Government to facilitate airlifting of Christian Pilgrims

The Christian pilgrims will be airlifted annually to Israel and other parts of the Christian world, government has announced.

This year’s pilgrimage will see some 100 Christians airlifted, Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, has hinted.

He made the announcement at a press briefing where he said, two separate committees namely, Planning and Screening Committees, have been set up to oversee the operations of Christian pilgrimage in the country.

“Let me assure you that we intend to have an eventful pilgrimage. In view of this, the ministry has set up two sub-committees which are the Planning and Screening Committees which are composed of members of recognized Christian bodies.’’

“Once the initial programme is successful in accordance with the key indicators, the Republic of Ghana shall be given a quota for subsequent pilgrimages. It is necessary that we secure an understanding of the quotas.”

The Ministry he added is the only entity that has been mandated to receive payment from interested persons. According to him, that there would be daily prayers and meditation at important and significant sites mentioned in the Bible, boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, worship on MT Camel, the mountain of the prophet Elijah, renewal of wedding promises in the Church of the Miracle of Cana.

He said there would be “prayer at the Western Wall of the Temple of Jerusalem, visit to the Nativity Church of Bethlehem, renewal of baptismal promises in the river Jordan, ceremony of the awarding of Jerusalem Pilgrim Certificate.”

“The pilgrimage programme of the ministry is not to the State of Israel only, but would cover countries where Christian pilgrimages are undertaken.”