Accra, July 27, GNA- The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) is hosting this year’s 19th Plenary Assembly of Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) in Accra.
The one-week conference, which brought together over 100 participants, is on the theme: “Ownership of SECAM: Security and Migration in Africa and its Islands.”
Ghana hosted the 15th Plenary Assembly in 2010 to mark the 40th Anniversary of SECAM.
The Assembly was initially scheduled to take place in Burkina Faso, but due to the political instability in that country and the non-recognition of the military regime by both the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States in that country, it was changed to Ghana.
Most Reverend Philip Naameh, President, GCBC, speaking at the opening ceremony of the Conference, said Ghana had contributed immensely to Africa Union’s programmes in ensuring peace and security on the continent.
He said the country was relatively a peaceful after gaining political independence in 1957, calling for a sustained peaceful co-existence for social cohesion and national stability.
Most Rev Naameh, also the Archbishop of Tamale Catholic Diocese, said the Church remained attentive to its pastoral responses and approaches to happenings in the country to ensure peace and security.
He said the GCBC in 2021 launched a five-year programme to tackle environmental challenges across the country.
The programme is dubbed: “Laudato Si Action Programme,” an Italian expression for praising God and a call to action for all Catholic dioceses and parishes across the country to plant trees, fight noise pollution and filth as part of worship.
He said GCBC had collaborated with the Catholic Relief Services to undertake projects, including peace and social interventions to respond to the needs of humanity in the country.
The Archbishop, said SECAM had since 2015 maintained an Observer Status at AU, which was an important platform for bringing issues concerning the Church to the attention of African governments, organisations and the entire world.
Archbishop Henryk M. Jagodzinski, Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, said peace and security were crucial to the development of any country and called for cooperation among religious leaders to address acts of violence and extremism.
Philippe Cardinal Ouedrago, President of SECAM, called on the Church to be united to pursue peace programmes, adding that the establishment of SECAM was to build the Church in Africa as a family of God.
GNA