Another joint annual meeting between the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) and heads of Churches of the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has ended.
The two groups meet once a year in May to deliberate on issues that foster unity and ecumenism as well as address issues of national and international interest.
This year, some of the issues that gained attention were youth development policy, Christian Private Universities, education, Ghana at 50 celebrations, surface mining, the Trust Bill, election 2008 and devastation of farms by Fulani herdsmen.
The Catholic Bishops who attended the meeting included His Eminence Peter Cardinal Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Archbishop of Cape Coast; Most Rev. Lucas Abadamloora, President of GCBC, Most Rev. Charles Palmer-Buckle, Archbishop of Accra; and Most Rev. Gregory Kpiebaya, Archbishop of Tamale.
Among the leaders of the CCG were Rt. Rev. Yaw Frimpong Manso, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and Chairman of the CCG; Rt. Rev. Stephen Asante, Vice Chairman of the CCG; Rev. Dr. Paul Fynn, immediate past Chairman of CCG and Rev. Dr. Fred Deegbe, General Secretary of the CCG.
The meeting was climaxed with an ecumenical service with the theme Love One Another As I have Loved You.
Most Rev. Peter Kwasi Sarpong, Archbishop of Kumasi, in a sermon, pointed out several issues which need to be redressed by Ghanaians starting with Pastors, who wrongly accuse people of being witches or wizards and condemn other people’s religion.
Other issues raised by the Archbishop were:
* Allowing ourselves to be dominated by the spirit of cheating, selfishness and pride.
* Struggling for positions of influence in society.
* The tendency of Ghanaians who expect to be rewarded for every service they render.
Said the Archbishop: “We must do good to that prostitute, that friend, that teacher, that husband, that dying pauper, that wife because he/she is our brother or sister … we have the same creator – father, God; the same brother – Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Unfortunately, the words “selfless service” are gradually disappearing from the vocabulary of many Ghanaians.
Regretably, they expect to be rewarded for every service they render to the extent of arm – twisting those they assist.
When this happens, this bad habit, in our view, can be classified as bribe-taking, an unacceptable practice in any decent society.
In this year of the favour of the Lord, The Standard entreats Ghanaians to do good to all without expecting any favours from people they assist.
Our behaviour as Ghanaian Christians should be such that it results in true love and fellow-feeling to all so that our dear nation Ghana can grow.
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