Catholic Knights condemn acts at Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Church

Accra, May 5, GNA -The Consultative Forum of Catholic Knights (the Knighthood Forum) has condemned the smearing of human excreta at the Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Church on Sunday, May 2, targeted at the Accra Metropolitan Archbishop, Most Reverend Gabriel Charles Palmer Buckle. The forum comprises Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall and the Noble Order of the Knights of St John International and Ladies Auxiliary called the act" despicable".

A statement issued in Accra on Wednesday by the Forum said: "The Knighthood Forum recounts with disdain reported act of the smearing of human excreta in the precincts of the House of God at the Martyrs of Uganda Parish".

"This shameful act does not only underscore the bereft moral composure of the perpetrators but even more worrying is the desecration of the House of God with shameless impunity ", it said.

Messages on posters on the walls at the Parish were noted by the Forum as misleading and mischievous adding, "Attacks on policies of the Accra Diocese of the Catholic Church are considered a display of total ignorance of policies of property rights at Diocese and Parish levels". The statement said follow-up enquiries by the Forum at Trasaco Valley revealed that Most Rev. Palmer Buckle did not own a property there let alone one valued at two million dollars as being alleged. "The Knighthood Forum takes serious exception to misguided statements such as these. It is the Forum's opinion that such false pronouncements are not only targeted at the Archbishop. Our apprehension is that it is an irresponsible attack on the Catholic Church in Ghana at large", the statement said.

"It has always been the opinion of the Knighthood Forum that divergent views at whatever level must be traded in a responsible manner. Hooliganism in the name of dissent to the extent that has been demonstrated at the Martyrs of Uganda Parish is to say the very least is unheard of in the history of the Catholic Church in Ghana", it added. The Knighthood Forum encouraged all Catholics in the Archdiocese of Accra to procure a copy of the policy document of the Second Diocesan Synod of the Accra Archdiocese.

It said in that booklet could be found the direction of Archdiocese as discussed and adopted by delegates drawn from all parishes in the Archdiocese.

"While condemning in no uncertain terms the events at Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Church on May 2, 2010, the Knighthood Forum wishes to encourage the spirit of consultation for clarification in matters relating to development policies of the Catholic Church in the Accra Diocese and indeed in all other Diocese in the country", the statement said. "It is the hope of the Knighthood Forum that investigations would be intensified in the search for culprits of this despicable crusade and dealt with according to the laws of the land ",it added. In another development, the management of Trasacco Estates Development Company had denied that Most Rev. Palmer Buckle had purchased any property from them.

The management denied in reply to a letter from Mr. Dan Dzide, Executive Secretary of National Catholic Secretariat in Accra. The reply signed by Mr. Ian Morris, Managing Director, said: "Further to your letter dated May 4, 2010 on the above subject matter, would like to confirm that Trasacco Estates Development Company Limited has not sold any property to Most Rev. Charles G. Palmer-Buckle".