A delegation of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference recently called on Prof. Michael Aaron Oquaye, Speaker of Parliament, to brief him on the planned activities by the Catholic Church to mark Ghana’s 60th independence anniversary.
The delegation, led by Most Rev. Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, comprised Most Revs. Matthias Nketsiah of Cape Coast, Gabriel Justice Anokye of Kumasi, Emmanuel Fianu of Ho and Gabriel Kumordji of the Donkorkrom Vicariate.
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle said the visit was to assure the seventh Parliament of the Bishops’ prayers, reminding the parliamentarians of their responsibility to guide the nation.
He said, as citizens of Ghana, the Bishops would from time to time make comments and observations on national issues, urging the Parliamentarians to see such comments as their contribution to the development of the nation.
The Archbishop used the occasion to inform them about the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Ghana, noting that Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, a former Nuncio to Ghana, now President of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State was the Papal Delegate to the celebration and Ghana’s Independence Anniversary celebration.
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle invited the Speaker and the Parliamentarians to an Ecumenical Service at the Holy Spirit Cathedral at Adabraka on March 4 to re-consecrate Ghana to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Prof. Oquaye commended the Catholic Church for its role in the development of the country through the provision of quality education, health care and other social services.
Present were the Minority Leader, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu; First Deputy Speaker, Mr. Joseph Osei-Owusu; Deputy Majority Leader, Ms. Sarah Adwoa Safo and some Catholic Parliamentarians who took turns to address the delegation.
They thanked the Bishops and the Church for the high level of discipline they imbued in children especially in Catholic schools saying that most of them, though not Catholics, benefitted from Catholic education which had formed them into responsible adults.
They encouraged the Bishops to continue to air their views on issues confronting the nation and support government in its development agenda.
The Bishops joined the Catholic Parliamentarians to celebrate Mass during which they dedicated a chapel for them and named it the Chapel of the Chair of Peter.
In attendance was a delegation from the National Catholic Secretariat including Rev. Frs. Clement Adjei, Chaplain for Catholic Parliamentarians; Wisdom Larweh, Assistant Secretary General; Emmanuel Akoto Mensah, in charge of Catholic Religious Education; Isaac Ebo Blay, Dieu Donne Davor, Director of Communication and Mr. Francis Koku, Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Officer.
From John Kumado
