Canon Law Society of Ghana formed
Write-up by Steve Kakrabah-Quarshie
A Canon Law Society of Ghana has been formed with Rev. Msgr. Hilary Senoo of Ho Diocese as the Interim President and Rev. Fr. Cuthbert Yirbuor of Wa Diocese and the Judicial Vicar of the Tamale Ecclesiastical Province, as the Vice President. Other Officers are Rev. Frs. Thomas Fibri, Sunyani Diocese, Secretary; Remigius Sieseg, Damongo Diocese, Financial Secretary with Rev. Fr. Raphael Mensah, Sekondi-Takordi Diocese, as an Ex-Officio member by virtue of being the National Co-ordinator for Juridical Matters.
The Society, under the auspices of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, (GCBC) was formed at the end of a four-day Meeting of Canon Lawyers, Seminary Rectors, Chancellors and Notaries at Sunyani.
The Meeting was organised by the Department of Pastoral Ministry and Evangelisation of the National Catholic Secretariat.
Participants saw the need for the formation of the Society because “Canon Law is an indispensable tool for the pursuit of justice and peace in the evangelisation mission of the Church.”
They hoped to raise awareness in all sectors of the ecclesiastical community through the formation of the Clergy, Religious, Christ’s faithful “and promote organic unity and solidarity in all Arch/Dioceses.
In a short address, Msgr. Senoo described the formation of the Society as a dream come true and called on the founding members “to spread the good news and encourage all Canon Lawyers to join it.
A Communiqué at the end of the meeting encouraged all Christ faithful to support the Society and urged the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference to support the Society and approve its Constitution.
According to the Communiqué, members recognised the importance of the Church’s participation in the global discourse “on the link between Law, Religious and Human Rights as pillars of a just world order.”
They appreciated the encouragement from the GCBC, Most Rev. Matthias Nketsiah, Episcopal Chairman of the Department of Pastoral Ministry and Evangelisation, its Executive Secretary, Rev. Fr. Marciano Kogh Ziem and the Secretary General of the National Catholic Secretariat, Very Rev. Fr. Nicholas Afriyie.
Participants adopted a ten-article Constitution which seeks to bring together, all Canon Lawyers in Ghana and among other things, “to respond to the practical canonical needs of all the people of God in the respective capacities which they serve and benefit from the Church.”
It is also to facilitate the exchange of canonical ideas or practices and decisions among Canon Lawyers and co-operate with individuals and organisations doing research in Sacred and Social Sciences for the interest and for the common good.
The Constitution stipulates to establish a dialogue and share ideas, proposals and insights with other Canon Law Societies in the World.