VOL. 80 NO. 34 GHANA’S NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2018 – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2018 PRICE GH¢2.00 FAMILIES MUST BE SOURCE OF ENCOURAGEMENT ope Francis has called on families to become a source of Pencouragement to others and bear witness to the sacrificial love of Jesus, “that alone can save our world – POPE from its bondage to sin, selfishness, greed, and indifference to the less Sunday, August 26. fortunate.” The Pope insisted on the He made the call in his homily at Continued on page 3 the Phoenix Park in Dublin, Ireland at the Pope Francis conclusion of the World Meeting of Families on Do Away With Divisiveness Spend September in – Fr. Kornu Prayer and Penitence Archbishop Palmer-Buckle directs faithful of Accra Fr. Kornu Read story on pg 3 By Angela Ofosu Boateng ev. Fr. Godwin Kornu, MCCJ, Priest in-charge of the Our Lady of RAssumption (OLA) Catholic Church, IN Don’t Be New Achimota in the Accra Archdiocese, has Navrongo Gets called on Catholics to desist from acts that THIS Intimidated By Your bring division among the faithful. New Chief He made the call when he presided over a Background Eucharistic celebration to climax the 35th ISSUE See pg 16 See pg 12 Continued on page 3 2 THE CATHOLIC STANDARD Sunday, September 2 – Saturday, September 8, 2018 TH CATHOLIC 80 The Holy Family Is A Bright Light Anniversary 2018 World News 1938 In Dark Times - Cardinal ardinal Oswald together with Pope Francis to family of families,” Cardinal G r a c i a s o f strengthen the Church, to Gracias said the mission at the end of the global meeting CBombay, India has make the Church what Jesus is to return home “with a u r g e d t h e C h u rc h t o intended it to be: a replica of imitate the Holy Family, passion to strengthen the the Holy Family of Nazareth. Church and to deepen its which shines through the As the family is to be fruitful, darkness. apostolate.” so the Church is called to be He said, “In the midst of “If the mission of the fruitful, evangelising new Church is to become a the great assaults on family members,” he urged. family,” he continued, values, and on the institution Recalling Pope Francis’ “conversely, the mission of of the family itself, the Holy words in Amoris Laetitia, the family is to become more Family stands out like a which called the Church “a and more the Church.” bright, dazzling light.” Cardinal Gracias CNA/EWTN The Cardinal made this statement in a homily at the important announcement of “To both we belong,” salvation history, and in fact, just ended World Meeting of he emphasised. “We work of all history.” F a m i l i e s g a t h e r i n g i n hard for the growth and Rome, Venue of 2021 H e e x p l a i n e d t h a t development of each. Both Dublin, Ireland. “Mary’s ‘yes’ was the Celebrating the Feast of are intimately connected. In World Meeting beginning of the family of recent times, the Church has the Queenship of Mary, Nazareth,” and invited indeed had many challenges, Cardinal Gracias said it was Catholics to reflect on the of Families but the Church is you and I,” fitting that the Gospel during two families they belong to: the Mass told the story of the their own family in the home, he stated. “We are the ardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Vatican Annunciation, because that and the spiritual family of the Church.” Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, has announcement was “the most Church. “We need to stand Cannounced that the next World Meeting of Families would take place in Rome in 2021. Respectful of tradition, the announcement came at the Pope Renews Apology: Asks Forgiveness end of the closing Mass. The name of the venue for the next For Abuses In Ireland World Day of Families is a closely-guarded secret, known only by a handful of people, including the Pope, who has to n an unprecedented called “abuses approve the decision, and the Prefect of the Vatican gesture during the o f p o w e r , Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, which has the Iclosing Mass for the conscience and World Meeting of Families sexual abuse, responsibility of organising the event. in Dublin's Phoenix Park, perpetrated by The year 2021 will also mark the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis has asked members with the publication of Pope Francis’ post-Synodal Exhortation pardon for a litany of abuses r o l e s o f on the joy of love, Amoris