By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bolgatanga, Feb. 21, GNA – The Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, Most Reverend Henryk Mieczyslaw Jagodzinski, has reiterated the commitment of the Catholic Church to the protection and assistance of the vulnerable irrespective of their origin and religious beliefs.
He said vulnerable people including displaced persons, the poor and people considered as ‘unwanted’ were dear to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, and he had constantly in his preaching, teachings and programmes advocated and demanded alleviation and support for such people.
“Of course, our mission as a Catholic Church is a spiritual one, our goal is the salvation of the soul which we put in our legislation, and canon law,” he said.
“But as St James wrote in his letter, faith without deeds is dead and that not only should we proclaim the love to our neighbour but also do something for other people.”
The Apostolic Nuncio made these remarks when he paid a courtesy call on Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister at his office in Bolgatanga, as part of his working visit to the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga.
As part of the visit, the Apostolic Nuncio would on Thursday, February 22, 2024, visit the Reception and Resettlement Centres of the asylum seekers at Tarikom in the Bawku West District to experience first-hand information about the situation.
Most Reverend Jagodzinski commended the government of Ghana, particularly stakeholders in the Upper East Region and partners for accepting and supporting the asylum seekers who sought refuge from suspected terrorists attacks largely in Burkina Faso.
The Apostolic Nuncio indicated that most of the attention of people and institutions globally was directed at the wars in Ukraine and Gaza with little attention paid to the extremists’ attacks and the asylum seekers’ host countries like Ghana.
He noted that as part of strategies to provide for the poor, Pope Francis had established the Dicastery of Integral Human Development, a special office for the promotion and development of humanity, especially the vulnerable which was first headed by Ghanaian Cardinal Appiah Turkson.
“One of the tasks of the office is the case of the refugees, they compile reports, analysis and sometimes organise help and aid depending on the possibilities and as the representative of the Holy Father, I would like to see and show these people the care of hope and pray with them and for them,” he added.
The Apostolic Nuncio further called for stronger collaboration between the Catholic Church, the government, and other stakeholders to continue to provide protection and support to vulnerable and displaced persons to live dignified lives.
On his part, Mr Yakubu revealed that more than 1,160 asylum seekers had been relocated to the reception and resettlement centres and commended the Catholic Church especially the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese for contributing to handling the situation.
He, however, raised the concern that some of the asylum seekers had refused to move to the reception and resettlement, creating suspicion about the true state of being asylum seekers.
The Nuncio was accompanied by Most Reverend Alfred Agyenta, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga and other priests.
GNA