The stigmatization of lebollo by the church : a pastoral challenge

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to find out why the Church stigmatized people who practice traditional initiation (Lebollo). Why the Church considered lebollo as a heathen and evil practice. The church which is supposed to be pastoral has turned to be abusive to her own people. The literature review has revealed that the aim of lebollo is to prepare boys to be real men. This is a proper catechesis that the Church should implement or encourage. The aim of the research is to empower the pastoral care-giver to enter into the shoes of the stigmatized souls, so as to break the cycle of the misunderstanding of lebollo by the church. The main objective of this research project is to bring healing, unity, peace and care to lebollo people. Qualitative method is a tool which will help to engage those who are stigmatized in a form of the interviews. Unstructured interviews are extremely important because it allows flexibility. Qualitative method is assisted by the Gerkin’s theory of shepherding model which assist the researcher to achieve the objectives and Pollard theory of positive deconstruction strengthen up Gerkin’s theory of Shepherding, because the church failed to be pastoral and she stigmatized her people. These new theories are essential in the lives of lebollo people. The content that came from chapter four of the research showed that lebollo is a custom of Basotho that prepares boys to be responsible future men. It has proved the error that the Church made by the first missionaries who came to evangelised. They were not patient to learn the culture and that made them to be negative about lebollo. The finding from the interviews showed that many people were wounded by the church. From the findings the study emphasized the need for unity by restoring the new theories that are applied as therapeutic healing to the stigmatized people. The care-givers will be able to journey with the stigmatized people as to fulfil the objectives of the study.