Vice-President Mahama: Pastors Breaking Marriages With Fake Prophesies

Vice-President John Dramani Mahama has condemned the activities of fake pastors, saying they are harming the nation.

“I admit that the 1992 Constitution guarantees freedom of worship.  However, the activities of some churches leave much to be desired. Marriages are breaking down and families are disintegrating because of prophesies and revelations of some of these so called ‘pastors’,” he stressed.

Speaking at the 75th anniversary celebration of the St. Paul’s Catholic Cathedral at Mampong in the Ashanti Region on Saturday, Mr. Mahama said, “I have no prescription to these observations but I urge you as shepherd of your flock to continue to win back such lost souls by making your model of worship and prayer practical and meaningful in the lives of your followers.

“We must return to the core principles of Christianity, which is the word of God.”

He commended the Catholic Bishops’ Conference for speaking up against matters which derailed society’s forward march.

On the political front, Mr. Mahama urged the church, particularly the Catholic Church, to lead the crusade in fostering a national sense of identity which, he said, was being threatened by the political twist attributed to virtually every national discourse.

Recounting some chieftaincy, ethnic and or religious conflicts in some parts of the country, he decried the political twist that some persons had been attributing to them.

“We have always lived together in the past as Ashantis, Ewes, Northerners or Fantes in harmony.  We have differences in dialects, customary practices and norms.  But it is the beauty of these differences that make us unique as a country in spite of our diversity. We have to strive hard to maintain this national identity.

“Indeed, all over the world, nations that have prospered are those that have attracted foreigners into their midst.  I encourage you to continue to preach to your flock to live with one another in peace, and harmony,” he said.

He stated that personal conflicts between individuals should be treated as such and not extended to cover their ethnic or tribal affiliations.

He said the tendency to read political meanings particularly into recent conflicts in the country was inimical to national cohesion and underscored the need for the church to preach to its flock to live with one another in peace and harmony.

He cited the incident in the Central Region where the beheading of a chief was blamed on people from a particular ethnic group in the area, leading to the loss of two lives; but it later turned out that the culprits were the deceased’s own kinsmen.

Mr. Mahama stressed that Ghana needed peace to continue to be a stable country and to prosper.

“It is not the wild rumours, character assassinations, hate speeches and the beating of war drums that win elections,” he said, pointing out that electoral victories were determined by the will of the people.

The anniversary, which was on the theme ‘Come And Let Us Build’, offered a platform for the church to take stock, especially its impact in the Mampong municipality for the past 75 years and to strategise the way forward.

It was also used to offer special prayers for the government and those in leadership positions and for peaceful polls in December.

The Vice-President solicited the assistance of the clergy in halting materialism, armed robbery, drug abuse, corruption and cyber crime, which he attributed partly to a breakdown in traditional values.

He also lauded the church for partnering the government in the provision of education, healthcare, potable water and other social amenities, noting that though the approaches to national development might be different, the end results were the same.

Mr Mahama made a personal donation of GH¢2,000 toward the construction of a new chapel for the church.

The municipal assembly and the regional administration also pledged 150bags of cement each.

The Most Reverend Joseph Osei Bonsu, Catholic Bishop of the Konongo-Mampong Diocese, urged Christians to stand their grounds and protect the moral values, saying Christians should oppose gay marriages since it was unbiblical.

Most Rev. Osei Bonsu, who is also president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, observed that a lot of indiscipline and social vices had infiltrated the moral fabric of society and said it was time for the church to pause and reflect on the impact it was making on society.

The Very Reverend Father Paul Baffour Awuah, Administrator of the St. Paul’s Cathedral, appealed to the government to help solve challenges facing its educational institutions such as library facilities, construction of dormitories and the early release of funds from the GETFund.

The functioned was also attended by Dr. Kwaku Agyemang Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mamponghene Dasaabre Osei Bonsu II and other dignitaries.

Akosua Puni And Michael Essien

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