(Image source: Unsplash)
On a sweltering Wednesday in August, Father Vincent Chukwumamkpam Ifeme strolls familiarly into a beachside restaurant in Italy. A ring inscribed with the lyrics to “Ave Maria,” Jesus sandals, and a cross pin on the lapel of his navy-blue polo are the only visible indications of his vocation. His other accessories are more modern—a sleek black Apple watch and Ray Bans. His black beard is peppered with white. “I think when Italians see somebody like me come in,” he says as we assess the menu, “Some people are curious to know, what do I have to offer that is different from what they already have?” His voice is deep and buoyant, each word lilted up with its own question mark. The restaurant, Ristorante Chalet Stella, sits facing the sea in San Benedetto Del Tronto, a town of 47,000 inhabitants on Italy’s Adriatic coast. Father Vincent is the only Black man in the sparsely populated restaurant. And before he stepped into the eatery, he was the only Black man visible on the beach.
He orders spaghetti alle vongole, a house salad, and a glass of white wine.
Father Vincent heads a parish in the nearby commune of Monteprandone, a village of 1,500 residents that dots the countryside 20 minutes from the sea. Some 90% of the locals are Italian. His congregants call him “Don Vincente” or just “padre.” He beckons fondly to them as they pass and exchanges stories with emphatic syllables. He has mastered the critical Italian art of affable banter. His booming laughs come easily. Most of his parishioners are old women, he says.
Father Vincent is part of an emerging trend in Italy that brings priests of foreign nationalities into short-staffed parishes, sometimes to serve Italians and sometimes to tailor services to a particular community of immigrants. Italy, and the Catholic church in particular, is experiencing a demographic problem. The country’s population is growing older and birth rates are plummeting to record lows. In 2022, seven Italians were born for every 12 dead. The church, too, is losing parishioners. While nearly four out of every five Italians consider themselves Catholic, only one in five attend services on a weekly basis. With fewer practicing the faith, even fewer are following it to the vocation. In the last three decades, Italy has seen a dramatic drop in new priests: 20% fewer are serving now than were in 1990. Preti stranieri, or foreign-born priests, are part of the church’s concerted effort to embrace interculturality as a means of survival. Integrating them into Italian parishes invites immigrants into the institution at the heart of Italian culture.
But Italy, a country steeped in anti-immigrant sentiment, might not be ready to accept the change.
(Father Vincent Chukwumamkpam Ifeme. Soucre: Berkeley Center)
When he is not bantering, Father Vincent speaks with a casual but weary brilliance. He has always been at the top of his class. In his hometown of Umuchu in southeastern Nigeria, he grew up attending a private Catholic school. His father died when he was two, leaving just his mother to raise him. The priests on campus were a support system, and the curriculum of the school, called a junior seminary in Nigeria, was meant to show students that they could follow in their footsteps. But when he arrived in Italy 1996 to attend Pontifical Urban University in Rome, Father Vincent still wasn’t sure about the priesthood. “I didn’t have internal peace. So, I just felt that maybe God started telling me this is the way, this is what I’m calling for.” There is a good-spirited resignation in his voice. He received a scholarship at age 23 to continue his studies, sponsored by his home diocese in Nigeria. He had just completed his first degree in philosophy at a seminary in Umachu, as well as a year of pastoral service. For his next degree, he would study theology.
Umachu is located in a part of southern Nigeria that is dominated by the country’s minority Catholic population. Twelve percent of Nigerians consider themselves Catholic, while half identify as Muslim. Most of the Catholic population resides in the Southeast, primarily populated by faithful Igbo people, one of the tribes local to the Nigerian land. A 2023 study out of Georgetown University found that 94% of Nigeria’s 30 million Catholics attend mass at least weekly.
The country is young in many ways Italy is not: the median Nigerian age is 19, and the nation itself is only 63 years old. Nigeria’s youth is reflected in the way people worship, says Father Vincent. Youth initiatives are abundant in their practice, and masses are filled with upbeat music and imbued with spiritual mysticism. In Italy, the church is bogged down with traditions that do not appeal to the young, says Father Vincent, like ritual-heavy celebrations and long masses with dreary sermons. “The young people see the church as something for the old people. You have to invent things that attract them to come to the church. But in Nigeria it is completely the opposite.” Across all of Africa, the total number of priests is increasing by more than 1,000 each year. In Europe the number is decreasing twice as quickly. Father Vincent was one of 2,631 preti stranieri serving in Italy in 2022, up tenfold from just 204 in 1990.
