Forum explores inculturation of faith and Catholic practices

Apr 25, 2025

By Carmel Dominic
The Penang Diocesan New Evangelisation Commission (PDNEC) hosted an interactive forum titled Inculturation of the Faith on March 30 at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. The forum aimed to address long-standing questions and debates among Catholics regarding certain practices observed by the Church.

The event sought to provide clarity on various topics, including religious dynamics in Malaysia, the blending of Christianity with local cultures, the Chinese inculturated Mass, ancestral veneration, the Ponggal festival, and issues surrounding unilateral faith conversions. These topics have often sparked discussions not only within the Catholic community but also with brethren in the Episcopal and Evangelical churches.

An estimated 150 people attended the forum, which featured five panellists: Deacon Lazarus Jonathan, administrator at the Minor Basilica of St Anne in Bukit Mertajam; Fr Desmond Jansen, assistant director of the Penang Diocese Vocations for Youth; Fr Arulnathan Joseph, parish priest of the Church of St Anthony in Nibong Tebal; Fr Michael Cheah, parish priest of the Church of St Michael in Alor Star; and Christopher Kushi, a lawyer and legal advisor at the Minor Basilica of St Anne.

The forum began with the panellists addressing questions submitted by participants in advance via a Google form, which was made available alongside the event registration form.

Chinese New Year
Among the many questions raised, several attendees sought clarification on the practice of ancestral worship during the Chinese New Year (CNY) Mass. Fr Michael Cheah addressed this by explaining that in ancient Chinese civilisation, over 5,000 years ago, people would carve the names of their deceased loved ones onto stone tablets as a way to remember them — similar to how we keep photographs of our departed relatives today. During the CNY Mass, when the priest burns incense and bows at the stone tablets, it is a gesture of veneration and respect, aimed at blessing the deceased.

“Imagine that, instead of stone tablets, there are photographs of our deceased loved ones. As with many Asian cultures, we bow as a sign of respect. The incense is used to bless them, much like how Indians use frankincense (sambrani) to bless their homes or the deceased when visiting cemeteries. We are not worshipping them — that would be the wrong term. It is ancestral veneration,” said Fr Michael.

Ponggal
Another question raised was whether it would be appropriate to use a Hindu devotional song, originally written for a Hindu deity, by changing the lyrics to honour Mother Mary. Fr Arulnathan responded that this would be inappropriate, as the music was created for a different purpose.

“It’s natural for our minds to revert to the original lyrics, which would prevent us from fully entering into God’s presence with genuine praise,” he explained.

Fr Arulnathan also addressed the practice of celebrating the Ponggal festival in church.

“The Hindus celebrate different types of Ponggal, but the Catholic Church only observes the harvest Ponggal. We celebrate this as a form of thanksgiving to God for His providence. It’s similar to how we celebrate Gawai with our brothers and sisters from East Malaysia. There is no worship of any deity involved, just a heartfelt expression of gratitude to the King of Kings.”

According to Fr Arulnathan, the bottom line is that cultural practices are allowed as long as they do not involve worshipping, praising, glorifying, or venerating any god or deity other than God. For example, Hindus worship the Sun god, as the sun is believed to ensure their harvest. Consequently, they perform the Ponggal ceremony either when the sun rises or before it sets. However, when Catholics celebrate Ponggal in church, they do not worship the sun but instead give thanks to the God who created the sun and provided the harvest.

The same principle applies to converts to the Catholic faith. While they are encouraged to spend time with their non-Catholic family members during festivities, family gatherings, and funerals, they are not permitted to participate in any ceremonial rituals or prayers during these events. Similarly, any cultural practices aimed at warding off the “evil eye” (buang sial) are not allowed, as Catholics firmly believe that the name and blood of Jesus Christ are the only protection needed from evil. Catholics are also prohibited from engaging in practices such as breaking coconuts during Thaipusam or other Hindu festivals, using sacramental items from other religions to bless family members, or following superstitions, as these diminish God’s greatness and dishonour Him.

Inculturation and the Church
Fr Desmond Jansen said that Catholic inculturation is the respectful and dynamic process by which the Catholic Church expresses and lives out its faith within different cultural contexts, allowing the Gospel to take root in local traditions, values, and customs without compromising essential Church teachings. In Malaysian context, we celebrate multilingual Sunday Masses with the use of local music and instruments for the celebration of Ponggal, Chinese New Year and Gawai-Kaamatan.

Deacon Lazarus Jonathan noted that the good attendance and questions raised shows that inculturation is generally viewed as a necessary and positive process, especially within the Catholic Church, for adapting Christian faith and practice to diverse cultural contexts. It is seen as a way to ensure the Gospel message is relevant, accessible and meaningful to people of all cultures while safeguarding its core tenets. However, there are also debates and concerns about the specifics and potential pitfalls of inculturation, particularly regarding the balance between adaptation and maintaining the integrity of Christian doctrine.

In a personal letter dated July 9, 2023, Pope Francis extended his heartfelt congratulations to Bishop Sebastian Francis on his elevation to the rank of cardinal. The letter, read aloud by Christopher Kushi, highlighted the Pope’s reflections on the deep connection between faith and culture.

Addressing the newly appointed cardinal, Pope Francis wrote, “Dear Brother… The call to universality impels us to implant the faith in every culture, each with its own values and distinctive characteristics (inculturation of the faith).”

The pontiff further stressed that a faith unable to adapt and take root within diverse cultural contexts risks losing its authenticity. “A faith incapable of inculturation is not a genuine faith,” he stated, “for it succumbs to the temptation of ‘uniformity,’ typical of a rigid way of thinking.”

Pope Francis also underscored the dual mission of the Church: “Alongside the inculturation of faith, there is the evangelisation of cultures. These two aspects – inculturation of faith and evangelisation of cultures – are inseparable.”