Breaking! Anglican Pastor Makes History As Wife Performs Traditional Womanhood Rites

By Boma Waribor

Dec 15, 2019

Dean, St. Stephen Cathedral, Bonny, Rt. Rev. Richard Hart (centre)

The unending debate as to whether a person should observe traditional rites in his community, especially, in Africa, came to a crashing end today as the Dean of the oldest Cathedral in Sub-Saharan Africa, the prestigious St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Bonny, Rt. Rev. Richard Ibituru Hart led his wife out by himself today to perform the traditional rites of womanhood in Bonny Kingdom.

Many adherents of Pentecostalism have held that it was wrong for any Christian to perform such rites, arguing that it was unscriptural and unchristianly, with supposed roots in idolatry and demonism.

Cathedral Mama, Mrs. Lilian Richard Hart doing it the Ibani woman’s way…

Those who differ on this ideological stand postulate that the Iria/Bibite ceremony, as practiced across the riverine communities of the Niger Delta region, has nothing to do with idol worship or demonism.

They assert that no rituals or fetish practices are performed save the public dance by the celebrant accompanied by her fellow women and well-wishers who come to witness the ceremony.

In the video below posted by the Facebook page of the St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Bonny, the Dean can be seen dancing alongside his wife, accompanied by Chiefs, titled citizens and other dignitaries who graced the occasion.

As a mark of approval and acceptance, the Chairman of the Bonny Council of Chiefs, Chief Dagogo Wilcox, accompanied by the Secretary of the King Perekule Palace and Chief and Head of Attoni House, Chief Abel Attoni, and Chief and Head of Benstowe House, Chief Godswill Benstowe, laid different exotic wrappers adorned by Bonny women on the celebrant, Mrs. Lilian Hart, as she danced to the rhythm of traditional music being played for her.

Chairman, Bonny Chiefs Council, Chief Dagogo Wilcox doing as tradition demands…

A titled citizen of Bonny Kingdom, Larry Pepple, while congratulating the celebrant, stated that “In Bonny Kingdom, the Church and our time tested customs and traditions are one and the same.”

“In this video, the Dean of the oldest Anglican Cathedral in Nigeria and across many countries in West Africa, Rt Rev. Richard Ibituru Hart, is being led by prominent Chiefs and titled Citizens of Grand Bonny Kingdom to go honour as well as shower his dear wife, Lady Mrs Lilian Hart, with gifts of money and exotic wrappers during her passage rites into full Ibani Woman.”

“We are one people under one God, Traditional, Local Government Authorities and the Church working together under one amiable Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler, His Majesty, King Dr. Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, Perekule XI, CON, JP, for the continuous socio-economic advancement and sustainable growth of our enviable Kingdom.”