GHANA’S NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY SUNDAY SATURDAY ... · interview on the Golden Jubilee of the...

VOL. 80 NO. 37

GHANA’S NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2018 – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2018 PRICE GH¢2.00

Be Ambassadors of HopeVatican Communications Head urges African Catholic Journalists

Make Church in Africa Self-reliant – Archbishop Palmer-Buckle

By Angela Ofosu Boateng

ost Rev. Charles MGabriel Palmer-B u c k l e ,

Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast, has called on the Church in Africa to be self-reliant and stop depending on foreign aid.

S p e a k i n g t o T h e Catholic Standard in an interview on the Golden Jubilee of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and M a d a g a s c a r ( S E C A M ) recently, the Archbishop said donor aid had dwindled over the years, thus the need for the Church in Africa to find alternative ways to fund

Church programmes.He noted that St. Pope

John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa pointed to the need for a self-reliant African Church, a fact r e - e m p h a s i s e d b y P o p e Emeritus Benedict XVI in Africae Munus.

T o a c h i e v e t h i s , Archbishop Palmer-Buckle s a i d t h e C h u r c h m u s t encourage its lay faithful to be generous with the little they have no matter how small for the work of the Church and evangelisation.

He cited the example of the little boy in John 5:6 who offered Jesus his five loaves of

continued on page 3

Fr. Prof Afful-Broni Is

of UEW

New VC

Pope Convokes Meeting of Bishops on

Abuse Crisis

‘Free SHS Tainted

With Partisan Politics’

See pg.13Story on pg. 2

See pg. 3

*Fr. Prof. Afful-Broni

*Dr. Ruffini

he Prefect for the TD i c a s t e r y f o r Communications at

the Vatican, Dr. Paolo Ruffini, has charged African Catholic Journalists to be ambassadors of hope and also communicate a positive image of Africa.

In a goodwill message to the Congress of the African Catholic Union of the Press (UCAP) recently in Cape Town, South Africa, he urged them to continue connecting with national and international organisat ions to promote capacity-building for African Catholic Journalists.

“May this conference encourage and challenge you on the basis of your traditions and

continued on page 3

2 THE CATHOLIC STANDARD

CATHOLIC World News

Sunday, September 23 – Saturday, September 29, 2018

80TH

Anniversary

1938

2018

exual and physical

Sabuse by Priests and Religious and the

scandal of its cover-up by Church authorities thrive in countries where the Catholic Church is "elitist and clericalist ," Pope Francis told Jesuits in Ireland recently.

"There is something I have understood with great clarity: this drama of abuse, e s p e c i a l l y w h e n i t i s widespread and gives great scandal, think of Chile, here in Ireland or in the United States, has behind it a Church that is elitist and clericalist, an inability to be near to the people of God," the Pope told the Jesuits during a meeting in Dublin.

T h e r o o t o f t h e problem, he said, is elitism or c l e r i c a l i s m . T h e t w o attitudes foster "every form of abuse. And sexual abuse is not the first. The first abuse is of power and conscience.”

"I did not know that in Ireland there were also cases where unmarried women had

their children taken away from them," the Pope told the Jesuits, referring to the practice at many homes for u n m a r r i e d m o t h e r s . "Hearing this particularly touched my heart," he said.

Pope Francis asked the Jesuits for "special help: help the church in Ireland put an end to this. And what do I mean by put an end to it? I don't mean simply turn the

page, but seek out a cure, reparation, all that is necessary to heal the wounds and give life back to so many people."

In confronting abuse and the Church culture that allows it to fester, Pope Francis told the Jesuits, "Courage! Be courageous!”

“ T h i s i s a s p e c i a l mission for you: clean this up, change consciences, do not be

Pope Convokes Meeting of Bishops on

Abuse Crisisope Francis has Ps u m m o n e d a l l P r e s i d e n t s o f

C a t h o l i c B i s h o p s ' Conferences of the world to meet at the Vatican in February next year to discuss the issue of sexual abuse of minors.

The summit will take place at the Vatican from February 21 to 24, 2019.

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e website GCatholic, there are 114 Conferences of Bishops a n d 2 1 E a s t e r n - R i t e P a t r i a r c h a l S y n o d s , Councils of Churches, and Assemblies of Ordinaries.

The announcement

followed a three-day session

of Pope Francis' Council of

Cardinals, commonly called

the “C9,” which he created in

2013 to advise him regarding

the governance and reform

of the Roman Curia.

A statement from the

Pope's Cardinal Advisory

Board said, “The Holy

Father Francis, hearing the

Counc i l o f Card ina l s ,

d e c i d e d t o c o n v e n e a

meeting with the Presidents

of the Bishops Conferences

of the Catholic Church on

the theme of 'protection of

minors.'”

A major task of the

nine cardinals has been

revising the 1988 apostolic

constitution, Pastor bonus,

w h i c h r e g u l a t e s t h e

government of the Roman

Curia.

In their latest session between September 10 and 12, the Council made final adjustments to the draft of t h e n e w c o n s t i t u t i o n , tentatively titled Praedicate evangelium, before turning it over to Pope Francis. It will still undergo a stylistic revision and review of the canonical elements before being published, the Vatican said.

CNA/EWTN News

Priest Killed in Nigeria

e v . F r . J u d e RE g b o m , t h e Parish Priest of

the St. Patrick Parish, Amucha in the State of Imo in Southern Nigeria, has been shot dead by armed

m e n i n t h e e v e n i n g o f M o n d a y , September 10, 2018.

According t o R e v . F r . P a t r i c k T o r A l u m u k u , Director of the S o c i a l Communications

Office of the Archdiocese of Abuja, “It was an attempted robbery which ended badly.”

"Fr. Egbom was at the barber's when some bandits entered. We do not know what happened but at some

point the criminals fired some shots, killing the priest and s e r i o u s l y i n j u r i n g a Seminarian who was with him", said Fr. Patrick.

"What is striking is the total lack of respect for human life", emphasised the Priest.

In a related accident a few hours after, another serious incident occurred in the State of Imo where some criminals shot dead an Army Sergean t on guard a t a roadblock near the Assumpta Catholic Church of Owerri, capital of the State of Imo. Agenzia Fides

Elitism, Clericalism Allows Abuse To Thrive - Pope

afraid to call things by their name," he told the group.

One of the Jesuits

asked the Pope for concrete

examples of what they

should be doing.

"We have to denounce the cases we know about," the Pope responded. "And s e x u a l a b u s e i s t h e consequence of abuse of power and of conscience as I said before. The abuse of power exists. Who among us d o e s n o t k n o w a n a u t h o r i t a r i a n B i s h o p ? Forever in the church there have been authoritarian B i s h o p s a n d r e l i g i o u s s u p e r i o r s . A n d a u t h o r i t a r i a n i s m i s clericalism."

Speaking and acting d e c i s i v e l y a n d w i t h authority, for example, in g i v i n g a p r i e s t a n

assignment, is not the same thing as authoritarianism, he said. "We need to defeat au tho r i t a r i an i sm , " bu t rediscover the virtue of obedience when being sent in mission, the Pope said.

As is customary when the Pope meets Jesuits during a foreign trip, a transcript of his remarks to the 63 Jesuits he met in I re land was published by the Jesuit journal, La Civilta Cattolica after the Pope had approved t h e t e x t r e l e a s e d o n September 13.

Pope Francis met the J e s u i t s i n D u b l i n immediately after meeting e i g h t p e o p l e w h o h a d survived abuse at the hands of Priests or in Schools, mother and baby homes or other institutions operated by the Church or Catholic Religious Orders. CNS

*Fr. Egbon

3THE CATHOLIC STANDARD Sunday, September 23 – Saturday, September 29, 2018

80TH

Anniversary

1938

2018

bread and two fish, saying that just as Jesus multiplied it to feed 5000 men, “so will He bless our little donations”.

The Archbishop a lso stressed the need for the Church to instill in Priests, Religious and the Church leadership a sense of investment to safeguard and grow the church's resources which range from financial to personnel.

