Satanic practices linked to alleged witchcraft and the occult have been at the centre of the burning of Fijian artefacts at Namoli Village, Lautoka.

Last week’s “spiritual cleansing” drama conducted by a Christian group, the Livai Ministry, has heightened tension in the neighbouring communities.

Among the artefacts burned were tabua (whales teeth), and tanoa (yaqona or kava bowls).

The turaga ni koro (village headman), Joji Satala, said the ritual had to be performed to lift a curse on the village and allow the people to prosper spiritually and temporally.

Na Momo Na Tui Vitogo, paramount chief of Namoli, Vitogo, Naviyago, Vakabuli, Matawalu and Saru villages, who is a Methodist supported the “spiritual cleansing”.

He said he wanted his people to be liberated from this curse which had afflicted them for a long time.

He said this had been the main cause of his people lagging behind in education and economic prosperity.

“We organised this spiritual cleansing for the district (tikina) of Vitogo, Naviago, Vakabuli, Matawalu, Saru and Namoli.

Artefacts used in rituals associated with witchcraft collected at Namoli Village included tanoa (yaqona bowls), tabua (whales teeth), and buli (cowrie shell) which were burnt at the village in the presence of representatives of all the christians denominations in the district of Vitogo.

All Christian denominations churches in the tikina o Vitogo were all invited to be part of this spiritual cleansing service.

“This revival has been prophesied to me in the year 2009 where a prophet came from Australia and foretold everything that is happening to the district of Vitogo.

He told me that there will be a revival during my leadership in Vitogo and I don’t have to go against it because this is the revival of the Holy Spirit,” he said.

But Namoli Methodist Reverend Manayavu Ratulawe said, “The Tui Vitogo is a Methodist member and he has a spiritual leader who oversees the Vitogo community.”

“I think we need to work respectively in our church administration despite whatever position we hold in our community.

I believe cleansing is not about destroying all the sacrificial items they thought was a hindrance to God’s blessing upon us.

Spiritual blessing I believe starts from within the Individual.

To be free from these curses, it depends on the attitude of our hearts.

Change is a spiritual process, not a physical activity,” he said.

The head of the Catholic Church in Fiji, Archbishop Peter Long Choy, said “it is the matter of reason.

Our faith needs to be reasonable.

A good faith will tell you the right thing to do.

It is not a good faith when your families are not succeeding or your children do not achieve high standard of education and you blame it on the curse from your forefathers.”

Edited by Nemani Delaibatiki