The Secretary General of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Very Rev. Fr. Lazarus Anondee has stated that the Church in Ghana plays a major role in the life of civil society.
He was speaking at a forum organised by the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference through its Directorate of Governance, Justice and Peace at the National Catholic Secretariat, Accra on November 29 under the theme: Trending conflicts in Ghana, fertile grounds for violent extremism; A Call for Action.
It comes on the back of the continuous rise in the number of conflicts recorded both within and around Ghana.
Fr. Anondee speaking at the forum highlighted that the Church is reaching vertically to make a positive difference, from remote villages and inner cities to the seat of government.
In this capacity, he noted that the Church plays an important role in resolving conflicts in the upper positions of state, city, government and other national structures.
He mentioned that through Dioceses, Parishes, membership engagement and leadership development efforts of the Church, It is able to implement thoughtful initiatives even in the most remote parts of the country based on the leadership and function of the many years established universities, health centers, hospitals, schools and diocesan organizations working for peace and justice.
He mentioned that several factors impeded the church’s ability to fulfill its peace-building role and integral human development principles.
As emphasised by Pope Francis, he said essential human development does not include any form of violence.
In order to avoid conflicts in Ghana as the Central Sahel Region of West Africa is currently experiencing due to rising extremism, weakening state institutions and dwindling natural resources, Fr. Anondee said that under the Sahel Peace Initiative of Ghana, in addition to implementing humanitarian aid and peacebuilding programs, the Catholic Church is instrumental in developing communication and fundraising plans.
He added that the Catholic Church will take a leading role in integrating social cohesion and governance approaches into new and ongoing initiatives focused on building cohesive and peaceful communities.
The forum was put together by the National Catholic Secretariat of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ghana, with financial support from the Catholic Relief Service (CRS), The Sahel Peace Initiative and is one of many launched under the Sahel Peace Initiative in Ghana.
