One of the fundamental arguments against the Roman Catholic Church is that it originated from a strange culture and language and requires domestication through the process of enculturation. Before the Second Vatican Council held between 1962 and 1965, there was a lot of distinction between what was regarded as High Mass and Low Mass, but this has gradually eroded with time.

The High Mass was held on Sundays and on major Holy Days of Obligation, while the Low Mass was offered during the week and on Saturdays. The High Mass was offered mainly in Latin, the traditional language of the Church, with most parts being sung or chanted, while the Low Mass accommodated other languages, with most parts being read, rather than chanted.

At the Council of Trent in 1570, Pope (later St.) Pius V codified the Latin Mass, also known as Tridentine Mass, which subsequently became traditional until the major changes that came after Vatican II in 1965 (Internet Source). Those who have experienced a full Latin Mass can testify to how very moving, sonorous, and soul-lifting it can be, when it is said and chanted with unusual grace and solemnity. Nevertheless, the non-Latin speaking congregant will feel more at home with a language familiar to them, so as to ensure the acceptance and survival of the Church in unfamiliar terrain, since God understands all languages. There has been a growing need to domesticate the Mass since Vatican II, and a lot has been achieved in this regard.

Enculturation can simply be defined as the adaptation of Catholic liturgy to other cultural and linguistic settings, to enable full participation, and maximum spiritual benefit for all members of the congregation. This is different from acculturation in which the weaker culture is assimilated by the stronger in culture contact. One of the evidence of this domestication is the introduction of the indigenous languages into the liturgy, such that some aspects of the Mass are now said in the language of the people, to make them feel a sense of belonging. Thus, we have experienced the injection of Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, etc., into the Catholic liturgy. The other fallout from this process is the introduction of elaborate music and dancing into an otherwise sombre and solemn ritual.

Some conservative priests are still not too comfortable with these added features which threaten to upset the liturgical solemnity. But dance and music are integral components of the traditional African culture which need to be given adequate expression in liturgical celebration. This is necessary to enable the Africans reap the full benefits of Catholicism. But the traditional solemnity of the Catholic Mass must be maintained, nevertheless. The Church service in many of the other sects is mainly made up of singing and dancing which tend to detract from the overall seriousness of the service. There should be moments of deep silence for profound concentration and reflection in any form of worship for effective spiritual communication with God, which elaborate singing and dancing will invariably interfere with. Nevertheless, it is acknowledged that he who sings prays twice, through both words and melody.

This enculturation also manifests in the form and manner of prayer. The average African believes that the effectiveness of prayer cannot be divorced from its power and vigour. Hence, we have prayer warriors who pursue the process like a veritable verbal war. The volume and intensity of the prayer make it look like a command that demands immediate answer.

While reasonable fervour and vocal force is acceptable, the deafening hullabaloo gives the false impression that God is hard of hearing. Yet, God knows our innermost thoughts even before we express them, and Elijah did not find God in the thunder, fire, and earthquake, but in the whisper of a gentle breeze (1 Kings 19:11-13). This violent approach to prayer, in addition to speaking in weird tongues, is one of the principal characteristics of Pentecostalism, which is the latest craze in African religiosity.

The Catholic Church is traditionally solemn and graceful in its mode of worship, and emphasizes the Will of God in all the requests that are made to the Supreme Being, in consonance with the examples provided by Jesus Christ Himself (Luke 22:41-42). Whenever we pray, we must always give God the final say in how He responds to our fervent demands, not compel Him to answer us willy-nilly. As a universal Church, the Catholic Church should continue to respond to local peculiarities, while preserving its traditional grace and solemnity.