(A cohort of 11 Nigerian priests commissioned for mission in Europe in June 2024. Image source: CSN Media)
Under Pope Francis, the first pope from the Americas and from the Southern Hemisphere, church interculturality and support for migrants have been clear priorities. Father Mussie Zerai Yosief, known as “the migrant priest,” emphasizes the church’s focus on caring for migrants and refugees over the past 100 to 150 years. He highlights the importance of serving those in need, drawing parallels to the origins of key figures in Christianity from the Middle East. Father Vincent, who initially struggled as a priest in Italy due to misunderstandings about his identity, eventually overcame challenges to integrate fully into his Italian diocese and obtain citizenship. He now holds various responsibilities, including teaching and leading interreligious dialogue efforts. Father Vincent remains connected to his roots in Nigeria while embracing his role in enriching the Catholic experience in Italy. Similarly, Father Ugochukwu Stophynus Anyanwu serves a vibrant Nigerian community in Rome, underscoring the church’s commitment to accommodating diverse congregations and fostering a sense of community faith. His colleagues from various countries include individuals from Congo, Ethiopia, Ukraine, and the Philippines. They communicate through a Whatsapp group.
Father Ugochukwu, born in Nigeria, shares the same Catholic-majority region as Father Vincent. He has been in his role for four years, arriving during the pandemic to study. He speaks passionately about ambitious ideas, blending Italian phrases into his English conversations. He emphasizes the importance of taking things slowly but surely and feeling at home despite being far from home.
Pope Francis has encouraged all clergy educated in Rome to engage in pastoral work, regardless of their location. This work involves providing support to parishioners through counseling, last rites, and other services, as well as assisting with church operations. The Pope has urged each priest to be actively involved in a parish, emphasizing the importance of this connection.
For foreign priests who are not fluent in the language, this may mean taking on simple tasks at the parish. Italian bishops determine the needs of their churches and may request assistance from bishops in other countries. Relationships between bishops in different regions can lead to exchanges of clergy to support understaffed parishes.
Each diocese in Rome has an office for migrants, which helps newcomers find communities that share their backgrounds and traditions. These communities are led by chaplains who conduct masses in the language and style preferred by the group. This effort aims to create a welcoming and inclusive church for everyone.
While foreign priests serving in Italian parishes have a different focus, they also contribute to the overall goal of strengthening the global church. They come from countries with strong Catholic traditions and see their work as a way to support the existing Catholic infrastructure in Italy.
Experts like Arnaud Join-Lambert view this trend as an opportunity to build an intercultural church that embraces diversity. They believe that the Catholic Church is evolving towards a more inclusive and universal model, rather than attempting to impose Western ideals on other cultures.
Despite these efforts, some scholars and priests have encountered resistance and distrust from Italian parishioners. In a 2022 open letter, foreign priests shared their struggles with acceptance and integration into Italian parish communities. They noted challenges such as age disparities, a lack of young participants, and resistance to change from older clergy and congregants.
Father Vincent’s church is located two and a half hours from the capital city, surrounded by picturesque landscapes. As he travels through the mountainous terrain to serve his parish, he encounters numerous small churches and communities along the way. Father Vincent is working to address the shortage of priests in Italy by facilitating partnerships between Italian churches and Catholic churches abroad. He believes that filling empty pulpits is vital to reviving the Catholic faith in Italy, but faces challenges from bishops and parishioners who are hesitant to embrace international priests.
In 2012, Father Vincent helped two Nigerian men take on roles in a rural parish as part of a study arrangement. However, after five years, the men still faced discrimination and lack of acceptance from the parishioners and the host bishop. This experience reflects the struggles that foreign-born priests face in Italy, where they are often viewed with suspicion and prejudice.
Despite the high demand for priests in Italy, many bishops are reluctant to invite international priests to serve in their parishes. This reluctance stems from Italy’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, which casts foreign-born priests as opportunists. The challenges faced by foreign priests in Italy mirror the broader issues of migrant integration and acceptance in the country.
The study cited in the article highlights the various reasons why foreign priests choose to come to Italy, including a commitment to serving the church and aspirations for economic stability. However, the skepticism and dismissal faced by foreign priests underscore the barriers they encounter in integrating into Italian society and finding acceptance in their roles.
Father Vincent’s dedication to integrating into Italian society and overcoming challenges in the church and community is commendable. However, the larger issues of racism, legal barriers, and ingrained prejudice continue to hinder the progress of migrant integration in Italy. Real change will require efforts to address these systemic issues and create a more welcoming environment for foreign-born priests and migrants in general.
As Father Ugochukwu learns German, the struggles faced by foreign priests in Italy serve as a reminder of the ongoing challenges of migrant integration in the country. The work of individuals like Father Vincent and the experiences of foreign priests highlight the importance of fostering inclusivity and acceptance in Italian society. Please revise
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