The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called for a national dialogue on issues relating to family values and LGBTQ+.
A statement issued and signed by the Bishop of Sunyani and President of the Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, on Friday, April 10, stated that the Church was speaking “as shepherds of the faithful and as citizens deeply invested in the spiritual, moral, social, and democratic flourishing of our nation,” adding that its intervention was intended to “deepen, rather than diminish, the quality of national conversation.”
The statement commented on the public comments made by President Mahama at the World Affairs Council, in which he described LGBTQ+ matters as “not the most important issue we face as a nation.”
The Bishops also referenced remarks by the Communications Minister suggesting the issue was “not a major priority for Ghanaians” and a “waste of time”.
It warned that such framing risks undermining the moral dimension of public life.
“Even if intended to prioritise urgent socio-economic concerns, such descriptions risk conveying that certain moral questions may be set aside as inconsequential. Yet no question that touches the structure of human identity, family life, and social continuity can be trivial. Nations do not live by bread alone. They are sustained also by the invisible architecture of values,” the statement said.
According to the Conference, they recognised the pressures facing government and citizens but rejected what they described as a false separation between economic development and moral responsibility.
“We readily acknowledge the weight of Ghana’s present challenges,” the statement read. “However, it is analytically unsound to frame a choice between economic progress and moral coherence. The two are not rivals but companions.”
It also argued that stable family structures contribute to improved educational outcomes, reduced crime rates and greater economic mobility, describing the family as a critical pillar of social stability.
“By ‘family values’, we refer to the understanding of marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman, ordered toward mutual good and the procreation and formation of children,” the statement explained.
The bishops added that “the family is the first school of virtue and the seedbed of civic responsibility,” warning that “when the family flourishes, society finds coherence.” When it fractures, social costs multiply, often silently, often generationally.”
Meanwhile, the bishops have also underscored the need for what they described as two inseparable moral principles: the dignity of every person and the traditional understanding of marriage.
“First, the inviolable dignity of every human person. No individual, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, may be subjected to violence, hatred, or unjust discrimination. Such acts are moral failures and social wounds. We condemn them without reservation. Second, the legitimate responsibility of society to uphold and protect the institution of the family, founded upon the union of a man and a woman,” the statement said.
They further advised President Mahama to assent to the bill should Parliament pass it.
“Should Parliament complete its deliberations and pass the bill, we urge the president to honour this assurance,” the statement said.
It added that there was the need for careful legislative scrutiny and possible refinement to ensure the law reflects both the moral convictions of Ghanaians and constitutional commitments to human dignity and fundamental rights.
The bishops additionally asked public officials to desist from dismissing sensitive moral debates regarding the matter.
“To describe such a debate as a ‘waste of time’ risks alienating citizens for whom these issues are existentially meaningful,” the statement noted.
They called on the executive, legislature, religious leaders, traditional authorities and civil society to engage in dialogue marked by intellectual seriousness, mutual respect and moral clarity.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
