President Kufuor congratulates Cardinal-Elect Appiah-Turkson

Accra, Oct. 8, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has described the selection of Archbishop Peter Appiah-Turkson as Cardinal as a great honour to the nation and the Catholic Church in Ghana.

He said: "We are very happy for Archbishop Appiah-Turkson for the history he has made for Ghana. To us as a government, we are overjoyed. We are very happy and share in the joy."

President Kufuor was speaking when a three-man delegation led by Archbishop George Kocherry, Apostolic Nuncio of the Catholic Church in Ghana, officially informed the Government about the elevation of Archbishop Appiah-Turkson at the Castle, Osu.

He said the Cardinal-Elect would be provided with a diplomatic passport to facilitate his new role, adding that the Ghana Mission in Rome would be informed to provide the needed courtesies for him. President Kufuor said the Government would send a delegation to grace the investiture of Cardinal-Elect Appiah-Turkson.

The investiture of the Cardinal-Elect would take place on Tuesday, October 21 followed by the official mass the next day. Both events would take place in The Vatican.

President Kufuor congratulated Pope John Paul II, on his 25th anniversary celebration and accepted an invitation to attend a Pontifical High Mass to be held at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Accra on Sunday October 19 to commemorate the day.

Archbishop Kocherry said all Catholic Bishops in Ghana would participate in the Mass, adding that the local Church would send a delegation to the investiture of Cardinal-Elect Appiah-Turkson in Rome. Other members of the delegation were, Archbishop Dominic Andoh, Catholic Bishop of Accra Diocese and the Very Reverend Seth Osei Agyemang, Secretary-General of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference. Cardinal-Elect Appiah-Turkson was the Archbishop of the Cape Coast Diocese and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, before Pope John Paul conferred the title on him on September 27.