By: Bright Ntramah
President Akufo-Addo has again made a strong case for the construction of the National Cathedral despite some controversies over funding and timing of the construction.
He said where great Cathedrals have been built, the societies that house them had not finished with the satisfaction of their major development needs such as hospitals, schools, bridges and roads.
Speaking in Accra at the 19th Plenary Assembly of the Symposium of Episcopal conference of AFRICA AND MADAGASCAR (SECAM), the President, Nana Akufo-Addo noted if one were to consider only developmental needs, there would never be a good time to build a Church, a Cathedral or any of the great buildings of faith around the world. This year’s Plenary Assembly, which is on the theme: “Ownership of SECAM; Security and Migration in Africa and the Islands,” focused on the implications of ownership for its members.
Bothered about many conflicts on the African continent, resulting in the death and displacement of millions of people, the Catholic Bishops, will also consider security which is indispensable for building a new Africa centred on God.
The President of the Catholic Bishops Conference, Philip Naameh who opened the conference said Ghana has not been spared the ravages of COVID-19.
He applauded efforts by the government and members of SECAM to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.
It will serve as a collective thanksgiving to the Almighty for the blessings He has bestowed on Ghana sparing the nation of ravages of civil war that have bedevilled the histories of virtually all neighbours, and the outbreak of mass epidemics.
Just as the building of the Temple of Solomon was an epoch-making event not only in Israel, but also in the whole world, President Akufo-Addo believe the building of the National Cathedral is an epochal event not only in Ghana, but also in the rest of Africa.
The project includes a Bible Museum of Africa, and will be the largest Bible Museum in the world, with a thematic focus on, the role of Africa and Africans in the Bible, and, the history and contemporary place of the church in Africa and the African Diaspora.
It will house the Bible translated into African languages, tell the story of the Church in Africa and the African Diaspora, and provide a convening platform for discussions on the role of faith in Africa’s transformation.
There will also be the Biblical Gardens of Africa, which will include the trees, shrubs and flowers of the Bible, and serve as a major resource for Christians all over the African continent.
President Akufo-Addo said even though the Cathedral will be very much a national institution, the cost should be largely borne by the Christian community, with the state providing the land and initial funding to get the project off the ground.
He called on the Christian community in Ghana and Africa to rise up to the challenge, and join in the fundraising for the construction of the National Cathedral.
SECAM, established in 1969 in Kampala, Uganda during the visit of St. Pope Paul , was born out of the desire of African Catholic Bishops present at the Second Vatican Council to speak with one voice on matters pertaining to the Church in Africa.
