The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, Most Rev. Philip Naameh, has objected to any move to introduce sexuality education into the nation’s educational curriculum for students at the basic education level.
He argued that parents should rather assume the role in teaching their young ones on issues relating to sexuality.
“Our African traditional culture has rights of initiation for our youth and that we have to understand that, sexuality is not taught in a vacuum.
Most Rev. Naameh said this at the opening of the 2019 plenary assembly of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference at Cape Coast.
The nine-day conference is on the theme: “Baptized and sent: Living our mission in Ghana today.”
The President of the Catholic Bishops Conference, who is also the Archbishop of Tamale, stated that sexuality was not to be seen as a means of pleasure, and people should not look at it as a means to an end.
He indicated that, parents teaching their children would enable such children to ask pertinent questions when they encounter such issues outside the home.
He said the framework and context of sexuality was within marriage and should be seen as such, explaining that, one has no business talking about sexuality if not prepared.
Most Rev. Naameh further stated the need for the church to work hard towards overcoming a number of challenges confronting it with the help of the grace of God.
He mentioned some of the challenges as proliferation of religious bodies, monetisation of Christianity, divisions in Christianity and secularism among others.
“To overcome the challenges facing the church in Ghana today and to effectively bring the Good News of Christ to all people in the country and to every sphere of national life, there is the need for a prayerful re-strategising and a healthy collaboration among the bishops, priests, catechists and other lay faithful, including the youth,” he said.
Bishop Naameh said that, the church’s education, health and other social intervention should henceforth have a more conscious missionary orientation.
The managers and other staff of the health and social facilities, he said, should be trained to discharge their mandate accordingly.
The Omanhen of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osaberima Kwesi Atta II, expressed concern about the rate of indiscipline in the country and reiterated the need for a change in attitude among the citizenry.
He stated that the current trend where some parents cannot exercise total control over their children was disheartening.
He, therefore, called for a paradigm shift in the upbringing of children by their parents.
Osaberima Atta II further advocated the need for people to live a life that was reflective on the values of Christianity.
The Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan, in an address, called for total turnout in the upcoming referendum and district level elections scheduled for December 17.
He expressed the government’s commitment in collaborating with the church for the socio-economic development of the country.
He commended the Catholic Church in Ghana for its contribution towards the transformation agenda of the nation.
FROM DAVID O. YARBOI-TETTEH, CAPE COAST