Igboezunu ai margini della foresta, vicino all’antichissima città di Aguleri, nel Sud della Nigeria; era della nota e gloriosa tribù degli Igbo, che fu protagonista negli anni 1967-70 della sanguinosa guerra civile del Biafra.

Il Vangelo era arrivato nella sua zona nel 1890, portato dai primi missionari cattolici alsaziani, sostituiti poi dagli irlandesi della Congregazione dello Spirito Santo; i genitori di Iwene, contadini, erano praticanti della religione tradizionale degli Igbo e secondo le loro aspirazioni, desideravano per il figlio una istruzione e quindi a sei anni lo mandarono dai missionari, che avevano in quel tempo l’iniziativa dell’educazione scolastica, in un villaggio cristiano Nduka, dove visse ospite di una zia.

Suo insegnante nella scuola della missione, fu il cugino cristiano Robert Orekie; a nove anni nel 1912, venne battezzato con il nome di Michele, l’anno successivo insieme al cugino si trasferì ad Onitsha, iscrivendosi alla Scuola Primaria gestita dal sistema dell’allora possedimento britannico della Nigeria, che frequentò per sei anni con serietà e impegno agli studi, fino a conseguire nel 1919 il diploma d’insegnante.

Restò come professore nella stessa scuola fino al 1924, quando rientrato ad Aguleri divenne direttore della School St. Joseph; nel contempo in lui maturava la vocazione sacerdotale e quindi vincendo l’opposizione dei genitori, a 22 anni, nel 1925 entrò nel seminario di San Paolo a Igbarian.

Dopo aver percorso con profitto tutto il piano di studi necessari, il 19 dicembre 1937, fu ordinato sacerdote nella cattedrale di Onitsha, primo sacerdote della zona di Anguleri e secondo come clero indigeno della Diocesi. Nel 1939 fu nominato parroco di Dunukofia, vastissima zona i cui abitanti erano in massima parte legati alla religione tradizionale, non molto favorevoli ad accogliere il messaggio evangelico.

Padre Michele Iwene Tansi non disperò e intraprese una coraggiosa opera di conversione dei fedeli sia in campo dottrinale, sia in campo di revisione dei costumi locali alquanto maschilisti; combatté il concubinato prematrimoniale con l’istituzione di centri per la preparazione al matrimonio; sfatò il mito di una ‘foresta maledetta’; istituì l’Associazione della ‘Legione di Maria’ con risultati sorprendenti.

Esercitò il ministero come parroco in quella zona per sei anni percorrendo il vasto territorio a piedi o in bicicletta; dal 1945 al 1949 passò alla parrocchia di Akpu ad Aguleri, con lo stesso impegno e zelo pastorale.

Tra il 1949 e il 1950 il vescovo mons. Heerey, espresse il desiderio che uno dei suoi sacerdoti indigeni abbracciasse l’esperienza monastica, per poter portare in seguito, nella diocesi, il seme della vita contemplativa. Padre Tansi che già in cuor suo aspirava a questa forma di vita spirituale, vide nella richiesta del vescovo, come una risposta dall’alto alle sue aspirazioni, quindi si propose per questa esperienza, affiancato dal suo vice parroco Marco Ulogu.

Furono presi contatti con l’abbazia trappista di Mount St. Bernard, nella contea di Leichester in Inghilterra e fu deciso che Padre Tansi sarebbe entrato come oblato. Durante il pellegrinaggio parrocchiale fatto a Roma durante l’Anno Santo 1950, padre Tansi invece di ritornare in Nigeria, proseguì per l’abbazia trappista, dove giunse il 2 luglio 1950.

Qui avvenne la metamorfosi spirituale del religioso nigeriano, da pioniere ed organizzatore della giovane Chiesa nigeriana, divenne un monaco umile e docile, impegnato a realizzare l’’ora et labora’ nell’austera e silenziosa vita quotidiana trappista. Dopo circa tre anni trascorsi come oblato, il 7 dicembre 1952, fu ammesso al noviziato, assumendo il nome di fra’ Cipriano e l’8 dicembre 1956, emise i voti perpetui.

Per altri sette anni visse la rigorosa vita di trappista in piena umiltà, ubbidienza e nascondimento, nella preghiera, nel silenzio, nella separazione dal mondo, impegnato nelle più umili mansioni, tutto secondo l’austera regola della Congregazione dei Certosini Riformati, noti appunto con il nome di trappisti, nome scaturito dall’abbazia di Notre-Dame-de-la-Trappe, in Francia da dove iniziò la Riforma nel 1664.

Nel 1963 sembrò che i tempi fossero maturi per fondare in terra nigeriana quella comunità contemplativa desiderata dal vescovo nel 1950. Ma le vicissitudini politiche nigeriane, che sfoceranno nella guerra civile del Biafra, sconsigliarono i superiori, che optarono per il confinante Camerum; per padre Cipriano Tansi, che era stato nominato maestro dei novizi della nascente comunità, fu un colpo non facile da assorbire, visto il forte legame per la sua terra e il motivo iniziale della sua scelta, ma la sua grande formazione spirituale fece sì che accettasse anche questo come volontà di Dio.

