NUGDPA Congress ends in Navrongo

Resolutions and Recommendations Adopted at the 27th National/15th Biennial Congress of the National Union of Ghana Catholic Diocesan Priests’ Associations Held in the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese, from Monday 7th to Friday 11th January 2019.

Preamble

We, the members of the National Union of Ghana Catholic Diocesan Priests’ Associations (NUGDPA), having met for our 27th National/15th Biennial Congress at the University for Development Studies, Navrongo Campus, from Monday 7th to Friday 11th January, 2019, and having deliberated on the theme: “Challenges in Catholic Marriage: the Role of the Priest” reaffirm that;

1. A Catholic marriage is both a human and also a divine institution, between a man and a woman, for the whole of life, and it is ordered by its nature to the good of the spouses and open to the procreation and education of children (Cf. Can. 1055 par 1);
2. Marriage is of critical importance for the good of society, the growth of the church and the personal salvation of the spouses;
3. However, there are serious challenges to Catholic marriages in our modern world specific to the age, background, cultural and religious context, experiences and maturity of those involved;
4. Some of the numerous challenges facing Catholic marriages today are: inadequate counselling / catechesis, inadequate knowledge of the spouses of each other, financial constraints, infidelity, spouses living apart, issues of marrying a person of different religion and mixed marriages, childlessness, divorce, and the relativism of marriage values;
5. Most of the problems can be solved through effective, well-planned and systematic pastoral care of families by the whole Christian community led and guided by the priest.

Resolutions

In view of the above affirmations, we hereby resolve to:

1. Recommit ourselves to an intensive, adequate, and well-grounded marriage counselling / catechesis programme for prospective couples for at least six months, and post-marital counselling / catechesis in the early years of marriage;
2. Continue to improve upon our knowledge and skills in handling all aspects of marriage by ongoing formation, seminars, workshops, personal reading of relevant documents and books on marriage, with special emphasis on the post-synodal apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis, “Amoris Laetitia”;
3. Work closely with government and allied institutions in addressing issues and challenges confronting marriages and family life today, such as domestic violence, child protection, human trafficking, abuse of vulnerable people;
4. Be advocates for change in situation of oppressive, unjust cultural practices in relation to widowhood rites, burdensome bride price and others;
5. Make our people more aware of the negative impact some aspects of social media can have on marriage and family life;
6. Encourage marriage between Catholics by organising relevant and attractive marriage and family life programmes;
   Offer specific pastoral care for new couples, marriages in difficulty, the divorced, single parents, widows and widowers, and to journey with them prayerfully.

Recommendations

Upon the above reflections, we make the following recommendations:

1. That prospective couples should be encouraged to undertake medical screening prior to the celebration of their marriage;
2. That pastoral formation on marriage and family life be given in our seminaries and houses of formation and catechetical training centres and courses in preparation for ministry;
3. That a special national week be set aside to celebrate the family, to be dubbed “Family Week”;
4. That a national syllabus for marriage counselling / catechesis be put together to aid marriage counsellors;
5. To continue to observe all the legal requirements enshrined in the laws of this country so as to secure the marriages we celebrate;
6. In view of the need for diocesan marriage tribunals, more canonists should be trained.

Conclusion

We thank God for our vocation as priests and co-workers of the Lord in His vineyard, and rejoice in the unity our Union fosters in all of us. We pray that with God’s help we would be able to carry out the resolutions which by His grace we have been able to put together. May Mary, the Queen of Families, continue to intercede for all families as we seek to imitate the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Signed:
Rev. Fr. Francis Appiah-Kubi
(President)