ARCHBISHOP KWOFIE LAUNCHES THE DIOCESAN PHASE OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS

The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie CSSp joined all Catholic dioceses across the world, to formally open a two-year process called “a synod on synodality,” at the local level officially known as “Synod 2021-2023: For a Synodal Church.”

Archbishop Kwofie launched the diocesan phase of the synod at the St. Luke Catholic Church Ashaiman. Simultaneously in all parishes in the Archdiocese of Accra on Sunday, October 17, 2021, an embedded recorded video message by the Archbishop was played to all catholic faithful.

Archbishop Kwofie, in his video message, stated that “the diocesan phase of the synod, which will end in March 2022, will give the grassroots of the Church the opportunity to contribute to the decision-making process of the Church. It will be a situation where the whole Church will gather in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to inspire us and direct us on the right path to take.”

The entire synodal journey on the theme “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission” is in three phases: the diocesan phase, the continental phase, and the universal phase; beginning in 2021 and climaxing in 2023.

Urging all to make their voice heard in the synodal process, Archbishop Kwofie echoed that “to help in collating the views of all, a special questionnaire from Rome would be sent to us. After responding to the questionnaire, it would be forwarded back to Rome.”

Pope Francis on Oct.10 celebrated Mass in Rome’s St. Peter’s Basilica to “inaugurate the universal Church’s 2-year-long synodal process. that will ultimately end in the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican in October 2023.

JULIETTE Y. MANOMEY//DEPSOCOM ACCRA