Ethnic Dissension in the Church in Ghana: A Formation Programme to Raise Consciousness and Train Catechists

Rossetti, Stephen (Advisor); Owusu-Sekyere, Augustine (Author); Begg, Christopher (Other); Magro, Emmanuel (Other)

Degree awarded: D.Min. Pastoral Studies. The Catholic University of America

159 p.

http://hdl.handle.net/1961/14893

Rossetti, Stephen

Begg, Christopher; Magro, Emmanuel

Theology; Religion; Church; Disssension; Ethnic; Formation; Ghana; Programme

2013-06-25T14:59:03Z

2013-06-25T14:59:03Z

2013-01-01T00:00:00Z

2013-06-25T00:00:00Z

Pope John Paul II's observation in Ecclesia in Africa that "Tribal oppositions ... create difficulties for the life of the Churches and the acceptance of Pastors from other ethnic groups", and, thus, creating divisions in the Church in Africa needs a pastoral response. This can come about in a conscious and well designed formation programme, with the Word of God as the foundation. As our method, presentations were made to create awareness of the divisions and their negative effects on society and the Church. These were followed by the Prayer of Encounter with its three stages of confrontation, making connections, and taking a stance towards Jesus. Participants reflected upon and prayed in humility over various biblical passages about the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist, with the objective of entering into a deeper relationship with Christ. It is our relationship with the Word of God, Jesus Christ, that brings us conversion, which is a change of mind, and the needed transformation so that we can "acquire a fresh, spiritual way of thinking" (Eph. 4: 23). The reworking of our value systems, the reshaping or reforming of our lives along the values of Christ was the `high' point and the ultimate desire of the workshop in which participants were exposed to the problems of ethnicity in Africa and in the Church. It also created in participants a conscious awareness of ethnic dissension in Ghana and its effects on the society and the Church, as evidenced in their written responses. Participants demonstrated how they were challenged and also, empowered by the Word of God, to take the stance to do away with any form of ethnic discrimination and dissension in the Church. Ethnic or tribal oppositions are a reality in the Church in Africa. They destroy the unity and love in the Christian community. We can eradicate them not by any political or human will but by a conscious formation programme that makes us understand the implications of what our baptism and the Eucharist are in the light of the Word of God, Jesus Christ, and so `live' the sacraments in our lives. 

Text; Dissertation

OwusuSekyere_cua_0043A_10402

The Catholic University of America

2013-06-25