The Church must be seen as citadel of hope for the nation

Kumasi, July 1, GNA - The Most Reverend Thomas Kwaku Mensah, Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi, has urged Christians to live the Gospel without compromise to make the Church be seen as a citadel of hope for moral upbringing and discipline.

They should lead the life of prayer, humility and service in order to become living witnesses of God's unchanging love for humanity. He was addressing the closing session of the celebration of the "Year for the Priests" at the Saint Mary's Parish, South Suntreso in Kumasi. 'Faithfulness of Christ and Faithfulness of the Priest" was the theme.

The year of the priest, declared by Pope Benedict XVI, was a reminder to priests that they are working for the Lord and to encourage them to emulate Saint John Mary Vianney who as parish priest of Curve d' Ars, France, demonstrated extraordinary dedication to the religious education of his parishioners.

For this, he has been put up as a model for all priests and was proclaimed "Patron Saint of all Parish Priests" by Pope Pius XI in 1929. Archbishop Mensah appealed to the Clergy not to lose sight of the fact that "we live in an age where most people seem to have lost their sense of the sacred."

"Our life must be a sacrament, a sign of faith. What we ourselves believe in we must help others to believe in also." He advised them to do self-examination so as to remain focused on Christ Jesus because "he is our treasure." They should also be wary of those who offer easy solutions to complex issues, who do not "make the will of God" the goal of life.