Ghanaian Prelate of the Tamale Archdiocese in Ghana’s Northern Region, the Most Rev. Philip Naameh has stressed on the need for Priests in the West African country to live upright and exemplary lives.
“We must at all times develop a faith which will be the shield to prevent us from falling into temptation,” he told Priests at the celebration of Chrism Mass at the Our Lady of Annunciation Cathedral in Tamale on April 13, 2022.
Sixty Priests working in the Archdiocese who included the Vicar General, Seminary Formators, Heads of Institutions and Departments, among others, concelebrated the Mass. Also in attendance were scores of Religious Men and Women, Seminarians and the faithful.
Archbishop Naameh noted that cultural influences which is making the world increasingly unchristian, the drives and desires of the flesh crying out for fulfillment which are sinful and the temptation from the devil to which Priests are subjected sometimes makes them forget to call on the Holy Spirit to assist them manage these drives.
He made reference to a book titled “Á Church in crisis: pathways forward hardcover” written by Dr. Ralph Martin, an American Professor of Theology and President of Renewal Ministries in which he draws attention to the misleading view by some people who as a result of our cultural setting today, appear to glorify or down play the gravity of immoral acts such as adultery, coveting your neighbour’s wife or husband, among others, as contained in the Ten Commandments, as something which does not gravely offend or separate one in a fundamental way from God.
He said the author encourages Priests to renew the zeal for evangelisation and to preach the Word of God as handed down to them.
“This zeal for mission must be founded on solid character and must rest on basic virtues like reliability, truthfulness, humility, fortitude, perseverance, ability to deny oneself from all manner of temporal goods, must be able to abstain from anything that will lead us to sin and brotherly love and compassion. Some of these virtues aids us tremendously in community living and in the proclamation of the gospel”, the Archbishop noted.
Touching on the acquiescence of homosexuality and same sex unions and its ramifications for the Church in Germany in recent times, he added: “The culture in which we live every day, we are persuaded by the West which says this is not sinful, this culture is what we as Priests set apart through our anointing, are to proclaim clearly that God still expects us to know clearly that engagement in these worldly values will distance us from the presence and love of God”.
The Tamale Prelate noted that, “To equip ourselves, our families and parishes for this situation, we need to be vigorous in our teaching, and the teaching we do must include the correction of errors. We must proclaim without any fear that this is what Jesus has handed down us to proclaim to the world. We cannot allow the world to define for us what must be believed.”
Further to this he said, “Why God created the human person and sexual differentiation is clear to us in the Scriptures; man and woman He created them (Gen. 1:27), not man and a man who wants to stay with another man God permitted them”.
“We cannot avoid or escape the ravages of our modern culture which is becoming more and more anti-Christian; but we must be ready to stand up to this and proclaim that this is the Word of God without any fear of personalities,” he stated
“The Good Shepherd always has to protect his flock from the wolves and not tolerant of the Jezebel in the midst of the flock, we must be accustomed to naming things as they are” Archbishop Naameh charged Priests.
He also appealed to the lay faithful to be united with their Priests as one people of God in helping one another to be inspired by the Holy Spirit to advance their Christian living, urging them also to encourage their Priests through their prayers to strive to be holy so that together, they will be found acceptable to God.
Archbishop Naameh underscored the importance of Chrism Mass for Priests, stressing that the Church enjoins them to participate in the Mass which is to remind them of their anointing which sets them apart from baptized lay persons whom he said are also set apart to witness to Jesus Christ at their own life’s situations.
He reminded Priests that their mission is none other than that of Jesus Himself who has called them to share in a very intimate way, His anointing and enjoins them to continue His mission of bringing glad tidings to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind (Lk. 4:18).
The Archbishop later led the Priests present to renew their Priestly Commitments, also blessed the Oils of the sick and Catechumens, and consecrated the Oil of Chrism to be used to administer the Sacraments in the parishes and institutions of the Archdiocese until the next Chrism Mass in 2023.
He used the opportunity to admonish the faithful not to patronize the so called “anointing oil” on the open market and shops, advising them to contact their Priests when they have need for it.
Source: Francis E. Monnie
