Rev. Fr. Ebenezer Kofi Hanson, a Priest of the Archdiocese of Accra, has criticized the action of some Catholic Priests who seek fame and recognition, maintaining that they were not celebrities, but mere servants, by virtue of their call.
“If I am doing what is right and nobody is applauding me, must I be worried? Jesus said, We are just unworthy servants, we can’t be celebrated. Priests are not celebrities,’ he upheld, stating that Christ, with all His power, was treated as though he were a criminal.
“He wasn’t celebrated, so we cannot think of celebrations,” he opined.
He made these assertions in a homily during the Opening Mass of the Donkorkrom Diocesan Priests’ Annual Retreat, in a make-shift Chapel at the Alfons Merten’s Centre, Donkorkrom.
According to Fr. Hanson, Priests are only servants, sharing in the ministry of Christ, who had learnt to obey through suffering. The Preacher couldn’t seem to understand why the Reception of Priests into a new Parish or sending them off to a new Parish should be a thing of fanfare, as is the trend in many parts of Ghana. Or again, why some priests, right from Seminary days, would begin to aim for big Parishes, without giving a thought to what then happens to the hinterlands.
To him, there are many hungry people out there craving for food, and fellow Priests working in very deprived areas. Hence, the focus should not be on spending lavishly on the Priests, especially in big cities.
Priests, he opined, can only look forward to the acknowledgment that awaits them in Heaven, and draw inspiration from the Scriptural phrase: “the Salvation of the just comes from the Lord” (Wis.. 2:23-3:9).
He maintained that once a Priest is ordained, he no longer has a will of his own; his will has been “configured into the Will of the one who suffered to the point of death”.
“Until we come to appreciate the fact that we are just unworthy servants, we will keep struggling, especially in an era where we seem to appreciate reward,” he underpinned.
“Let us try our best and live as though everything we do depends on Christ,” he entreated.
By Sr. Sylvie Lum Cho, MSHR (DEPSOCOM – Donkorkrom Apostolic Vicariate)
