Bishop Encourages Ghanaian Catholics to Take Part in World Meeting of Families in Dublin

Bishop Encourages Ghanaian Catholics to Take Part in World Meeting of Families in Dublin

CANAA || By Damian Avevor, Accra || 08 February 2018

The Bishop in charge of Laity, Women and Youth at Ghana’s Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD, has encouraged Ghanaian Catholic families to make efforts to take part in the 2018 World Meeting of Families slated for August 21-26 in Dublin, Ireland.

Bishop Fianu said that despite financial constraints for some who desire to be there, there is the need for Ghanaian Catholic families to make sacrifices and afford their time and finance to be at the meeting in person.

“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,” Bishop Fianu stated in an interview on February 2.

“This will help us all to grow in faith and love as well as strengthen one another on our life journey as people of God,” he added.

He noted that with the contemporary means of communication available, those who might not be able to be physically present in Ireland can also benefit from the conferences via Internet.

The Meeting is expected to be attended by thousands of families and individuals from all over Ireland and the world.

The five-day Meeting 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.

“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,” Bishop Fianu noted and added, “The opportunity to share with others will strengthen our families in living out their Catholic faith in Ghana.”

“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.

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.”

“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 in reference to the Dublin meeting of families from across the globe.