Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On 24 April in the apostolic palace Pope Benedict XVI received a group of Catholic Bishops from Ghana on their five year ad limina visit: “My dear Brothers, the Pope told the Bishops, I am aware that this year is a special Jubilee for the Church in Ghana. In fact, just yesterday, April 23rd, was the Hundredth Anniversary of the arrival of missionaries in the northern part of your Country. It is my special prayer that missionary zeal will continue to fill you and your beloved people, strengthening you in your efforts to spread the Gospel”.
“Your country has made great strides in recent years to deal with the scourge of poverty and to strengthen the economy - the Pope said in his address - Notwithstanding this laudable progress, much still remains to be done to overcome this condition which impedes a large portion of the population. Extreme and widespread poverty often results in a general moral decline leading to crime, corruption, attacks on the sanctity of human life or even a return to the superstitious practices of the past”. In this situation the Church is called to shine “as a beacon of hope in the life of the Christian”, helping the faithful to understand better the promises of Jesus Christ, intensifying programmes of formation to help the faithful deepen their Christian faith and so take their rightful place in Christ’s Church and in society .
The Holy Father then underlined the important mission of catechists expressing gratitude “to the many committed men and women who selflessly serve your local Church in this way”, “courageous messengers of the joy of Christ” despite obstacles encountered in their ministry. The Pope urged the Bishop to ensure that these evangelists “receive the spiritual, doctrinal, moral and material support they require to carry out their mission properly”.
Remarking that half the population of Ghana is formed of young people, the Pope said “the Church must address their problems in a frank and loving way”, providing formation to help meet their needs and strengthen their Catholic identity and give them “the necessary tools to confront the challenges of changing economic realities, globalisation and disease. It will also assist them in responding to the arguments often put forward by religious sects.”.
Another important matter on which the Pope touched in his discourse was Christian family and marriage. “Many of you are concerned about the proper celebration of Christian marriage in Ghana - Pope Benedict XVI said -. I share your concern and therefore invite the faithful to place the Sacrament of Matrimony at the centre of their family life. While Christianity always seeks to respect the venerable traditions of cultures and peoples, it also seeks to purify those practices which are contrary to the Gospel. For this reason it is essential that the entire Catholic community continue to stress the importance of the monogamous and indissoluble union of man and woman, consecrated in holy matrimony. For the Christian, traditional forms of marriage can never be a substitute for sacramental marriage”.
The Pope ended his address with a word on the importance of formation for priests: “The priesthood must never be seen as a way of improving one’s social standing or standard of living. If it is, then priestly gift of self and docility to God’s designs will give way to personal desires, rendering the priest ineffective and unfulfilled. I therefore encourage you in your continuous endeavours to ensure the suitability of candidates for the priesthood and to guarantee proper priestly formation for those who are studying for the sacred ministry.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 25/4/2006, righe 44, parole 604)