Dilating on the SECAM Golden Jubilee celebration

culture as well as your age-old Africa wisdom, to face and deal with the structural imbalances that create and maintain impover ishment on th is beaut i ful continent,” he added.

He prayed that the Congress based on Catholic Social Teachings with the roadmap of Africae Munus, would help address the challenges of reconciliation, justice and peace and enlighten the signs of the times with the Gospel and restore dignity to all African children, giving high priority to the youth.

Dr. Ruffini assured African Catholic Journalists of the Dicastery's complete availability to collaborate, imagine and implement appropr ia te fo l low-up programmes and projects at both national and regional levels, promoting overseas networking as well in the best universal sense of being Catholic.

He called on UCAP to intensify its collaboration with the World Catholic Assoc ia t ion fo r Communica t ions (SIGNIS), Catholic Media Council (CAMECO) and the Pan African Episcopal Committee of Social Communications (CEPACS).

He further stressed on the need to establish the Catholic News Agency for Africa (CANAA) in all dioceses on the continent in line with the Golden Jubilee of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences

of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).“We can never insist enough on the

need for collaboration among Catholic Communication practitioners and media establishments in terms of finding alternative means of giving voice to the voiceless, exposing corruption and denouncing the structures of evil,” he noted.

The Vatican Communications head observed that for many years development had wrongly been reduced to “economic growth,” an obsolete notion that imposed a failed attempt to impose a development ideology on poor countries.

Speaking at the same Congress, Rev. Fr. Prof. Walter C. Ihejirika, President of SIGNIS-Africa said the promotion of peace and reconciliation on the African Continent

was quite urgent and a current mission entrusted to the Church in Africa by the Second African Synod and articulated in the Papal Exhortation, Africae Munus

The Congress was attended by 43 Catholic journalists working for both the Church and secular media from 20 African countries including Ghana. It was held in collaboration with the Southern Africa Catholic Bishops' Conference, SIGNIS, and CEPACS.

Among the participants were the Most Rev. Stephen Brislin, President of the South Africa Catholic Bishops' Conference and Archbishop of Cape Town; Rev. Fr. Janvier Yameogo, a Vatican representative; Madam Petra

Stammen of CAMECO Africa Desk; Sir Benedict Assorow, Managing Editor of The Catholic Standard and UCAP Council member; Mr. George Sunguh and Mrs. Victoria Lugey, UCAP President and Vice respectively.

The theme for the Conference was Using the Media for Promotion of Integral Human Development in Africa with sub themes: Journalism for truth and reconciliation in the Church and of service to people; Promoting Peace, Truth and Reconciliation in Africa in a Digital Age; Making the Church more relevant to the Youth in the Church in Africa and Promoting the Social teachings of the Church through the Media in Africa.

Ghanaian Dr. Anthony Bonnah Koomson, a former Lecturer of the

‘Make Church in Africa Self-reliant’

Contd from front page

Fr. Prof Afful-Broni Is New VC of UEW

ery Rev. Fr. Professor Anthony VAfful-Broni has been inducted as the fourth Vice Chancellor of the

University of Education, Winneba (UEW). He previously held the Pro-Vice-Chancellor position of the University and also became the acting Vice Chancellor.

Speaking at the induction ceremony on Monday, September 17, 2018, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo called on him to use his gifts to promote the spirit of reconciliation in the University during his t e n u r e o f o f f i c e .“It is worth noting, however, that the stakeholders have acted within the confines of the law to ensure that this University has a substantive leadership in place to help it achieve the goals for which it was established. To all whose diverse efforts helped in restoring normalcy to UEW, you have the appreciation of a grateful nation,” h e a d d e d .The President indicated that his Government has demonstrated its commitment to the growth of the University, “and we will help ensure that UEW fulfils its mandate. Our goal is to help restore the teaching profession to the status it once enjoyed, and make it an attractive career choice.”President Akufo-Addo said he was confident in the new Vice chancellor, describing him as a person capable of not only steering the affairs of the University for the next four years, but also spurring it onto

even greater heights.

Addressing the University community and the public, the new Vice-Chancellor said he was going to work to increase the University's student population by next academic year.

He added that the University under his tenure would see a new phase in leadership, infrastructure, and a better relationship between the University and the traditional area.

Fr. Afful-Broni, who 30 years ago was ordained Catholic Priest of the Archdiocese of Cape Coast, has served on many boards nationally and internationally. He is the Immediate past President of the Priests' Senate, and former Chairman of the Education Committee of the Archdiocese of Cape Coast and a member of the College of Consultors for the Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Coast.

He has been a University Chaplain of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW); a Pro-Vice-Chancellor for two consecutive terms; and a Dean of the Faculty of Educational Studies for five years. He was as also the Edi tor- in-Chief of the International Journal of Educational Leadership and former Consultant to the Academic Quality Assurance Unit of the University of Ghana, Legon.

He is member of several professional bodies including: Kappa Delta Pi, Phi Delta Kappa and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), USA.

‘Be Ambassadors of Hope’

themed: Church-Family of God in Africa, Celebrate your Jubilee! Proclaim Jesus Christ your Saviour, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle who is the Treasurer of SECAM, called on a l l P a r i s h e s o n t h e A f r i c a n Continent, particularly in Ghana, to actively participate in the year-long programmes.

They focus on thanksgiving, reflection, repentance, conversion, reconciliation and commitment.

The Golden Jubilee was launched on August 29, 2018 in Kampala, Uganda, the birth place of SECAM and would be climaxed on July 28, 2019 at the same place.

SECAM was born out of the wish of African Bishops who at tended the Second Vat ican Council.

The vision of its founding fathers was to establish a forum and make the Church in Africa fully commit ted to i t s miss ion of evangelisation and the emergence of a fully evangelised Family of God in Africa.

SECAM operates through two major Commissions: the Commission for Evangelisation and the Justice, Peace and Development Commission.

News Desk Report

*Archbishop Palmer-Buckle

*Some African Media Practitioners with Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town, South Africa at the African Catholic Union of the Press (UCAP) Conference in South Africa

School of Communications Studies, University of Ghana and the Catholic University College, Fiapre, delivered a paper on Journalism for truth and reconciliation in the Church and of service to peoples.

The Congress was held at a time the Southern Africa Church is celebrating 200 years of its establishment in the country.

Past UCAP Congresses have been held in Bamako, Mali; Mombasa, Kenya and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

contd. from front page

4

EDITORIALTHE CATHOLIC STANDARD Sunday, September 23 – Saturday, September 29, 2018

Digital Media and Dangers Associated with “Fake News”

his year in the city of Cape Town, South Africa, the Association of Catholic TJournalists in Africa (UCAP) met between September 9-13, to discuss specific matters of special interest to their work, first as Catholics and secondly as

journalists of the Continent, who share one goal of evangelising the world, alongside the Catholic Church.

Under the broad theme of “Using the Media for the Promotion of Integral Human Development in Africa”, the Catholic Journalists deliberated on four topics of relevance to all Catholics. They are:

Ÿ Journalism for truth and reconciliation in the Church and of service to peoples

Ÿ Making the Church more relevant to the youth in the Church in Africa

Ÿ Promoting peace, truth and reconciliation in Africa in a digital age

Ÿ Promoting the social teachings of the Church through the media in AfricaThe topical issues of the Congress are matters extremely dear to the Holy Catholic

Church and continue to find expression on several Catholic platforms, beginning with the Holy Father. In subsequent editions, the fruits of the Congress would be shared in The Catholic Standard. But in the meantime, the danger of digital age communication, which the Holy Father highlighted in his May 2018 World Communication Day message and which became a cornerstone issue at the UCAP Congress, deserves special mention.

This year in his World Communications Day Message, Pope Francis not only drew attention to major challenges posed by the digital age communication, but specifically also to the dangers of present day “fake news”. In the words of Cape Town Archbishop Stephen Brislin, who is also the President of the Southern African Bishops' Conference, “At a time when we hear so frequently of “fake news” and, indeed, when many of us find it difficult to trust what is being presented as “objective facts”, the dangers of “fake news” must be pointed out.