Laetitia, which provided much of committed by some clergy responsibility of the Church against men, in the Church”. the basis for reflection both before and during the present women, and children in H e a s k e d World Meeting of Families, aside from being the inspiration Ireland. f o r g i v e n e s s for its theme: “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World”. The Pope's gesture was specifically for It was the Prefect of that Dicastery, Cardinal Kevin unexpected and it came at the “those cases of Farrell, who made the announcement on August 26 in start of the Penitential Rite, exploitation the moment during Mass t h r o u g h Dublin’s Phoenix Park, where Pope Francis finished when the celebrant and manual work Pope Francis celebrating the closing Mass of the Ninth World Meeting, faithful acknowledge their that so many together with families who had come from all over Ireland sins, repent and pray for “Mother and Baby” homes for w o m e n a n d m e n w e r e and the rest of the world. mercy and forgiveness. subjected to”, on the part of unwed mothers and their children put up for adoption In his closing remarks, Cardinal Farrell noted that “various types of institutions Speaking in Spanish, Pope without the mother's consent. r u n b y m a l e o r f e m a l e thousands of families came “in order to share the joy of the Francis began by referencing Some women were told it his meeting with eight abuse Religious and by other would be a “mortal sin” if they Gospel. They came in a spirit of ecclesial communion and survivors in Ireland and, on members of the Church”. tried to reunite with their friendship”. The Cardinal spoke of how the experience of the basis of what they told Similarly, the Pope asked children. This is not a mortal participating in the World Meeting of Families will be a him, said he wanted to “place f o r g i v e n e s s “ f o r s o m e sin”, the Pope insisted. source of inspiration to families and their children, who will before the mercy of the Lord members of the Church's E a c h r e q u e s t f o r t h e s e c r i m e s , a n d a s k hierarchy who did not take forgiveness was met by be “even more aware of the meaning of their nuptial and forgiveness for them”. charge of these painful applause from the 300,000 family vocation within the Church as they return to their situations and kept quiet”. strong congregation standing Pope Francis began by respective communities and Parishes”. The Pope's final prayer in the rain in Dublin's Phoenix asking pardon for what he Vaticannews.va. referred to the so-called Park.vaticannews.va Sunday, September 2 – Saturday, September 8, 2018 THE CATHOLIC STANDARD 3 TH ost Rev. Charles Gabriel 80 P a l m e r - B u c k l e , Spend Anniversary 2018 Apostolic Administrator 1938 ‘Families Must M of Accra, has directed the faithful in the Archdiocese to spend the month September of September in prayer and Be Source Of penance for forgiveness, healing in Prayer and especially change among the Priests and Religious in the Church. Encouragement’ He also asked Priests in the and Penitence Archdiocese to organise a 72-hour Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament the Pope issued a letter to the people of Continued from front page is called to 'go forth” to bring the words of from September 13 to 15, 2018 and God aplogising for the crimes. eternal life to all the peripheries of our tasked the Liturgical Commission to Archbishop Palmer-Buckle need for encouragement in the modern world.” come up with modalities and entreated the Priests and faithful to world, and said that “one of the fruits” of He concluded with a stirring guidelines for the triduum. access the Holy Father's Letter to the the World Meeting of Families would be challenge for the whole Church, “parents The Archbishop gave the people of God issued on August 20, for participants to return to their homes and grandparents, children and young directives when he ordained 18 meditate on it and practise what it “and become a source of encouragement people, men and women, Religious Deacons to the Priesthood at the Holy contains. to others”. Spirit Cathedral in Accra as part of the He thanked the new Priests for Brothers and Sisters, contemplatives and th Taking his lead from Sunday's 125 Anniversary celebrations of the opening their hearts and souls to missionaries, Deacons and Priests” to Gospel reading, Pope Francis said Jesus' Catholic mission in Accra.