The clergy has been called upon, to pay attention to the challenges facing the Laity today in living out their God-Given vocation of family life; the delicate role of the pastor in providing the necessary pastoral care.
The call was made during the opening ceremony of the 27th National and 15th Biennial National Union of Ghanaian Diocesan Priest’s Association NUGDPA Congress, currently under in Navrongo at University for Development Studies UDS Campus.
The theme for the congress is “Challenges of in the Catholic Marriages; the role of the Priest”.
The Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese, the host was founded by the Society of the Missionaries of Africa, the White Fathers in 1906, having entered the then Gold Coast from the Upper Volta now Burkina Faso.
The mission became an Apostolic Prefecture in 1926 and was later raised to the status of an Apostolic Vicaeiate in 1934.
The Navrongo Diocese was established in 1956, until 1977 when it was renamed, the Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga following the transfer of the Episcopal See from Navrongo to Bolgatanga, the capital of the Upper East Regional.
In his address, Bishop of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese Rt. Rev. Alfred Adjenta indicated that, the church feels the joys and hope, grief and anguish of the masses within and beyond the region.
The Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese he said cannot alienate itself from the situation of the very people the church is called to server.
Bishop Adjenta stated that, the social dimension of the Gospel emphasized by Pope Francis shows the deep correlation between evangelization and human advancement.
In a keynote address delivered by Very Reverent Father Augustine Abasi, the Chaplin of UDS on the theme, “The Challenges of the Catholic Marriages; the role of the Priest, stressed that, the catholic marriage in its uniqueness has a peculiar challenges emanating from its own understanding and living out its own uniqueness.
Father Abasi stated that there are internal and external challenges specific to age, background, cultural experiences, and religious context and maturity of those players involved and the environment contribute significantly to the challenges.
The President of NUGDPA Rev. Father Francis Appiah Kubi in his address said it has been observed that, adult Christian, traditionally married do not have access to the sacraments; they can neither take communion nor fully participates in the life ecclesial community because they are considered ‘public sinners’.
As a result, those young people he indicated that, become accustomed to life without Sacrament and consequently, the church becomes alien to them.
The Upper East Regional, Paulina Abayage a guest to the occasion indicated that, if society is to remain the haven of peace and harmony that Ghana desires, there is the need to strengthen institutions and structures that has the capacity to mould families Oasis of love, unity and fraternity.
She therefore urged the Cleagy to remain committed to working for the sanctity of marriages as the foundation of life and humility.
The opening ceremony of the 27th National and 15th Biennial National Union of Ghanaian Diocesan Priest’s Association NUGDPA Congress brought together chiefs, Ministers of State, MMDCEs, the Muslim community among other functionaries.
Story by: Emmanuel Akayeti
