The Catholic Bishop in Charge of
Laity, Women and Youth in Ghana, Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD, has encouraged
Ghanaian Catholic families to make the efforts participate in the upcoming
world Meeting of Families to celebrate, pray and reflect on the family.
Bishop Fianu said though
there may be financial constraints for some who would have desired to be there,
there is the need to inspire many Ghanaian Catholic families who can afford
their time and finance to be at the meeting.
The Meeting to be heldfrom
August 21 to 26, 2018, at Dublin, Ireland, is expected to be attended by
thousands of families and individuals from all over Ireland and the world.
The five-day Meeting to be on the theme
“The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World”, will be an interactive
multimedia platform of catechetical resources, largely drawn from the Apostolic
Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (‘The Joy of Love’), published by
Pope Francis in March 2016, following the Synods on the family held in 2014 and
2015.
The Bishop stated in an interview
on February 2that “It is a good and opportune occasion for Catholic families –
adults, youth and children – to gather in a universal forum to celebrate, pray
and reflect on the family.”
This, he said will help us all to grow in faith and love as
well as strengthen one another on our life journey as people of God and
encouraged families and groups attending the Meeting to get in touch with the
National Catholic Secretariat through its Service Centre, specifically the
RAPTIM Travel Office to help them with their travel arrangements. It is
important to contact the office on time so that proper arrangements can be made
for the travel.
Bishop Fianu noted that
“It is special for Ghanaian families because it is a unique opportunity to meet
and share their faith with Catholic families from other parts of the Catholic
world.
The opportunity to share
with others will strengthen our families in living out their Catholic faith in
Ghana, the Bishop added, urging all Catholic families to use the occasion to
learn more about the theme of the meeting.
“As participants share
their faith, they will come to discover how the joys and challenges of Catholic
families all over the world do no differ one from the other. As they realise
that together they can make a change in human society, they will go forth to
announce the Gospel of Joy to all mankind.it is thus a preparation for further
evangelization through the family, said the Bishop.
He said “even for those
who may not be able to travel to Ireland, it is an occasion to study the
Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family - Amoris Laetitia
in our various Parishes and Societies or Associations.”
The theme of the 2017
Plenary Assembly of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference was “Integral Pastoral Care for the Family in the light
of Amoris Laetitia”.
This theme, Bishop
Fianu noted, was inspired by Pope Francis’ Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
on Love in the Family - Amoris Laetitia, which literally means, “the Joy
of Love”, released on April 8, 2016.
“In our Communiqué
at the end of the Plenary Assembly, we reiterated our conviction and
affirmation that the joy of love experienced by our families in Ghana is also
the joy of love experienced by the Catholic Church in Ghana, stated the Bishop.
This theme is
supposed to be deepened by all sectors of the Catholic Church in Ghana in 2018.
This is a good and appropriate preparation for the World Meeting of Families,
he added.
“Looking at the event
schedule proposed so far, I look forward to solid teaching on family life for
Catholic families based on the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on Love in
the Family - Amoris Laetitia,” Bishop Fianu stated.
Source: Damian Avevor
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