The Correspondent of RECOWACVERAO NEWS AGENCY, REONA based in Accra, the commercial and political capital of Ghana has peeped into the future of the Church in this country. Amid Ghana’s Dwindling Catholic Population Kelechi Okpe reported that this country’s Bishops Want “those experiencing a crisis of faith” to be Re-evangelized.
She wrote that the Catholic Bishops in Ghana are advocating for re-evangelization in the West African nation targeting Catholics going through a “crisis of faith” as well as non-Catholics keen on “the Gospel message of salvation.”
In a collective statement following their five-day annual Plenary Assembly that concluded on November 15, members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) characterized the need for re-evangelization as an “urge” amid the country’s grim Catholic population.
“This call is even more urgent in the wake of the rather unflattering statistics of the Catholic population in Ghana revealed by the 2021 census,” GCBC members say, referring to the country’s 2021 Population and Housing Census (2021 PHC), which revealed a 5.1% decline of Catholics since the 2010 census, from 15.1% to 10.0%.
They emphasize, “All Catholics, but most especially the Church’s pastoral agents – Bishops, Priests, Consecrated Persons, Catechists, and Society Leaders – must work more assiduously towards re-proposing the Gospel to those who are experiencing a crisis of faith and reach out to lapsed Catholics and even non-Catholics who are seeking the Gospel message of salvation.”
In the collective statement following their November 11-15 Plenary Assembly that took place at St. Pope John Paul II Formation and Training Centre, Ofoase Kokoben, of Obuasi Catholic Diocese, Ghana’s Catholic Bishops emphasize the Church’s core mission of proclaiming Christ as Lord and making disciples, which they say is a “non-negotiable imperative”.
“This is a call for renewed zeal and vigour and strategies which are suited to the needs of the time,” they say, referring to the December 1975 Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Paul VI on Evangelization in the Modern World, Evangelii Nuntiandi.
During the five-day Plenary Assembly that concluded on November 15, GCBC members reflected on the protracted violence in Ghana’s region of Bawku, which has reportedly caused displacement of people and loss of human life and livelihoods for survivors.
The Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year guided the Catholic Bishops’ Plenary Assembly that was realized under the theme, “Jubilee Year: A Time to Proclaim Christ, Hope for the Church and Ghana.”
In his speech at the opening of the Plenary Assembly, the GCBC President said that the theme of their Plenary Assembly was an invitation for the Bishops in the West African nation to “reflect on several key aspects,” including the fostering of hope in the country, hope in the Church, and renewal among others.
“Our theme speaks of proclaiming Christ as the hope for Ghana,” Bishop Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi said, adding that during the Plenary Assembly, GCBC members that the mandate to “explore how faith can bring hope to the Catholic population and all people of goodwill in Ghana.”
In their collective statement, GCBC members say that the Church looks at Jesus Christ as the guiding light. They go on to underline the need for pastoral agents to lead by example of they can succeed in getting the lapsed Christians back to faith.
They called for a renewed focus on Christ’s message and mission and encouraged initiatives towards those in spiritual and emotional distress. By doing so, they say, the Church can reaffirm its role as “a beacon of hope and unity”.
This mission, though challenging, is essential for revitalizing the faith of both active and lapsed Catholics, GCBC members say, adding that the mission also serves as an invitation to non-Catholics to encounter the transformative power of the Gospel.
They challenge the 71% of Ghanaians, who reportedly identify themselves as Christians to make their Christian faith visible as to reflect in all areas of Ghana’s shared life.
Hoping in the person of Jesus Christ can shape the broader social, cultural, and national life of the country, Ghana’s Catholic Bishops say, adding, “Our hope in Him must be seen to be directing all aspects of our collective realities.”
“As we journey through this Jubilee Year, may its significance as a time for reflection, renewal, and reaffirmation of our commitment to Christ, the eternal hope of the Church and our beloved nation, Ghana, not elude us,” GCBC members say.
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