Vice President cautions christians against unbridled proliferation of churches

Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Saturday appealed to the Church to come out with measures that would help eliminate the proliferation of several churches and false prophecies.

He said such a proliferation was tarnishing the image of the true and genuine church and creating numerous broken marriages and disregard for traditional values in society.

Vice President Mahama made the appeal when he joined the leadership of the Catholic society to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the St. Paul’s Catholic Cathedral in Asante Mampong- Konongo-Mampong Diocese.

The church, which has a membership of about 1,500 congregants also has 13 out stations in the Diocese with numerous development projects in education, health and potable water sectors.

The programme also attracted Catholic Bishops and Priests from all over the Ashanti Region and beyond.

Vice President Mahama said the activities of the false prophets had over the years cast a slur on the reputation of the well established church and the only way they could redeem their image and extricate themselves from that ‘religious indictment’ was to expose such false prophets in society.

He denounced the deliberate attempt by some people in society to turn a cold shoulder to traditional values which had united Ghanaians and appealed to Christians to use their pulpits to preach against the rising cases of armed robbery, rape and internet fraud, which were bedeviling society.

Vice President Mahama commended the Catholic Church for partnering government to provide health, educational and sanitation infrastructure and promised to create better partnerships that would foster development.

Most Rev. Joseph Osei Bonsu, Catholic Bishop of Konongo-Mampong reiterated the church’s stance against same sex marriage and promised that the church would continue to fight against it, since it is a moral canker in society.

He cautioned politicians against unguarded statements that could throw the country into a state of insecurity in the coming general election, adding that, "the church will continue to play its part to ensure peaceful elections come December this year.”

Bishop Osei Bonsu advised drivers against indiscipline on the roads, which results in numerous accidents and deaths and appealed to government to mete out stiffer punishment for future road- traffic offenders.

Dasebere Osei Bonsu II, Mamponghene, called on politicians to avoid all kinds of conflicts and violence that could escalate into disunity in the country and appealed to them to exhibit civil language to “keep the country in its status quo even after the December polls.”

He commended the Catholic Church for contributing tremendouslyworking towards the socio-economic development of the country and appealed to government to continue partnering the church to harness the potentials of the youth to become useful future leaders.**