Re: On the Papal Award to President Kufour

Bro. Dominic’s article on the papal award to former President Kufour shed light on the reasons why he doesn’t merit the award is interesting indeed. I will like to congratulate him for sharing his candid opinion very well and in defence of the Pope and the sanctity of the Holy Catholic church. However, the substance of his argument need to be critical examine to put in the right perspective the essence of such an award to the former President as well as inform the general public what the awards means to the Catholic church and well-meaning civil society who stand to protect the dignity of the human person. Among the issues he raised, was the fact that the former President is a freemason and catholic, therefore deserve to be automatically excommunicated. Also he does not merit the award because of his deeds and involvement in corrupt practices as a former president. He accuses the Catholic church in Ghana of being unfair in her criticism of PNDC /NDC governments compared to the Kufour’s government
One question Bro. Dominic failed to clearly define in his article was who deserves to be given a Papal award? An award of papal knighthood has rich tradition beginning from the medieval era. According to the Vatican website, in modern times, the Pope give such awards to those who have served the Catholic church in a distinct manner considered by the reigning Pope as befitting for honour . Lay faithful, Parish Priest, Diocesan Bishop, Apostolic Nuncio and Vatican State officials all have a role to play in this nomination for the award by the Pope. There are five main orders of papal awards which are given to Catholics, non-Catholics and non-Christians. They are given for specific reasons and to specific people by the Holy See that is the reigning Pope and the Head of State of Vatican and not necessarily by the church per se. It is also not an automatic ticket to heaven or a consideration for sainthood.
In the particular case of the former president, he was awarded the Order of St Gregory the Great knight commander, which is in the fourth order of the papal award. This category of award is given to Catholics and non- Catholics including people of non- Christian faith for their service to the church and society. According to Ghana New Agency report, some specific reasons cited for the former President to receive the award was because he stood against the International gay conference to be held in Ghana and supported Religious and Moral Education in Junior High Schools. In essence the award is for influential people in society who have tried to defend and promote the social and political interest of Vatican in their secular circumstances. Just as in the bible, Nehemiah sought for the influence of Esther to change the decision of the king, so do the pope seeks the influence of the faithful and ‘good friends’ who may not necessarily be Catholics. One way he commit himself in such relationships is through papal awards.
Therefore, Bro. Dominic’s argument that the former President is freemason does not technically affect his qualification for a papal award and more specifically the Knighthood of the Order of St Gregory the Great. He may want to prove the former president is a freemason for which the Catholic church forbids its members at the treat of excommunication. However, the evidence he has given so far is obviously porous and need to be validated probably by the former president himself. I will also suggest to Bro. Dominic that if he feels strongly about the evidence he has, he should find the appropriate channel to inform Vatican. But I am not sure, if that still disqualifies the former president the merit of the Order of St Gregory the Great. In the USA and UK, papal awards has been given to non-Catholics including Anglicans, Moslems and Jews. For example the American Rabbi in the conservative movement, Mordecai Waxman was given the same award in 1998.
Bro. Dominic stated that “in the 25 years of my life on earth, I have never come across a Non-catholic who has received a papal award”. This really show that he has not live long to know much and has not been a good student enough to research. A simple search on the internet on the subject will produce a better knowledge and understanding of papal awards. He should remember it is the reigning Pope that gives the award on recommendation by faithful. Therefore, in principle Pope Benedict has a right to befriend any one including a freemason who happens to share similar interest of promoting religious and moral education in public school as well as protecting the sanctity of marriage. Just as Bro. Dominic chooses who becomes his friends with an intension, so does the Pope chooses his friends based on his social and political interest.
I do like the zeal by which Bro. Dominic shared his opinion. Unfortunately, he only succeeded in painting a very good picture of papal knights who are without sins for which former President Kufour do not qualify to belong. However, the evidence at hand has thought us otherwise; papal knights are sinner trying hard to be saints. We do not even know the religious affiliation of some papal knights, for example the American Investment Banker, Kenneth Langone who is also a knight of the order of St Gregory the Great. Therefore, it becomes obvious that papal awards are given to those who have promoted the interest of Vatican concerning important issues in a secular sphere. In the case of Kufour, his stance against International gay conference and maintaining religious education in Ghana public schools stand tall. These examples buttress the fact that the ‘sinner’, Mr. Kufour has tried his best to support the dignity of human society which Vatican is proud of and want to express through this award.
Bro. Dominic, argument that the Catholic church has not been fair to PNDC/NDC government compared to Kufour’s government is also unfair to the great minds of our Bishops. In the first place, PNDC era was not a democratic dispensation and the transfigured era of NDC was in a transition to a ‘proper’ democracy in Kufour’s and subsequently Mill’s era. Therefore, it is only fair for the Bishops to be more critical in the former than the later. Beside in the PNDC/NDC era the church was the only voice of the voiceless and in fact my Bro. Dominic did confirm that “other “emasculated” media could not dare utter a word” except the Catholic Standard Newspaper and the Ghana Bishop Conference encyclicals. It is therefore right for the church to do what others cannot do. In our current dispensation , we do have relatively vibrant institutions to check on the ruling government and the Catholic church does not need to be “ vociferous” on any issues as it were in previous governments except when it boarders on very fundamental issues that concerns the church or the gift of the human person and society as it was in the case of Religious and Moral Education in Junior High School and the gay conference.
I think, the focus of the award should be on that fact that a former President from Nkrumahland has been honoured for protecting the dignity and principles of the human person and society we all uphold as Ghanaians. Bro. Dominic has also down a good job for raising high the subject of papal awards in the Ghanaian media. This has given us the opportunity to be informed of such an important honour. However, it is only prudent, if he commit himself more into research before writing on such an important subject. May be that will earn him a Papal knighthood any time soon.

God bless us all
Yaw Martin Agyemang Badu MSc (London School of Economics)
The Dignity and Entrepreneurship Institute
martinon463@yahoo.com