New Bishop asked to take issues of social justice seriously

Bolgatanga, June 30, GNA - Mr Alexander Asum-Ahensah, the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, has appealed to church leaders to come out with a common code of conduct on church activities in order to bring down negative tendencies that are creeping into churches. Mr Asum-Ahmensa said some of the negative tendencies such as drugs, high sexual immorality, fraud and homosexuality were marring the image of Christianity and reducing the trust of people in churches. He said this on Wednesday at the Episcopal ordination and installation of the Most Reverend Alfred Agyenta, Bishop elect of the Navrongo Bolgatanga Catholic Diocese. Mr Asum-Ahmensa expressed his over the increasing church politics, divisions and factions among many church faithful which have also brought many churches into disrepute.

He appealed to churches to patch up their differences and urged the new Bishop and his colleagues to work towards bringing sanity into the Christian society in the country. In his homily the Most Rev Joseph Osei-Bonsu, Bishop of Konongo-Mampong and President of the Ghana Bishops' Conference, urged the new Bishop to take issues of democracy and social justice seriously.

He said the prophets condemned those who got rich at the expense of the poor.

"When the fulfilment of the human person and respect for his or her dignity are violated, you have the duty as well as a right to speak against social injustice and other forms of exploitation," Most Rev Osei-Bonsu said. Most Rev Agyenta who expressed gratitude to the Pope for the privilege and confidence reposed in him.