Ma mentre si preparava a questo nuovo impegno, nel gennaio 1964 frate Cipriano ebbe improvvisi e grandi disturbi ad una gamba che si gonfiò enormemente. Venne ricoverato d’urgenza nell’Ospedale di Leichester, dove gli fu diagnosticato un’aneurisma aortico; il monaco che l’accompagnava, ritornò al monastero con l’intento di ritornare il mattino seguente, ma durante la notte il male peggiorò e il mattino del 20 gennaio 1964, morì completamente solo, in un’anonima stanza di un ospedale straniero, senza aver potuto più rivedere la sua terra, da quando era partito nel 1950.

La salma fu riportata al monastero e il 22 furono celebrati i funerali con la presenza di altri sacerdoti nigeriani residenti a Londra. Il centro monastico in Camerum, si aprì dopo la sua morte e quando nel 1986 a 22 anni dalla sua dipartita, si aprì nella cattedrale di Omitsha il processo per la beatificazione, in Nigeria funzionavano due Comunità trappiste una maschile e l’altra femminile e una di benedettine.

Nel 1988 il corpo fu esumato e traslato con l’aereo in Nigeria; nella cattedrale di Onitsha fu tenuto il solenne rito funebre durante il quale avvenne un miracolo, riconosciuto tale come di ‘prima categoria’ su una ragazza di 17 anni affetta da grave tumore inoperabile, che il vescovo aveva concesso di accostarsi a toccare il feretro, e che dopo il rito le scomparve completamente.

In suo nome è sorta in Nigeria la Pia Associazione ‘Fr. Tansi Solidarity Prayer Movement’, composta da 40.000 iscritti che indossando un abito particolare, si riuniscono nelle parrocchie a pregare e cantare lodi nello spirito trappista.

Autore: Antonio Borrelli


Nel 1998 la Nigeria ha avuto il suo primo beato nella persona di Padre Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, che dal sacerdozio attivo e superimpegnato è passato con estrema naturalezza ed eccezionale efficacia al silenzio ed alla vita contemplativa della Trappa. Nasce nel 1903 ai margini della foresta, nella Nigeria meridionale, in una famiglia pagana, da una tribù che sessant’anni dopo sarà protagonista della tristemente famosa e sanguinosa guerra civile del Biafra. I genitori, anche se ferventi praticanti della religione locale, non trovano affatto disdicevole mandare il loro figlio di sei anni a studiare in una scuola gestita dai missionari cattolici. Iwene, insieme alle prime nozioni, può così frequentare regolarmente il catechismo e tre anni dopo viene battezzato con il nuovo nome di Michael. L’intelligenza viva di cui è dotato gli permette di concludere brillantemente anche gli studi superiori, diplomarsi insegnante e diventare addirittura direttore della scuola cattolica della sua città, mentre sempre più prepotente sente nascere in lui la vocazione sacerdotale. Scontata la ferma opposizione dei genitori e dell’intero clan, che tuttavia non gli impedisce a 22 anni di entrare in seminario e a 34 anni di essere ordinato sacerdote: è il secondo sacerdote indigeno della diocesi ed il primo in assoluto della sua zona natale. Dopo due anni di esperienza pastorale gli affidano una zona vastissima che percorre in lungo e in largo con la sua bicicletta e con una vecchia motocicletta che lo lascia spesso a piedi. Ora quella sua enorme parrocchia è suddivisa in ben 14 parrocchie e testimonia l’immensa mole di lavoro svolto da quel sacerdote che si spende per la sua gente con un’inesauribile generosità, con una catechesi semplice e profonda, con una preghiera prolungata davanti all’eucaristia. Vuole affrancare la donna nigeriana dalla condizione subalterna rispetto all’uomo, organizza incontri prematrimoniali, coltiva le vocazioni sacerdotali che fioriscono numerosissime durante il suo ministero, dedica molto tempo all’istruzione dei ragazzi, senza dimenticare, da buon giocatore di calcio qual era stato da giovane, di inserire l’attività sportiva nel suo progetto di educazione della gioventù. Sulla soglia dei 50 anni accetta l’invito del vescovo a fare un’esperienza monastica, per poter poi trapiantare in Nigeria il seme della vita contemplativa. Quanti gli costi separarsi dalla sua gente e dalla sua comunità lo dimostra il fatto che parte alla chetichella, durante il pellegrinaggio a Roma per l’Anno Santo, prendendo la direzione dell’Inghilterra anziché quella del ritorno in Africa. Nell’abbazia inglese gli danno il nuovo nome di Padre Cyprian e lui si lascia immergere nel clima contemplativo dei monaci, passando con naturalezza dal vorticoso lavoro missionario al silenzio della Trappa. Così per 14 anni, edificando tutti con la sua preghiera e la sua penitenza, fino a quando, quasi alla vigilia del suo ritorno in Nigeria, il 20 gennaio 1964 muore improvvisamente nella solitudine di un ospedale inglese, dove è stato ricoverato per aneurisma aortico. Dopo 24 anni la sua salma rientra in Nigeria e durante le solenni esequie una ragazza, toccando la sua bara, guarisce in modo istantaneo e definitivo da un tumore che l’aveva portata in fin di vita: la firma di Dio su una straordinaria testimonianza di vita sacerdotale intensamente e profondamente donata.

Autore: Gianpiero Pettiti

SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/91015