GHANA CATHOLIC BISHOPS PAY COURTESY CALL ON THE RT. HON. SPEAKER.
07-03-2017
The Bishops were led by Most Rev. Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, who in the name of the GCBC invited the Speaker and all Parliamentarians to an Ecumenical Service to dedicate Ghana to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as was done just before Ghana’s Independence in 1957.
This service would be held at the Holy Spirit Cathedral at Adabraka in Accra on Saturday, March 4, 2017 from 5p.m. to 6.30p.m.
In the company of Archbishop Palmer-Buckle was a high profile delegation of two other Metropolitan Archbishops, Most Revs. Mathias Nketsia of Cape Cost and Gabriel Justice Anokye of Kumasi and two Divine Word Missionary Bishops, Most Rev. Gabriel Doe Kumordji of the Donkorkrom Vicariate and Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu of the Ho Diocese with additional oversight assignment as Apostolic Administrator of the Keta-Akatsi Diocese.
Interacting with the Speaker in the company of the Minority Leader, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, First Deputy Speaker, Hon Joseph Osei-Owusu; Deputy Majority Leader,Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, and some Catholic Parliamentarians, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle said the visit was to assure Parliament of the Bishops’ prayers for the 7th Parliament, reminding parliamentarians of the big responsibility placed on their shoulders to give guidance to the whole nation through the laws they enact.
He said, as citizens of Ghana, the Bishops would from time to time make comments and observations of their opinions on issues concerning the welfare and health of the nation.
Prayer warriors would also be assigned to pray for all parliamentarians for God to guide them in their duties. He said on March 3, 2017, Ghana would also mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties of the Vatican or the Apostolic See with the Church in Ghana.
Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, a one-time Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, now Secretary of State in the Vatican will be the Papal Delegate to the celebration and Ghana’s Independence Anniversary celebration.
Rt. Hon. Prof. Oquaye, Speaker, was full of praises for the Catholic Church’s role in the development of the whole human person in education and having clear-cut and orderly principles in its way of governance, giving his own example as the sound training in life as a baptized Catholic, altar boy and catholic training when he was a boy but parental decisions took him to another Christian denomination in Secondary School when he was at Presbyterian Secondary School.
Hon Adwoa Safo expressed similar sentiments of confidence in the Church’s teaching on moral life and training that had led her, even though not a Catholic, to send her children to Catholic schools, saying many churches today draw inspiration from the Catholic Church.
Hon Haruna Iddrisu thanked the hierarchy for their prayerful support and said, that, people who were guided by the fear God would be truthful and as Christians, Moslems or people of other faiths, as they swore.
He drew the attention of the delegation to the post-violence following the 2016 General Elections that ushered in the victory of the New Patriotic Party with public or civil servants being manhandled or threatened at their workplaces and hoped that, the shepherds would not be silent but speak against the menace.
Hon. Joseph Osei- Owusu, first deputy speaker and a Catholic joined other Catholic parliamentarians in wishing the bishops well and thanking them for their continued visits to the faithful’s in Parliament.
Earlier in the day the new chapel, named the Chapel of the Chair of Peter by Archbishop Palmer- Buckle, who said that it was providential that the 22nd day of February, 2017 was the feast of the Chair of Peter, was consecrated for divine worship.
In an impressive but simple ceremony Archbishop Palmer- Buckle, who also doubled as the homilist and master of ceremonies, explained the significance of the consecration of the praise of worship in the church and anointed the altar, walls of the chapel and also gave the homily at the mass presided over by most Rev Gabriel Anokye and concelebrated by Archbishop Nketsia, Bishop Kumordji SVD and Fianu, SVD.
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle said other people, besides Catholics, who wanted to have a quiet time for prayer, meditation, worship could also avail themselves of the chapel. The Odorkor St John the Baptist Church Choir in Accra, Catholic Parliamentarians and Parliamentary Staff witnessed the handing of the Chapel keys to Rev. Fr. Clement Adjei – Priest in Charge, and some members of the Catholic Community Parliament.
A high powered ecclesiastical delegation from the National Catholic Secretariat including Rev Frs. Clement Adjei, Catholic Chaplain for Parliament; Wisdom Larweh, Assistant Secretary-General of the National Catholic Secretariat; Fr. Emmanuel Akoto Mensah, in charge of Catholic Religions Education; Fr. Isaac Ebo Blay, NCS, Fr. Dieu-Donne Davor, Executive Secretary of National Catholic Secretariat and Mr. Francis Koku, Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Officer.
