Youth shying away from priesthood

Accra, July 3, GNA - The Most Reverend George Kochery, Catholic Nuncio to Ghana, on Sunday observed that as families had failed to imbibe good Christian morals in their children, the youth today were shying away from priesthood.

He said the best school in society was the family where the child acquired basic principles of life. However, it was sad to note that such qualities like truth and justice, obedience and respect had slowly diminished in modern society.

Addressing members of the St Paul Catholic Church, Kpehe to mark the 60th anniversary of the Church, the Nuncio said when children were taught true Christian doctrines many more youths would embrace priesthood and religious life.

"We need a new generation of Ghanaians that will serve the Church and our dear nation Ghana with dedication, love and patriotism," he added.

Most Rev. Kochery admonished members of the Kpehe parish saying, "I am no happy with one aspect of the Parish life, that is vocation to Priestly and religious life.

"In 60 years only four priests and three sisters dedicated themselves to the service of God" he noted.

As the official representative of the Pope, the Nuncio urged parents to lead exemplary lives for their children to emulate, teach them and if necessary reprimand them.

He said: "To take the yoke of Christ is to associate and identify ourselves with him, our destiny with his destiny, our vision with his vision and our mission with his mission.

"It is to know that we are not pulling the yoke alone and not by our power alone but together with Christ and by the strength that comes from him," the Most Rev Kochery said.

He, however, also expressed happiness that the Parish that begun as a small Catholic community with only 25 members, had today grown with a membership strength of 3,200 parishioners.

Recounting some achievements of the St Paul parish, the Nuncio said it had basic schools with over 500 pupils, four outstations with 10 catechists and 20 pious societies actively collaborating in parish activities.