Pope Francis is right in characterising “fake news” as being of “snake tactics.” The reasons are too many to recount: Fake news is vicious because it easily turns victims into “unwilling accomplices” in the spread of falsehood. Fake news is evasive and seductive in character, and thus has the capacity to twist the truth. Fake news is destructive in nature: Not only does it spread quickly, but its “editability” allows messages to be re-crafted to achieve specific and more dramatic impact. For example, in Nigeria a gory video of a blast that occurred years ago was circulated in 2017 along with false news of a non-existent bomb blast in Abuja, the capital.

In the 2016 US election, some viral news was circulated about Pope Francis for having endorsed candidate Donald Trump.

It is not for nothing that Catholic media practitioners at the just-ended UCAP Congress reflected at length on the digital age and “fake news”. There is literally no dispute about the enormous advantages brought about in our lives by the digital age and social media.

Indeed, they are very useful tools for modern-day evangelization, especially for the youth: Social media enable us to capture moments in real time; geographically distanced like-minded individuals are able to share and re-create cultural and spiritual experiences. The retrieval capability of the digital technology permits me and you to access information, when and where we need it. Could we have asked for more?

And yet, in the hands of the villain or the novice (our youths), digital technology (specifically social media and “fake news”) are notoriously dangerous weapons. Whether they come as ''alternative facts”, manipulated content”, or “fabricated “content”, their treacherous influence is the same. They are able to mislead even the very educated to trust and rely on them. The harm of their falsity and knee-jerk reaction, all in real-time communication can hardly be reversed by the same speed. By their viral nature, fake stories tend to be even more popular than normal news from the established media.

As recent as May 13 this year, the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province of the Nigerian Bishops' Conference issued a communiqué about how fake news, and how it is dangerously affecting religious and tribal issues in parts of Nigeria causing panic and triggering chaos.

Last year too, the Philippine Bishops Conference similarly urged Filipino Catholic media to beware of “fake news” and admonished Catholics from “patronising, popularising and supporting its usage.

In line with other Bishops' Conferences, The Catholic Standard similarly calls on the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference to speak out on the topic of the moment.

The Catholic Standard thinks time is of essence, given the culture of browsing among our teeming young persons and their vulnerability to social media and “fake news”.

TO THE EDITOR

LETTER Review Computerised

Placementhe Free Senior High School Tand the Computerised S c h o o l S e l e c t i o n a n d

Placement System (CSSPS) has

brought a lot of joy to school children who do not make any efforts to study because whether they study or not, they would still get good Schools to attend.

Gone were the days when schools like the Mawuli, the OLA Girls, the Mawuko Girls, the Bishop Herman in the Volta Region and other Schools not limited to the Volta Region were the top Schools that take students with excellent grade points.

With the computer selection system and the free SHS, students with grade points like 30-40 are being enrolled to top schools.

Education in Ghana these days is becoming "ugly" each and every day. Rules like "Wholesale Promotion" in the Basic Schools where every pupil must be promoted to the next class no matter the grades is quite disturbing.

It is sad that due to the abolition of corporal punishment in Schools, many pupils disrespect teachers because they cannot be punished. After all, they believe if they learn or not, they will still get a good School to attend.

Many of the pupils in the Basic Schools come to School with mobile phones hidden in their bags.

What interest will they have in learning when all they do with these phones is watching videos, playing games and doing other unnecessary things?

I appeal to teachers, parents, families, community leaders, heads of institutions, politicians and others to have the interest of pupils at heart since they are our future leaders.

Let us speak up to bring change in our education system. A better Education defines a better future. I am not against the Free SHS but certain standards must be set to make this policy work well.

Michelle Selasie SossoeTeacher, Ho

GRANT PROPOSAL WRITING SEMINAR

The Training & Consultancy Unit of the Directorate of Health, National Catholic Secretariat is organizing a “Writeshop” on Grant Proposal Writing as follows:

5TH -7TH NOVEMBER, 2018 DIOCESAN PASTORAL TRAINING

CENTRE, KOFORIDUA

-Seminar Attendance Only: GHS 1,350.00-Seminar & Assistance to develop a funding Proposal: GHS 2,500.00

*Fees cover feeding, accommodation, course materials, information on prospective funders and internet access for research during seminar.Only twenty participants can be accepted at this seminar. Participants must be computer literate and possess good writing skills.

Ms. Abigail Yayah on [email protected] /020 819 1644 OR Nii Otu Ankrah on [email protected] / 050 648 2266 to register or obtain further information on the seminar.

FEES PER PARTICIPANT:

DATE: VENUE:

KINDLY CONTACT

CLOSING DATE FOR REGISTRATION: OCTOBER 19, 2018

5Sunday, September 23 – Saturday, September 29, 2018 THE CATHOLIC STANDARD

The Pilgrims Notes

By Kasise Ricky Peprah

The Columnist

Dear St. JudeA s a c h i l d I w a s m a d e t o

appreciate the devil, Satan or Lucifer, as a be-horned beast with coal-red eyes and with flaring nostrils spewing tongues of fire. He was to my imagination, the most spectacularly ugly and hideous creature ever to walk the earth.

As I grew, I encountered the likes of Jezebel and Judas Iscariot and my views too transformed; I became aware that the devil may just be a gorgeous lady or a good friend and that it was not ever possible to make that judgment, based on appearance.

Every day, we are called upon, as Christians, to show example, being the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ that we are. We are not left, however, to go about that business without hindrance. We are challenged no less by our fellow humans, those of us that have elected to not avail themselves the grace of God.

On many occasions, our little steps at abiding by God's will are consciously disrupted by these opponents. It is a fact of life and I dare say, the will of God, that we be tempted and harassed, maybe even harangued and persecuted for our faith. It would be wishful to aspire to an un-interfered life of witnessing unto our faith. In the same breath it would be naïve to expect our God to rise to our defence on

every occasion for it is in our triumph over these travails that we become worthy of the promises of God.

St. Jude, I have several times apprised you of the increasing difficulty of being good, all with the pervasiveness of evil, cunning and sin. Now more than ever the human is faced with temptations in all facets of our lives. Every facet of our lives is fraught with godlessness, domestic, social and work. Every person at every s t a t i on has become too u sed t o shortchanging God Our Father, bending if not breaking rules. Morality and propriety have long gone endangered and all of us without exception have tailor-made our morality regimes. The result is that the majority of us stand in crying need of redemption.

Today's First Reading is an undisguised picture of our everyday challenges. The consoling bit of the passage is that the naysayers are not in doubt of the promise of God to stand by his people. As Christians, are we even aware of those promises and do we believe them? It appears to me that the evildoers appear to be more knowledgeable in these matters.

Another point which is made crystal clear in the passage is the willingness of the schemers to put us to death. This, as Christians, ought to register and remain in our minds, that the business of fellowshipping in Christ is very dangerous, not only will we attract insults and torture and disgrace but be ready to die

for Him?The Second Reading then goes on to

deal with our own individual challenges. I elect to call them 'challenges' because like all things, when we pray unceasingly, in the right way, Our Father can rid us of them. The passage singles out jealousy and selfish ambition for condemnation, not because they alone constitute abominable behaviour but because they appear to run through all other bad behaviours, if one stretches their meaning.

As Christians, we are called upon to emulate Christ, how then can we be selfish when he is the epitome of sacrifice?

As Christians, we are loved unconditionally by God our Father, of whom can we be, rationally speaking, jealous?

When we are selfish we stand in stark opposition to the very essence of Jesus

Christ and that cannot be pleasing to Him. When we are jealous we fail to 'love

our neighbour as ourselves' which is the demand made of us by Our Father.

The passage then ends on a most crucial note, a critical revelation about our prayer life; 'you do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. We must learn to pray well, pray every day, in thanksgiving and not wait for challenging situations before we bawl out.

