Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Most Reverend John Bonaventure Kwofie has advised the Catholic Youth of the Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese of the Catholic Church to be interested in the word, worship, doctrine and practices of the Catholic faith rather than what causes sensationalism.
“Our Youth do not attend weekday masses apart from Sunday masses…our Youth do not go to confession…our Youth do not show interest in the celebration of the sacrament but rather their interest lies somewhere else. You are interested in what is sensational,” Archbishop Kwofie said at the end of the Jubilee of Youth and Children Lenten Recollection at Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto – Egyam, in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.
He affirms the agreement that the Catholic Youth are the leaders of the church who will carry the church from the present generation to the next generation but they (Catholic Youth) are not ready in preparing themselves for the mantle ahead.
“You are going to build the Church of tomorrow, you are going to lead the people of God tomorrow, so if you do not form yourselves today, how are you going to be leaders tomorrow” he quizzed.
Archbishop Kwofie observed that the Catholic Youth is ready to put on their walls and cars the stickers of bishops of other churches but not Bishops, Priests or Saints of the Catholic Church.
“We don’t value what we have in the Catholic Church, therefore, how are we going to be leaders tomorrow?”
He noted that the Catholic Church has survived many generations through the shoulders of many people have toiled and laboured to make the Church what it is today, therefore “we have that responsibility to pass on, to transmit this faith to the next generation, how prepared are you to do that?”
The Apostolic Administrator of the Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese, however, charged the Youth to learn more about the Catholic faith and its doctrine as well as the Holy Bible because the doctrines of the Church are built on the Holy Bible... “There is no doctrine in the Church that is not founded on the Bible.”
He urged the Youth to take a great interest in the Church because the Catholic Church has parsimony, a treasure that should not be taken for granted for most churches of today other than the Catholic are abusing these treasures of the Church.
Archbishop Kwofie advised that as part of the Catholic practice, the Youth should be attending Benedictions and Weekday masses of the Church and should not be left with the old men and women. This will help the Catholic Youth to lead and build the Church for the next generation.
