Cardinal Peter Turkson visits Sierra Leone

The announcement of the visit of Cardinal Peter Tuckson, who is the current President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, during last Sunday’s mass in the various parishes in the Makeni Diocese in Sierra Leone has brought mixed feelings amongst the laity, priests and religious in the diocese as the announcement does not make any clear mention of the purpose of his visit.

Taking into consideration Pope Francis’ present plight in his long-to-do list amongst which is the selection of his curia, it is not clear whether the visit of the current president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, is to address the current Bishop saga in the Makeni Diocese.

Most members of the lay faithful, religious and priests are of the opinion that his visit cannot be unconnected with ongoing protest in the diocese.

The lay faithful representatives from all the parishes in the diocese decided to welcome Cardinal Tuckson (photo) with strong solidarity protest and procession that will proceed to the Makeni Pastoral center where various meetings are expected to be held with the various stakeholders from the diocese.

Cardinal Peter Tuckson is expected to arrive on Friday evening in Freetown and proceed to Makeni on Saturday for a two day working visit.

According to the Chairman of the lay faithful committee of 160 members drawn from the various associations, prayer cells, etc. Mr. Aloysius Kanu, this procession will be graced by all Catholics from walks of life in the diocese and even their Muslim brothers and sisters that have dedicated their sons and daughters to become religious and priests in the diocese have also planned to join this protest march to welcome cardinal Tuckson for him to take back the message to Rome.

‘Our message is simple, we are not disobeying Rome but we disagree with the procedures of the appointment of Henry Aruna as Bishop of our diocese’ Kanu said.

"Any attempt to impose Henry Aruna here in this diocese will meet serious resistance," he added.

The Chairman said that this time they are taking to the streets in their thousands including school children, the aged, disabled and so on to express their dissatisfaction about the whole selection procedure of the Bishop of Makeni as being flouted by the conference of Bishops of Sierra Leone that is mostly dominated by one tribe and regions.

Another view expressed here by concerned citizens is that following the ban issued by Bishop Charles Campbell that decreed all priests and religious from the Dioceses of Makeni not to be allowed to preside or preach in any parish within Bo dioceses, the President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, will be here to address this issue and to unite Bo diocese and the other diocese in the country as the release clearly indicated. This ban will affect the climax of the ‘year of faith’ which will be celebrated in Bo in May this year as Makeni priests, religious and lay faithful have been banned in that diocese.

"It is not clear whether the Pope’s envoy is here to excommunicate the Priests, religious and lay faithful as suggested by Fr. Alphonso Carew," opined one religious.

Turkson was born in Wassaw Nsuta in Western Ghana. He studied at St. Teresa’s Seminary in the village of Amisano and Pedu before attending St. Anthony-on-Hudson Seminary in Rensselaer, New York, where he obtained a Master’s degree in theology. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop John Amissah on 20 July 1975.

On October 1992, Turkson was appointed Archbishop of Cape Coast by Pope John Paul II. And created him Cardinal-Priest of S. Liborio in his last consistory of October 2003. Turkson is the first Ghanaian cardinal, and was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave, which selected Pope Benedict XVI.