The Gospel Reading tells us yet again, in advance, of what will befall Jesus; 'the Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men' but Our Saviour quickly moves on to another issue, that of our attitude to each other;' if anyone would be first, he must be the servant of all'.

The passage then goes to highlight the beauty of the 'unquestioning trust of a child' and decrees that 'whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but Him who sent me'

St. Jude, pray for us so we realise that our faith requires sacrifice, that our travails will be added on by many an opponent putting hindrances in our way and further help us realise that all of this is part of our Creator's design.

Help us know that we are called upon to prove our love for God and not to have a stroll in a park.

Finally, help us appreciate the fact that only in our constant unrelenting effort at being children of God will we earn the right to hope for eternal life in God our Father.

OUR PATH IS STREWN WITH THORNS!

he International TMonetary Fund and t h e Wo r l d B a n k

thr ive on the wings of “ g ro w t h ” a n d s o t h e y d isregard deve lopment methods or patterns that cannot be subjected to their theoretical framework.

T h e i r o p e r a t i o n a l strategies rely on the elite population who use their c o n t r o l o f t h e p o w e r concentra t ions to create exclusionary structures to favour these international organisations.

T h i s c o n s p i r a c y t o f o r e v e r d e p r e s s t h e development efforts of the poor people of the world is always increasing the burden of the Third World while the wealthy continue to increase their spoils. This explains why after 73 Years of IMF/World Bank operation in the Third World, what is observable in A f r i c a a r e d e c l i n e a n d increasing burden of loans and debts. How do we explain the s i t u a t i o n w h e r e , u n d e r IMF/World Bank direction, Africa’s debt of around $115

billion in 1980 jumped two-and-half times to $290 billion in 1992? How do we explain the UN Development Research Institute’s assertion that the richest 10% of adults control 85% of the world’s assets while the vast majority has only 15% (mostly developing world) to

5share? How can we explain the initiation of projects in Africa, mining for example, that pollutes the source of our drinking water and destroys our farms while we turn round to look for remedies for diseases and hunger? Integral Human Development abhors such situations. Profit is the driving force behind such u n e x p l a i n e d a c t i o n s . Unfortunately, these profits are siphoned out of our countries by those who finance the projects, leaving Africa poorer. If it was not for this reason, the IMF/World Bank would not, in spite of the overwhelming evidence of the Structural Adjustment Programme’s f a i lu re , keep on t e l l i ng Africans that the Structural Adjustment programmme “cures failing economies and set them on the path of

6 sustainable growth”. It is for

THE CONCEPT AND PURPOSE OF ‘DEVELOPMENT’ (4)the same reason that most foreign-funded projects only tackle the manifestations of the problems and not their causes. W i t h o u t d o u b t , a n y development strategy based on the dictates of economic growth is a grand deception. As we observe the “Year of Faith”, we all have the duty to ensure that our development projects do not lead us to become hewers of wood and drawers of water. Who also always suffer the pain of hunger and disease and injuries to their dignity? It is a task the New Evangelisation must not fail to tackle.

Technological Alienation One thing that militates

agains t authent ic human development is the diffusion of alien technology and technical change. In our world today, local people have become overwhelmed by fore ign technology to the extent that they largely no longer trust their traditional methods of production. The prevailing overarching systems and structures brought about by the so-called modernization have made poor people become

subservient to “outside way” of doing things; and the sad fact is that they do not understand these “outside ways”, the so-called modern methods. Modern technology engenders “bigness” but the poor of our world know and practise “smallness”. As o p p o s e d t o m o d e r n t e c h n o l o g y, t r a d i t i o n a l technology is cheap and so affordable; simple and so easy to operate and maintain; and culturally-oriented and so conformable and acceptable. The principle of subsidiarity requires that local people

s h o u l d a t a l l t i m e s b e encouraged and allowed to use what they have to provide for their needs and only seek outside help and efficient methods as a last resort. Therefore, for authentic development to pursue its cause, we should improve upon traditional technology rather than supplant it with foreign ones.

When the latter happens, we risk placing technology over ethics, all to the detriment of human dignity.

But technology does not come without foreign interest. The wealthy people of the West are the financiers of the imported technology and all that they are interested in is p r o f i t a n d n o t p o v e r t y reduction in poor areas like Africa or whether disease is e l i m i n a t e d o r w h e t h e r children have access to good education. So instead of, for instance, reinforcing natural and traditional methods of soil fertilisation, we are forced to use imported fertilisers with its attendant injurious effects.

To be continued next week

Sir. Banahene

6 THE CATHOLIC STANDARD Sunday, September 23 – Saturday, September 29, 2018

By Archbishop Emeritus Peter K. Sarpong

Archbishop Sarpong

80TH

Anniversary

1938

2018

he furore and debate that Th a v e g r e e t e d t h e

announcement of the double

track system is yet to settle even as

proponents and opponents continue

to debate the viability or otherwise of

the proposal.

Some have suggested that not

enough consultation was done for the

success of the policy, arguing that the

system will bring down the quality of

SHS education in the country and also

endanger students in terms of what they

may do with their free time as they stay

at home for longer periods. Others have

defended the system arguing that there

is no danger posed to quality education

a n d t h a t u n d e r t h e c u r r e n t

circumstances, the double track system

was the best way to go. Thus, the debate

keeps swinging back and forth. The implementation of the free

SHS policy in Ghana and its potential ramifications is certainly one topic w h i c h g r e a t l y i n t e r e s t s m a n y Ghanaians , and one wor thy of consideration. Beyond the impact that it will have on the national budget, the quality of education, enrolment to universities and future employment opportunities, among others, speaking from a purely ecclesial perspective, I think that one of the areas that will also be affected by the implementation of the free SHS policy is that of minor seminary enrolment and priestly vocations, and it is to this issue that I now turn my gaze. Free SHS in Ghana vis-à-vis Priestly

Vocations: What Potential Impact(s)?

On July 7, 2018, when I did speak at the Fund and Book launch at Amisano and raised some concerns regarding free SHS and its likely impact on Seminary enrolment, I was speaking in the specific context of the St. Teresa Minor Seminary, Amisano, which together with St. Francis Xavier Seminary, Wa, remain today the only two “pure” Minor Seminaries left in the country.

I have deliberately used the word “pure” to describe these two Seminaries to indicate that they are the only Seminaries now where all the students enroll to begin their formation for the Priesthood, with no public school attached. Other Minor Seminaries that used to be “pure” seminaries like the St. James in Sunyani, the Pope John in Koforidua, the St. Mary’s at Lolobi in the Ho Diocese and Takoradi, the St. Charles in Tamale, among others, become Seminary Secondary Schools where other students can attend. Even though the Seminarians in those schools may have their own schedule and

formation programmes, they do certain things in common with the other students such as work, classes, Masses, etc. I am by this not in any way suggesting or implying that the formation in those Schools are defective. Not at all. These Schools are doing excellent jobs. I am just making a simple distinction for clarity sake.

In the remarks I made at the Book launch, my focus then was on the “pure” Minor Seminaries and my position was that parents and guardians whose wards may express genuine desire and interest to enter the Seminary may be tempted to advise their wards rather to take advantage of the free SHS policy instead of enrolling in the (Minor) Seminary where the students pay but modest fees. I stated that this situation may ultimately have the potential of killing several vocations to the Priesthood, and I still stand by that position.

For a period of six years, I had the privilege of teaching in the Minor Seminary at Amisano. During that period, I came to appreciate and understand that some students who enrolled there did so not necessarily to train to become Priests but to obtain quality SHS education and formation while taking advantage of the relatively low fees that was charged.

Some other students who entered the Seminary genuinely to train to become Priests and not necessarily to take advantage of low fees sometimes did not have the means to afford their education despite the low fees charged. We sympathised with such students and tried as much as we could to help them pay their fees so that they would remain in formation. We often got churches and b e n e v o l e n t i n d i v i d u a l s a n d organisations to help.

Many of those who genuinely needed support were helped and went ahead to become Priests while some of those who came ostensibly to get quality education and leave while paying “low” fees sometimes had a conversion of heart along the way and proceeded on to the Priesthood to the glory of God.

By Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Abbey-Quaye

Avoidance of Isolationism and

AlienationTherefore, we are not saying that

everything cultural is good. Nor are we glorifying the past. But we are also against condemning everything in Africa. In other words, in inculturation we steer between 2 extremes. We are African and we are Catholic. We avoid isolationism, the belief that as African, we must remain African and nothing else, and alienation, the mentality that makes us strangers in our own culture because we have become Christians. In other words, inculturation must make us better Africans and better Christians.

Three Poles - SituationFrom all this, a certain picture

emerges, namely, that there are 3 major poles in inculturation – the situation, the message and the agent. We cannot inculturate unless we know the situation we are dealing with. The situation is the setting in which the agent of inculturation becomes active. The situation deals with persons. It is at the service of human needs. There is some problem, tension, question, new possibility or opportunity that calls for reflection, response, resolution or decision. Every pastoral situation is always under the influence of sin and grace, good and evil. In every situation there are positive and negative values, problems and great possibilities, as we have mentioned. So the first task of the agent of inculturation is to become acquainted with the situation in terms of factual data as well as values, present or absent. We should begin with the real rather than the ideal. The myths, dreams, ideals, ultimate concerns and worldview of those involved must be uncovered in a process that calls for very careful study and patient listening.

In doing this, you must work with those within the situation. The pastoral agent helps those in the situation to name their own hopes and fears, their sinful and graced moment. Unless the situation is adequately understood, the pastoral act ion and the direct ion wil l be inadequate. The result will be the difficulty with most sermons; they give answers to questions no one is asking. Somebody has said, we scratch where it is not itching.

MessageThe second pole is the message.

This deals with what to do with the situation as we have found it on analysis. The situation, as understood, is to be addressed. The message consists in the Christian values that are to be brought to bear on the situation. The Christian

message involves the entirety of the Christian heritage, our common memory. Inculturation centres on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ . Other insights are also necessary, apart from biblical insights, what the Church Councils say, the Creeds, the writings of Theologians, the lives and writings of Saints and the liturgical traditions of the Church are all important.

AgentThe third pole refers to the

resource person, you and me, the minister or brother. In addition to knowing the situation and the Christian message, the agent of inculturation should also be aware of his or her own strengths and weaknesses, biases and prejudices. He or she should be aware of a vision of Church, gospel, theology and tradition. He or she must become a trusted authority and resource for those in the cultural situation.

The agent of inculturation enters

the situation with respect and humility,

INCULTURATION

OF THE GOOD NEWS

FROM THE AFRICAN

PERSPECTIVE (4)

knowing that he or she treads on holy

grounds and at the invitation of those

concerned. He or she comes with the

conviction that God is already present in

the situation. The final strategy, the

pastoral action, must arise from the

situation and those in it and not be one

imposed from above or from outside.

Positive Elements in African

Cultures

A careful analysis of the situation

will convince us of what Pope John Paul

II says in the Apostolic Exhortation,

Ecclesia in Africa. He calls attention to

positive values in African culture. In

Nos. 42 & 43, he writes: Although Africa

is very rich in natural resources, it

remains economically poor. At the same

time, it is endowed with a wealth of

cultural values and priceless human

qualities which it can offer to the

Churches and to humanity as a whole.

Some of these values are: a profound

religious sense, a sense of the sacred, of

the existence of God the Creator and of a

spiritual world, the reality of sin in its

individual and social forms and also the

need for rites of purification and

expiation (No. 42)


Fr. Abbey-Quaye


Free SHS' Potential Impact on Priestly Vocations in Ghana: My Take (3)

Sunday, September 23 – Saturday, September 29, 2018 THE CATHOLIC STANDARD 11

Destiny Credit Union Celebrates Anniversary

he Destiny Co-Operative TCredit Union (DCCU) of the St. Anthony of Padua

Cathol ic Church at Agona Swedru in the Cape Coast Archdiocese, recently held its

Annual General Meeting (AGM) to mark its First Anniversary.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Domin ic Vic to r Esse l , appreciated the work of those who saw to the establishment of the Union.

T h e A g o n a We s t Municipal Co-Operative Officer, Mr. Prosper Dei, stated that DCCU is the only Catholic registered Co-Operative Union in the Cape Coast Archdiocese and urged members to cultivate the habit of savings and pay their loans regularly.

The Chairman of the Parish Advisory Board, Mr. Kwesi Aggrey and the Parish Priest, Very Rev. Fr. James Felix Otoo, reiterated the call on the members to cultivate the habit of saving part of their income.

*Some members with the Board of Directors. From Joshua

Anamsibadek Ali

Fr. Dagbui Celebrates Mass at Alakple

ev. Fr. Eric Kplorla RD a g b u i , a n e w l y ordained Priest for the

Ho Diocese recently celebrated a Thanksgiving Mass at the St. Joseph Quasi Parish at Alakple in the Keta-Akatsi Diocese.

T h e M a s s w a s concelebrated by Rev. Fr. Mark Etsey, the Priest in charge and Rev. Fr. Samuel Pius Agbeyesro, a Teacher at the Keta Senior High School at Dzelukope, who preached the homily.

F r . A g b e y e s r o congratulated Fr. Dagbui for becoming a Priest and urged him to be an instrument of peace, reconciliation and love in his

By Damian Avevor priestly journey.

He advised him to make

Jesus his role model and develop

a prayerful life which is the

secret to success in the priestly

ministry.

The Mass was attended by

family members and Alakple

citizens resident in Accra, Tema,

Kumasi, Takoradi and Ho clad

in their colourful ordination

cloths and 'T' shirts.

A d a y b e f o r e t h e

thanksgiving Mass, Fr. Dagbui

was received with a brass band

procession amidst dancing to the

C h u r c h f o r E u c h a r i s t i c

Adoration. The new Priest is a

native of Alakple.

Twelve Initiated Into Tamale COSRA

welve Parishioners of the Holy TCross Parish in Tamale, were recently initiated into the

Catholic Organisation for Social and Religious Advancement (COSRA) with a call on them to promote social and religious activities and the spirit of voluntary service in the youth.

Prior to their initiation, the new initiates had affirmed their commitments to the goals and ideals of COSRA and the Church.

Rev. Fr. Joseph N. O. Sackey, a Curate of the Parish who performed the initiation, advised them to be disciplined,

obedient, humble and live upright lives, shunning vices such as jealousy, envy and fornication.

The new initiates were presented for initiation by Madam Elizabeth Saafaa Paaya, the Archdiocesan President of COSRA, supported by Mr. Matthew Pipio, Chairman of the Archdiocesan Expansion Committee and Madam Patricia Rashida Ewuntomah, the Parish President.

Fr. Sackey inducted the newly

constituted five-member Executive into

Office.

From Francis E. Monnie

*Fr. Sackey (middle behind) with the new initiates and some Executives

Fr. Dagbui being welcomed to Alakple with a bouquet.


80TH

Anniversary

1938

2018Fr. Abizi Memorial Lecture held

memorial lecture Ain honour of the l a t e R e v . F r .

Augustine Kizito Abizi has been organised by the M a r t y r s o f U g a n d a Catholic Church, Beach R o a d , T a k o r a d i t o

t hcommemorate the 10 Anniversary of his death.

Rev. Msgr. Francis Abuah-Quansah , Vicar General of the Sekondi-Ta k o r a d i D i o c e s e a n d c lassmate of Fr. Abiz i recounted their days together

in the Seminary as well as their friendship as Priests.

He referred to Fr. Abizi as "a good friend, great Pastor and counsellor who poured himself out as a sacred oblation on the altar of God."

R e f l e c t i n g o n , Melchizedick, You are a Priest Forever, Msgr. Abuah-Quansah said, "the new Priesthood unlike the old is a reality that is permanent, holy and legitimate."

"A new priesthood has been established far nobler than the old priesthood. Jesus by His death and resurrection has once and for all nullified the old sacrifice which had to be renewed over and over again," he stated.

