Mata Golo from the Perspective of Mangulewa Culture and the Catholic Church’s Pastoral Response

Abstract

Life and death are inseparable, as they are an inherent part of life itself. Death is a deeply unsettling and frightening prospect, one that shakes the human soul and mind, leaving people unable to find peace in their daily lives. The research question addressed in this work is: what are the views of the Mangulewa-Ngada community regarding mata golo and the Church’s response to mata golo? This study aims to determine the following two points: how the Mangulewa-Ngada people view mata golo and what the response of the Catholic Church is. The research method employed in this study is a qualitative descriptive method. The findings of this research led the researcher to the conclusion that the people of Mangulewa hold the distinct view that mata golo constitutes an ill-fated or unnatural death, which brings disaster upon the family and their descendants. In the view of the Mangulewa community, mata golo is a death caused by the transgressions of ancestors from a previous era who did not undergo a purification ritual or perform the pa’i tibo ceremony. The pastoral response identified in this study is the provision of a suitable setting for pastoral activities aimed at supporting and comforting bereaved families, carried out through communal prayer, the celebration of the Eucharist or funeral services, and communal prayer on three consecutive evenings following the day of the funeral. In addition, families request that prayers be offered for the salvation of the soul of the deceased family member.