Gifts to the Church (2)

By Prof. Nana Essilfie-Conduah To this extent, aloofness ended and quest for accountability and transparency are in ascendancy today. So the resistance and the old fudging with assurances to trust is now a line which no one is buying today. This is evident the opposition to even a seeming cloistering of accountability in the plain presence of unfinished undertakings – expanding Parish spaces with refurbishing and the use of Church facilities allegedly without consultation or indeed prerogative levying special bail-outs. Accusative without proof fingers point at Prelates rumoured as if that answers the unanswered. It means how the quandary is answered or handled will determine die, tame or dismiss rife misgivings. I have used taunting questions to survey the falling out and heard diverse lot for close to one year this month about the status of dialoguing to sort out. Unhappily for the Roman Catholic conglomerate in country I am finding that there are gaps between [i] Parish leadership hierarchies and congregants – beaucoup du etsi me nna aka me [personality clashes – unhealthy gossips, egos et al]; and [ii] charge of “divide and rule” from the top, irksome but runs through to warrant informing for quick attention, since the suspicions are detrimental. Communication circles Honestly my personal feel is there are ambiguous clogs in the communication circles. It also looks like country-political differences and or disputes are increasingly segregating congregations in Parishes. For the Catholic Church in particular, there could be one of two issues from which to pin this ugly trend and restore the sense in worshipping together apolitically and only as Catholic Faithful. The first is historical: the Young Pioneers and Fr. Damoah’s disputes between the Church and State; and the second is empirical but a branch where the Church has consistently shown apparently more interest in giving addressing-platforms [a short political rally indoors] during electioneering to receive the political donations than rule a sobering finessed system that: [a] draws drive away; and [b] does not ultimately hangs itself on a political party’s mast both symbolically and real alignment. Historically orthodox religion – Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian were labeled anti-Socialist [CPP] in the bitter divide between CPP and UP [DOMO] characterized as Conservatives or Capitalists, even though would today would be only labels and the titles spelt in lower case than upper because the ideological lines are blurred into thinned out. However, the fact remains there are two mainstream Political Parties which wear the old banners – NDC [supplanting the CPP] as Socialists and the NPP, [metamorphosis from UP through conversion into PP to NPP] as Capitalists. [Incidentally Dr Nduom leads his Centrist PPP outside of the conventional duo]. Civilian and Church Politics Anyway here is underlying driver: Civilian Politics influences per se. When it is transferred surreptitiously into the Church [as in Ghana] has impacted Church politics to affect cleavages, aggravating difficulties within. It is not as if the Church must be apolitical, otherwise Catholic Bishops Conference and the Christian with the Muslim leadership will have to constrict themselves to catechism. But the current simmering, despite its coloration as another take provides sentiments that push the urgency to [I] work on changing perceptions; [ii] engage in planning either at national or regional levels, each given an apex body [not a crowd, preferably corresponding professionals to the specific undertaking] to enhance updating which will go a long way calming to usher new era for the Church in all the terms and or real issues as I have tried to relay as ills and trouble-findings. Some Challenges Let me confess a credo: I concur in the view that major source of the Catholics’ problems is the unwillingness to open up and where there is any , the power of the tongue to hurt rather than soothe to correct, takes all. I am saying or indeed contending that there are many Catholics who are able but seize themselves with paralysis and decry break down in the Church. Papa Kwesi Nduom may have lifted the veil saying he owed his situation to his faith [Church] and felt the need to do something in return. He chose development. Auditing the outcomes would be the visibility of the nouveaux the investments install. The stand out in the current anger is the reporting back systems for trust. I believe the shortfalls can be plugged through his [Nduom’s] example. I wonder we fully realize Catholicism has inched itself probably unconsciously into a crisis of diffidence to appreciate the enormity of the triple challenge the Nduom gesture signals and poses the Church, Catholics and Responsibles – formidable but not insurmountable, if only it would be confronted open-mindedly. The Church must go to the people I remember a handsome young Methodist Minister at Wesleyan. Its Cape Coast again. He was an African alien we would say geographically from Sierra Leone. He was the in situ number two. He was charmingly erudite. In fact, the rest of orthodoxy was always forced to truncate a Sunday service if the scouts whispered that young man was conducting at Chapel Square Methodist any Sunday morning. The reason is their people will be present with their feet if they did not play brevity. The long and short was he advanced a theory that “the Church must go to the people.” The Catholic Church here today’s task relative, is to go to its people and explain, minimizing national political commentaries, despite their very importance.