Msgr. Abuah-Quansah fur ther ment ioned tha t Abraham's encounter with Melchizedek foreshadowed the establishment of the new Priesthood.

He said "unlike the levitical Priests, Christ who is

the embodiment of the new P r i e s t h o o d i s h o l y a n d unblemished."

The Vicar General also encouraged Catholics to emulate the exemplary life of Fr. Abizi whom he described as "a humble man of God who was deliberate, intense, loving and passionate after the things of God."

The late Rev. Fr. Dr. Augustine Kizito Abizi was ordained a Priest by the late B i shop Joseph Amihere

Assuah in 1976. He died on 28th March, 2008 in Rome at 60.

H e w a s t h e f i r s t Parish Priest of the Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Church, Beach Road as well as the Rector of St. Mary's Minor Seminary at Apowa.

He also worked at Tarkwa, St. Peter's Regional Seminary at Pedu and St. Paul's Major Seminary in Sowutouwm, Accra.

P r e s e n t a t t h e

m e m o r i a l

lecture were Very Rev. Fr.

Philip Aku Tandoh, Rev. Frs.

Isaac Kwegyir Cudjoe,

Michael Buah, Emmanuel

Dolphyne, the executives of

the Catholic Charismatic

Renewal, Parishoners of the

Martyrs of Uganda Catholic

Church as well the family and

friends of Fr. Abizi.

From Rev. Fr.

Emmanuel Dolphyne

*Msgr. Abuah-Quansah addressing the participants

*A Section of the Parishioners at the Lecture.

h e C a t h o l i c TW o m e n Association (CWA)

of the Yendi Diocese has donated assorted food to the St. Victor's Major Seminary in Tamale as part of the Association's support to the Seminary.

Mrs. Maria Ayichuru, President of the Association, presented the items to the Rector of the Seminary, Rev. Msgr. Thomas Anamooh a n d p l e d g e d t h e Association's unflinching support to the formation of the future Priests.

The Rector thanked the group for the gesture and commitment to the welfare of the Seminarians. He entreated them to continue their acts of charity in order to uplift humanity and the church.

He prayed for God's guidance and protection for the women in all their endeavours.

The items included six bags of maize, a bag of rice, six bowls of okro and other items.

From Matthew Akakpo

*The Rector with the women and the items.

CWA Donates To St. Victor's Seminary


YOUTH 80TH

Anniversary

1938

2018

ope Francis recently Pspoke to members of

the Italian Parents

A s s o c i a t i o n w h i c h i s

c e l e b r a t i n g i t s 5 0 t h

Anniversary this year. The

Association works to support

parents in their commitment

to family and education

according to the principles of

Christian ethics.

P r a i s i n g t h e

Assoc ia t ion ' s work wi th

reference to the education of

children at school, Pope Francis

noted the alliance between

families and the school system.

But he also highlighted that at

times this partnership is talked

about as being under threat,

s u c h a s , t h e f a m i l y n o t

appreciat ing the work of

risk of being alone in their “educational activity and being less able to face the new educational challenges that come from contemporary culture, from society, from mass media, from new technologies.”

R e f e r r i n g t o h i s Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, the Pope pointed out that "school is not a substitute f o r p a r e n t s b u t i s complementary to them.” Therefore, he continued, in school education, collaboration b e t w e e n t h e v a r i o u s components of the educational community must never be lacking.

' W i t h o u t f r e q u e n t

communication and without

mutual trust, a community is not

built and without a community

i n e h u n d r e d

NKnights and Ladies

of the Altar in the

Sunyani Diocese recently

e n d e d t h e i r D i o c e s a n

Congress at the Sacred

‘Free-SHS Tainted With Partisan Politics’

ev. Msgr. Prof. Stephen RNtim, a Senior Lecturer

a t t h e C a t h o l i c

University College of Ghana,

Fiapre near Sunyani, has stated

that though the Free Senior High

S c h o o l ( S H S ) P o l i c y o f

g o v e r n m e n t i s g o o d a n d

laudable, it is heavily tainted

with partisan politics.

“It was hatched and nurtured

f r o m a p a r t i s a n p o l i t i c a l

perspective. You see the vicious

attacks from the other political

angle. At the end of the day, it is not

one political party who benefits,

but our younger generation- the

future leadership of this country

r e g a r d l e s s o f t h e p o l i t i c a l

affiliations of their parents,” he

added.

In an interview with The

Catholic Standard, Msgr. Ntim

said broad based consultation with

stakeholders in Education should

have started long before the

introduction of the Free-SHS.

“If initial broad based

consultation was done before the

introduction of the Free SHS, our

minds would have been prepared,

but many of us had been expecting

ab initio that this would be the

outcome, he said.”

He stated that the double-

t r a c k S H S s y s t e m b y t h e

government is in the right direction

since it would improve educational

standard. “The 'double-track

school calendar' or 'multiple in-take'

in the history of Education has an

overriding objective to reduce

overcrowding in order to enhance

student-teacher contact hours, I

think it is in the right direction,” he

noted.

“As an educationist, I know

that this system is practised in other

countries. In the United States where

I also studied, I know that it may not

be very common in the East Coast-

New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia

etc. but it is practised in few States-

California, North Carolina. It is also

well known in Japan,” he noted.

According to Msgr. Ntim,

education research studies in many

parts of the world suggest a positive

correlation between large class size

(overcrowded classes) and over-all

poor students' performance.

He was of the opinion that if

a l l s t a k e h o l d e r s - s t u d e n t s ,

classroom teachers, parents, school

administrators, the Ghana Education

*Msgr. Ntim

Pope to Parents: Work Together With Schoolsteachers, and

s c h o o l s

f e e l i n g t h e

i n v a s i v e

influence of

p a r e n t s .

To change this

situation, the

P o p e s a i d ,

“ s o m e o n e

must take the

first step”, so

that trust can

be nurtured. He stressed that without schools and t e a c h e r s , parents ran the

i t i s no t poss ib le to

educate, he added.”

Reinforcing the

aspect of collaboration

be tween parents and

educators, Pope Francis

recounted a story from his

childhood, telling those

present that after talking

back to his teacher, his

mother was called and

arrived at the school. Then

in front of the teacher his

m o t h e r t o l d h i m t o

apologise, which he did.

He said, he thought

the episode was finished

and done with, but his

mother had other ideas

when he got home.

He also commented

that it was the task of the

Church to help eliminate

the educational isolation

that families can feel,

adding that the Church

community was a place

where parents could come

to r ece ive t r u s t and

support.

Conc lud ing h i s

words, Pope Francis told

the parents gathered that

children “are the most

precious gift you have

received,” noting that it

was their commitment and

generosity that would help

their children grow in faith

and character.

vaticannews.va

Mass Servers End Congress In Sunyani

Heart Parish at Penkwase,

Sunyani.

There were various talks,

a Bible quiz and games.

A thanksgiving Mass

presided over by Most Rev.

Matthew Gyamfi, Bishop of

t h e S u n y a n i D i o c e s e ,

climaxed the Congress. The

Bishop was assisted by Rev.

Fr. Michael Amo Gyau,

Chaplain of the Mass Servers.

In a Sermon, Bishop

Gyamfi advised Mass Servers

to lead holy lives by staying

away from drugs (Indian herbs

a n d t r a m a d o l ) a n d

drunkenness.

He urged them to learn

from their Priests and aspire to

t h e P r i e s t h o o d a n d t h e

Religious Life

*Bishop Gyamfi (in Mitre) with the Mass Servers.

From Michael Akornoba

By Damian Avevor

THE CATHOLIC STANDARD Sunday, September 23 – Saturday, September 29, 201814

THANK YOU ST. JUDE NOVENAMost Holy Apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honours and invokes you universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Make use I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you, to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly - (here make your request) that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever. I promise, O blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favour, to always honour you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen.

thSay this prayer 9 times a day for 9 days. By the 8 day, your prayer will be answered. It has never been known to fail.

