This paper draws attention to the neglected episode of a crisis that engulfed the Benin City Roman Catholic Station from 1951 to 1952. It examines how a disagreement between an Irish priest and an African catechist degenerated into a crisis that pitted the majority of the African laity against the Irish clergy. This crisis was not only reported in national newspapers and taken up by nationalist agitators, but also attracted the concern of Roman Catholics outside the diocese as well as the Vatican. This paper contends that the disagreement became a crisis because of the Irish clergy’s upholding of their policy of gradual incorporation of the African laity into participation in the administration of the diocese, and the African laity’s determination to pursue their aspirations of full and unhindered participation in the administration on their own terms. The crisis was also fueled by African nationalist ferment of the period, which prolonged the issue. The argument is supported with archival sources, newspaper reports and oral interviews with participants and members of the diocese.

本文引起人们对1951年至1952年席卷贝宁市罗马天主教站的危机的忽视而关注。它研究了爱尔兰牧师与非洲教义主义者之间的分歧如何演变成一场危机，使大多数非洲人都反对爱尔兰神职人员。不仅在国家报纸上报道了这场危机，而且民族主义煽动者也承担了这场危机，而且引起了教区以外的罗马天主教徒以及梵蒂冈的关注。本文认为，由于爱尔兰神职人员坚持其将非洲自由行逐渐纳入教区管理的政策，这种分歧成为了危机，以及非洲自由主义者决心按照自己的条件追求完全不受阻碍地参与行政管理的愿望。这段时期的非洲民族主义情绪也加剧了这场危机，从而延长了问题的持续时间。档案资料，报纸报道以及对教区参与者和教区成员的口头访谈都支持了这一论点。