Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD, Bishop of Ho, has told the lay faithful of Ghana to endeavour to discover and nurture their proper functions, service and ministry in the Church to make their work an authentic and unique one.
He noted that “in big Parishes, many of the lay faithful feel lost and function like robots who come to Church on Sunday. All they see is the same cliques of people running Parish activities and constant appeal for funds or money for this or that purpose.”
He said the lay faithful should be at the forefront of making people feel identified, recognised and accepted, querying that what was the use of every Sunday asking those who were in Church for the first time to introduce themselves when there was no follow-up on them.
Bishop Fianu was speaking in a Keynote Address at the opening of the 39th Plenary Assembly of the National Catholic Laity Council (NCLC) at Bibiani in the Wiawso Diocese on the theme: Do This In Memory of Me: The Eucharist As the Foundation for the Participation of the Laity In The Pastoral Care Ministry Of the Church.
Present were Most Rev. Gabriel Edoe Kumordji, SVD, Bishop-Elect of Keta-Akatsi, who is also the Episcopal Chairman for Laity, Women and Youth and Most Rev. Joseph Francis Essien, Bishop of Wiawso.
The four-day Plenary (from March 30 to April 2), also attended by Diocesan Laity Chaplains and Traditional Leaders, was under the Chairmanship of Dr. Joseph Arko, National Chairman of NCLC.
Bishop Fianiu, who is also the Episcopal Chairman for the Laity, Women and Youth, said the lay faithful could participate in the pastoral ministry of the Church by breaking cliques that lead activities in Parishes and open up to new comers who want to contribute to the life of a Parish.
He lamented that “At times we have the same people serving on some Parish and Diocesan Committees for ages as if there are no other people.” He added that “we should not be afraid of change because change refreshes our groups and brings new ideas for greater developments.”
Bishop Fianu said “We need to acknowledge that the lay faithful of today is composed of well-educated, intelligent, highly competent and intensely questioning men and women. It goes without saying that with the renewed understanding of the Church as people of God, the Church today is no longer faced with the question of what to do with educated laity who have left the Church.”
The Bishop noted that the Church must now face the question of the intelligent lay faithful who are very much a part of the Church and want to deepen their commitment to her life and mission.
He stressed that it was important to emphasise that all the faithful of Christ were called to the fullness of the Christian life and perfection of charity, hence they were called to share in a ministry that was fully theirs but not called to help the Clergy do what is their mission.
Bishop Fianu reminded the Laity that they were not passive objects of the Church and recipients of the pastoral care of the Clergy but active subjects, unique participants in the Church’s inner life and mystery as well as sharers of the apostolic mission of the Church to the secular world.
He said there was the need to emphasise that the participation of the Laity in the pastoral care ministry of the Church should not be seen in terms of standing side-by-side with the Priests in the Sanctuary or doing what the Priest does.
He said that “for most of our lay faithful, understanding of the word Church, is limited to the level of the Parish or the Diocese which is the actualization of the universal Church and the sigh of the saving presence and power of Christ in the world.”
On his part, Bishop Kumordji noted that the power, authority, creativity and charism of the laity comes from the Holy Spirit through their Baptism, hence their role was a vocation and not a vacuum.
He urged the Laity to form a common front to play their respective roles as demanded by the Church by effectively involving in activities of the Church for its growth and development.
He lamented that the formation of the lay faithful was diminishing, appealing to Priests to endeavour to let their Laity know their roles and give them the opportunity to play their prophetic role.
He was also sad that some of the Laity themselves were not showing interest in Church activities even though their mission was derived from their Baptism.
The Assembly was attended by over 200 delegates from all Dioceses in Ghana as well as National Associations, Societies and Councils including the Diocesan Laity Council Chairmen, National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW), Ghana National Catholic Youth Council (GHANCYC) and National Union of Ghana Diocesan Catechists’ Association.
Others were Christian Mothers’ Association, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Society, Knights of St. John International and their Ladies Auxiliary, Knights and Ladies of Marshall, St. Anthony’s Guild, Legion of Mary, Sacred Heart Confraternity, and Catholic Men’s Council.