Publication must be promised. – By De-Tembea Ltd.

n the last few weeks, the Inational discourse has fixated on the issue of the

National Cathedral. While support for the project has been muted, the opposition has been quite strident. Some of those who oppose the idea of a National Cathedral claim the instigation of the project to be a dangerous interference of the government in religious matters, others question the prioritization of such a project in view of the urgent shortfall in the provision of schools, hospitals and other social amenities all over the country.

T h e f a c t t h a t t h e immediate past General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong has clarified that government will not pay for the National Cathedral has not abated the anger and suspicion of those who oppose the idea. Last week we were fed with the i n fo rma t ion the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC) has indicated that they were in support of the idea of a National Cathedral, o n l y t h a t t h e l e v e l o f consultation could have been more effective.

It is our view that the discourse on the National C a t h e d r a l h a s b e e n unnecessarily polarised so much so that some people can actually question what the purpose of a Cathedral could be. We would like to note that like all National Cathedrals, the one in Ghana is going to be m o r e t h a n a h i s t o r i c a l monument; it is going to be primarily the house of God and the abode of men, because such a building invariably becomes responsible for

h u m a n a n d C h r i s t i a n e x p e r i e n c e . T h a t n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g , t h e d e s i g n a t i o n “ N a t i o n a l C a t h e d r a l ” d o e s n o t necessarily make the building exclusive to Christians. The US National Cathedral is always looked upon as a home for interfaith dialogue. During the Second World War, the US Congress designated the Cathedral as the national house of prayer for all people. Reflecting the diversity of religious belief in America, the C a t h e d r a l c o n t i n u e s t o promote interfaith dialogue and co-operation by bringing together leaders of different religious traditions.

Today, the Cathedral st i l l embodies President Washington's original intent to s e r v e a l l p e o p l e w i t h numerous interfaith events, including the exhibit ion “Amen: A Prayer for the World,” featuring the work of Muslim, Christian and Jewish artists.

For this reason, even though we give due respect to all who have expressed views on the issue, we of the National Ca tho l i c La i ty Counc i l (NCLC) wish to indicate our support for the National Cathedral in Ghana, and w o u l d l i k e t o u rg e a l l Catholics in the country to put thei r weight behind the project. We are being told that t he cons t ruc t ion o f the Cathedral will be financed through contributions from the churches of the country. It seems to us that quite very soon we will be called upon by our Bishops to put something aside for the construction of this National Cathedral. We hope that when such a time

arrives Catholics all over will mobilise the needed funds to make their contributions.

There are others who have questioned the proposed site for the construction of the Cathedral. The uproar against the location in a prime area of the capital city is not so much because government will be facilitating the acquisition of the land, but for the fact that certain structures including the residences of judges, the Pas spo r t Off i ce and the Scholarship Secretariat will have to be pulled down.

Actually, some members of the board in charge of the project have indicated their wil l ingness to locate the Cathedral elsewhere. We hold the view that there has been too much emotionalism attached to the issue of demolition and relocation of some offices and residences to make way for the Cathedral. Wherever National Cathedrals have been built they have been located at prime areas of the nation's capital city.

A few examples may serve our purpose here. In L o n d o n , t h e N a t i o n a l Cathedral, St. Paul's, stands at the highest point of the city. W h e n P r e s i d e n t G e o rg e Washington of the US proposed “a great Church for national purposes.”, it was built “atop a

h i l l o v e r l o o k i n g t h e monuments to battles and pol i t ica l heroes of the nation's capital”. The French National Cathedral, the Notre Dame, is located in an area referred to as the “island of the city”, which is the centre of the ancient Lutetia, the medieval and contemporary Pa r i s . I t cove r s s even hectares at the crossroads of the navigation on the river Seine and the Roman road called the cardo, currently in the axis street of St. Martin and St. Jacques Street . National Cathedrals are never located at peripheral areas of town, they are never planted at city outskirts forlorn and lonely. Whenever it becomes the will of God to inspire a nat ion to the construction of a habitation to His glorious name, He moves them to the midst of their dwellings, to the places where life is most intense.

T h e N a t i o n a l Catholic Laity Council wishes to alert all Catholics to the fact that the National Cathedral is a project that will allow us to collaborate with our other brothers and sisters, who also believe in our Blessed Lord Jesus Chr i s t , t o under t ake a common project that will bring all of us together. We prefer to talk about this coming together as oil poured upon the head of Aaron, flowing down his beard, and exuding supernal fragrance of love. Catholics should be reminded that the heroes of faith whose contributions supported the construction of those magnificent Cathedrals a n d B a s i l i c a s t h a t w e s o m e t i m e s v i s i t o n

NATIONAL CATHOLIC LAITY COUNCIL, GHANAStatement on the National Cathedral for Ghana

pilgrimage to other climes were not people who were in any way spared of any of those necessities and shortages of life that certain people are q u i c k t o t a l k a b o u t a s hindrances to a project like this. We do not believe that we need to prioritise social and economic infrastructure over r e l i g i o u s o r s p i r i t u a l infrastructure.

To c o n c l u d e t h i s statement on the National Cathedral, we should like to refer to some aspects of an article published in the New York Times on the subject by the Nigerian, Dr. Okeke-Agulu a professor of art history at Princeton. The professor heads his article as “ G h a n a D e s e r v e s T h i s Cathedral. Don't Fight It”. While he thinks those who oppose the project are right to point to endemic social problems, he thinks they are wrong to connect those problems to the National Cathedral. Dr. Okeke-Agulu thinks the proposed Cathedral is a “huge deal”, and that “it signals that the country is poised to consolidate the gains of decades of democracy. And the new interdenominational Christian Cathedral would insp i re ambi t ious c iv ic architecture projects across the continent that harness the talents of Africa's emerging artists”. According to the professor, when the project is completed it will be “a place 'where religion, democracy a n d l o c a l t r a d i t i o n a r e seamlessly and symbolically intertwined.'”

Dr . Joseph Arko,Chairman,

National Catholic Laity Council

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*Dr. Arko

Reflection on

God's Word

15

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR —YEAR B

oday is the 25th Sunday of the TYear and for the past four Sundays, our second reading is

from the Letter of St. James. James' letter reflects the ideals of a Jewish community of Christian faith. Their spirituality has its roots in the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament and its call to live in harmony with God's ways.

Today's reading shows how well these first Christians have learned the lesson Jesus was teaching the apostles on their way to Jerusalem. We are all challenged to look into our own lives as James names those things that belong to a world shaped by selfishness: 'jealousy and ambition', 'disharmony', 'battles between yourselves', unrealistic desires 'so that you fight to get your way by force'. Permit me to reflect with you on the theme: The Hidden secret of Greatness.

The Letter of James, the source of our second readings for some Sundays now, is a great summary lesson of thoughtful Gospel mora l i ty and inc ludes some grea t psychological insights. Evil passions from within us are the true sources of what is wrong in society. Today we live in a very passionate time. People wear their angers and passions overtly and loudly. The trouble is that too often those angers are misdirected and aimed at the wrong people.

We look for someone to blame and usually that blame is heaped heavily on others who are different from us. It is the old

Sunday, September 23 – Saturday, September 29, 2018 THE CATHOLIC STANDARD

By Rev. Fr. Daniel Tetteh Tackie

Anniversary

1938

2018

“Us vs Them” rush to judgment, generally oversimplified, which destroys and deceives any who wishes to engage the wisdom of engaging the complexities of

* Fr. Tackie

truthfulness. Wisdom, as James writes, is (among other things) “peaceable, gentle ... full of mercy, and good fruits.” “Righteousness” is also used and might be better translated for our ears as “genuine justice,” as in God's justice, which is fundamental to both Judaism and Christianity. It means making sure that everyone in society has enough by which to live a secure, healthy, peaceful, and dignified life. Edifying behaviour towards all (including those different from us) is necessary for faithful discipleship.

