Pope's representative calls for investment in child education

Sunyani (B/A) May 24, GNA - Most Reverend Leon Kelenga, the Apostolic Nuncio on Saturday said investment in the promotion of children education now remained the best way forward to secure Africa's holistic development in the future. He said provision of education to the children of today was the proper tool for the acquisition of knowledge to empower them to lead not only descent lives as individuals but become useful citizens to the society. Most Reverend Kelenga who is Pope Benedict XVI's representative and Vatican Ambassador to Ghana was giving a homily at the Christ the King Cathedral in Sunyani as the official celebrant of a special church service for an investiture ceremony on four senior diocesan priests of the Sunyani Catholic Diocese. The four clergymen were honoured with the title of Monsignor on August 18, 2008 by the Pope for their devoted and meritorious services to the church in various capacities.

They included Rev. Monsignors John Oppong-Baah, 62 years and Spiritual Director of Saint Paul's Major Seminary at Sowutuom near Achimota in Accra since 2001 and John Kwame Nkrumah, aged 57 and now on sabbatical leave in the United States of America and was a former parish priest of Saint Theresa's parish at Berekum from 2002-2005. The rest were Rev. Monsignors Boachie-Gyan, 57 years and currently Dean of Kwasibourkrom Deanery of the Church in the Jaman South District and Richard Kyeremeh, aged 56 and presently Dean of the Sunyani Deanery is also the administrator of the Christ the King Cathedral since 2000.

Most Reverend Kelenga added that every leadership role should leave behind it a memorable footprint of excellence without love and sacrifice that portrayed Jesus Christ as a model Good Shepherd of humankind.

The Apostolic Nuncio therefore emphasized that since life now was not rosy but had a lot of challenges, "we only have to persist and persevere in our endeavours before success and victory can be achieved". He stressed that, Christ-like love was the lubricant for fellow-feeling, unity and peaceful co-existence in every community, adding that, since in Jesus Christ there were no traits and sentiments of ethnocentrisms, discrimination, and partiality, "we must strive to be united as the vehicle to promote our general well-being". Rev. Monsignor Oppong-Baah, on their behalf gave glory to the Almighty God and expressed appreciation to the Pope as well as all those who had, in diverse ways assisted in shaping their lives to this stage for them to be conferred with such honour. The Monsignor was full of praise and particularly grateful to teachers who, he described as doing great jobs, saying that without their directives, counselling and sacrificial services they would not have had the opportunity to rise to their present levels. Monsignor is a title of honour in the church which means, "My Lord", a title assigned to Bishops. Monsignors therefore share equal status with Bishops in the church but unlike Bishops, they do not have cathedrals as their seats. 24 May 09 Attention recipients: Item 10 ends our second transmission