{"id":23556,"date":"2026-02-18T17:03:35","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T17:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expressnewsghana.com\/?p=23556"},"modified":"2026-02-18T17:03:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T17:03:35","slug":"stop-using-catholic-church-chapels-for-political-activities-ghana-catholic-bishops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expressnewsghana.com\/?p=23556","title":{"rendered":"Stop Using Catholic Church Chapels for Political Activities -Ghana Catholic Bishops"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ghana Catholic Bishops\u2019 Conference (GCBC) has issued a firm directive prohibiting the use of consecrated church buildings for partisan political campaigning, rallies, or speeches, describing such practices as a \u201cfundamental contradiction\u201d that profanes sacred space.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a pastoral letter titled \u201cSafeguarding Sacred Space: A Pastoral Directive on Political Neutrality\u201d and signed by Conference President, the Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the bishops declared that Catholic churches, as consecrated houses of God, must remain \u201ca house of prayer for all peoples\u201d as stated in Isaiah 56:7.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe use of any consecrated Catholic church building for partisan political campaigning, rallies, or speeches is strictly forbidden at all times,\u201d the directive issued on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 stated, citing Canon 1210 of the Code of Canon Law which limits activities in sacred places to those serving worship, piety, and religion.<\/p>\n

The bishops grounded their position in Scripture, recalling Christ\u2019s cleansing of the Temple in Mark 11:17: \u201cMy house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. But you have made it a den of robbers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
GHANA CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While affirming the Church\u2019s respect for political freedom, the bishops emphasised that the Church \u201ccannot and must not identify with any political party or faction.\u201d They warned that permitting partisan activities in churches creates scandal and misleads the faithful.<\/p>\n

The directive, dated February 18, 2026, acknowledges that recent political developments prompted the intervention, noting with concern that \u201csome of the venues involved were Catholic churches.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under the new norms, political figures are welcome to attend Mass as private worshippers but must not use the liturgy or sanctuary as a political platform. On special occasions like parish anniversaries, dignitaries may offer brief, non-partisan greetings only after the concluding rites.<\/p>\n

Non-partisan civic education or community events may be held in parish halls or other ancillary facilities but require written permission from the local ordinary. Such events must remain accessible to all and avoid any partisan exploitation that could create confusion about the Church\u2019s neutrality.<\/p>\n

The bishops directed parish priests and parochial councils to apply the directive faithfully and to proactively inform political actors of suitable non-sacred alternative venues.<\/p>\n

The Conference also mandated catechesis on the theology of sacred space and Catholic social teaching through homilies and formation programmes to reinforce understanding of the directive.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy protecting the sacred character of our places of worship, we safeguard the integrity of our mission,\u201d the bishops concluded. \u201cOnly a Church that remains steadfastly a \u2018house of prayer for all peoples\u2019 can credibly call every person and party towards the higher demands of justice, truth, and the authentic common good.\u201d<\/p>\n

The directive takes immediate effect across all dioceses, parishes, and Catholic institutions in Ghana.<\/p>\n

Source: Vanessa Kekeli Yeboah\/\/Newswatchgh.com<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Ghana Catholic Bishops\u2019 Conference (GCBC) has issued a firm directive prohibiting the use of consecrated church buildings for partisan political campaigning, rallies, or speeches, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16541,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[4410],"class_list":["post-23556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-catholic-church-bishops-political-activities"],"yoast_head":"\nStop Using Catholic Church Chapels for Political Activities -Ghana Catholic Bishops - Express News Ghana<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/expressnewsghana.com\/?p=23556\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stop Using Catholic Church Chapels for Political Activities -Ghana Catholic Bishops - 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