If one claims to follow Christ, then he or she must (!!!) consider how to follow the entire Gospel Christ preached even when, and especially when, the disciple is made to suffer for living the Gospel. Truth telling means reviewing our own group or party, as well as others. Compassion means having some significant humane concern for everyone, even for those who wish us ill. Peace making is not merely winning a battle, but building a healthy, dignified, respectful, and secure l i fe worth l iving for individuals and society.

The secret of greatness is the way of humility; it has to do with bending low. St. James said that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). In the Gospel of Luke (14:11) our Lord made it clear that those who exalt

themselves will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. In his letter to the Philippians (2:3), St. Paul said: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves”. The Psalmist (25:9) said: “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way”.

Humility that breeds and bring greatness is not an ideology but a practical fact. For instance, if someone wishes to pass an examination the individual is expected to read, and to read, one needs to bend down the head .To reach at something far above your head, you need to bend low before jumping up; in fact the lower you bend the higher you will jump. The word humility comes from the Latin humus, which means soil. Hence, to be humble is to bring oneself down to the level of the soil.

There is need for us to do some

deflating in our lives to enable us pass through into greatness. There is need for us to rely on God because he is the one who sets the platform of greatness. The stance of St. James today is also relevant (James 3:16-4:3). Among other things the apostle pointed out that we are often filled with the desire to be great and first to the extent that we do not mind doing evil things like killing to achieve our selfish motives. This plays out very well in political positions as well as in the acquisition of material wealth. Some people even vow to go to any length provided they get what they want.

Do you want to be great? Do you want to take the first position? The best way and manner is to start small, to bend low; to stoop to conquer. Yes! To kneel is to win. There is no need to scramble over greatness or first position. There is a place God has reserved for you in life; locate it and maintain it. Do not take a position that does not belong to you. Do not operate with a borrowed robe. Your greatness will come tomorrow if you start today by being humble.

We conclude by recalling the instruction of St. James today in the Second Reading and relating it to the process of being great. The apostle began by establishing that jealousy and selfishness bring about disorder and eve ry v i l e p rac t i ce . A c r i t i ca l examination of the aforementioned vices shows that they are intimately linked with pride and opposed to humility, which takes us to greatness. Practically applied, we cannot achieve greatness by being jealous and determined to pull others down.

80TH

Life Of SAINTS

READINGS: Wisdom 2:12, 17-20, Psalm 53: 3-6, 8; James 3:16 – 4:3, Mark 9:30-37

THEME: THE HIDDEN SECRET OF GREATNESS

Feastday: September 27

t. Vincent de Paul was Sborn to a poor peasant family in the French

village of Pouy on April 24, 1 5 8 1 . H i s f i r s t f o r m a l education was provided by the Franciscans. He did so well, he was hired to tutor the children of a nearby wealthy family. He used the monies he earned from teaching to continue his formal studies at the University of Toulose where he studied theology.

He was ordained in 1600 and remained in Toulose for a time. In 1605, while on a ship traveling from Marseilles to Narbone, he was captured, brought to Tunis and sold as a slave. Two years later he and his master managed to escape and both returned to France.

St. Vincent went to Avignon and later to Rome to continue his studies. While there, he became a Chaplain to the Count of Goigny and was placed in charge of distributing money to the deserving poor. He became pastor of a small parish in Clichy for a short time, while also serving as a

St. Vincent de PaulTutor and Ppiritual Director.

From that point forward he spent his life preaching and providing relief to the poor. He even established hospitals for them. This work became his passion. He later extended his concern and ministry to convicts. The need to evangelise and assist these souls was so great and the demands beyond his own ability to meet that he founded the Ladies of Charity, a lay institute of women, to help, as well as a religious institute of priests - the Congregation of Priests of the Mission, commonly referred to now as the Vincentians.

This was at a time when there were not many Priests in France and those that were there, were neither well-formed nor faithful to their way of life. Vincent helped reform the Clergy and the manner in which they were instructed and prepared for the Priesthood. He did this first through the presentation of retreats a precursor to our modern day Seminaries. At one point his community was directing 53 upper level Seminaries. His retreats, open to priests and laymen, were so well

attended that it is said he infused a "Christian spirit among more than 20,000 persons in his last 23 years."

The Vincentians remain with

us today with nearly 4,000 members

in 86 countries. In addition to

his Order of Vincentian priests,

St. Vincent co-founded the

Daughters of Charity along

with St. Louise de Marillac.

There are more than 18,000

Daughters today serving the

needs o f the poor in 94

countries. He was eighty years

old when he died in Paris on

September 27, 1660.He had

"become the symbol of the

successful reform of the French

C h u r c h " . S t . Vi n c e n t i s

sometimes referred to as "The

Apostle of Charity" and "The

Father of the Poor".

His incorrupt heart can be found in the Convent of the Sisters of Charity and his bones have been embedded in a wax effigy of the Saint located at the Church of the Lazarist Mission. Both sites are located in Paris,

France.

Two miracles have been attributed to St Vincent - a nun cured of ulcers and a laywoman cured of paralysis. As a result of the first, Pope Benedict XIII beatified him on August 13, 1729. Less than eight years later (on June 16, 1737) he was canonised by Pope Clement XIII. The Bull of Canonisation recognised Vincent for his charity and reform of the clergy, as well as for his early role in opposing Jansenism.

It has been reported that St. Vincent wrote more than 30,000 letters in his lifetime and that nearly 7,000 had been collected in the 18th century. There are at least five collections of his letters in existence today.

The Feast Day of St . Vincent, Patron of all charitable societies, is September 27.

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2018 – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

Caritas Ghana Opens E-waste

Centre at NCS aritas Ghana, a development agency of the CGhana Catholic Bishops' Conference ( G C B C ) h a s s t a r t e d a n E - Wa s t e

Management Project with the opening of a collection centre at the N a t i o n a l C a t h o l i c Secretariat (NCS) in Accra.

The centre manned by trained personnel in e-waste management will rece ive end-of -cyc le refrigerators, television se ts , mobi le phones , c o m p u t e r s a n d accessories, among other e lec t ronic i tems, for proper recycling and disposal.

Dubbed Care for o u r C o m m o n H o m e project, the project was launched in October 2017,

in response to calls by Pope Franc is in h i s second Encyclical, 'Laudato Si' for immediate action to address electronic waste.

It is being sponsored by the GCBC and the Catholic Relief Services ( C R S ) w i t h t e c h n i c a l support from Deutsche G e s e l l s c h a f t f ü r I n t e r n a t i o n a l e Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

M r. S a m u e l Z a n A k o l o g o , E x e c u t i v e Secretary of Caritas Ghana and Department of Human Development at the NCS, advised Ghanaians to desist from the usual practice of k e e p i n g , a d d i n g t o household refuse or burning of e-waste, saying that it was not only harmful to human health but also destroys the environment.

He implored them to deposit their used electronic items at the NCS centre and o t h e r c e n t r e s t o b e established in some Parishes in Accra.

Mr. Akologo stated that the project would not o n l y e n s u r e t h e environmentally friendly and safe ways in the disposal and recycling of electronic waste but would also create

employment for the youth w h o w o u l d m a n t h e collection centres.

He said a second centre had been established at the City of Hope (Agblogboshie) in Accra and would be replicated in all Dioceses in the country.

He disclosed that the Apostolic Administrator of Accra, Most Rev. Charles P a l m e r - B u c k l e , h a d sponsored the training of 70 youth from 45 Parishes in Accra for the project.

Very Rev. Fr. Lazarus Anondee, Secretary General of NCS, the first to present a used television set from his office to the centre, urged all to bring their items to the centre and in so doing help to protect lives and preserve the earth.

Mrs. Vivian Ahiayibor, Executive Director of City Wa s t e R e c y c l i n g L t d . , partners in the project, said the project was receiving positive response from all the Dioceses.

She said the waste c o l l e c t e d w o u l d b e segregated, dismantled, some recycled and the wanted parts properly disposed of by the Company, stressing that it would follow standard safety rules in its operations.

By Doreen Darko

*Fr. Anondee (right) presenting the television set to Mr. Maxwell Mensah, in-charge of the Centre. Looking on are some Staff of the NCS and City Waste.

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