Pope’s rep charges Ghanaian priests to be God-like

The Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, Most Reverend Jean-Marie Speich, has called on priests in the Keta-Akatsi Diocese to clear their minds and thoughts from all that is ungodly and move forward with their newly appointed bishop, Most Rev. Gabriel Kumordji SVD.

He urged them to strive to become excellent priests of the Diocese and with Bishop Kumordji SVD, build a ministry of unity, a ministry of reconciliation, and a ministry of holiness and testify the love of God for humanity.

“Many Christians or Catholics, many Laity or Priests are following ‘idols’. It maybe money, sex, clerical power, voodoo or elevating oneself wrongly as self-idols,” observed the Nuncio.

He explained that the oil of catechumens indicates the first way of being touched by Christ and by his Spirit, an inner touch by which the Lord draws people close to himself. He said through this first anointing which takes place even prior to baptism, our gaze is turned towards people who are journeying towards Christ and people who are searching for faith in God.

According to Most Rev. Jean Marie Speich, the oil of catechumens tells that it is not only those who seek God but God also seeks people. He said the fact that Christ himself was made man and came down into the depths of human existence, even into the darkness of death, shows how much God loves man.

Explaining further, he said the oil for anointing the sick is the visible sacramental expression of this mission and since apostolic times, the healing vocation has matured in the Church, and to Christians, a loving solicitude for the distressed in body and soul. He said this is also the occasion to show appreciation to those sisters and brothers who throughout the world bring healing and love to the sick, irrespective of their status or religious affiliation.