“Word of God is Living and Active”… Says Archbishop Anokye
Most Rev. Gabriel Justice Yaw Anokye, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi, has called on the National Commission for the Biblical Apostolate and the Bible Society of Ghana to invite the world to ‘hear the summons of salvation, so that by hearing it, they may belief in it, hope and love it.’
Archbishop Anokye, who is the Episcopal Chairman for Biblical Apostolate, made the call when he recently launched the joint celebration of the BIBLE WEEK by the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Bible Society of Ghana at the Pope John Paul II Formation and Training Centre at Ofoase Kokoben in the Obuasi Diocese.
“We admit that all the preaching of the Church and indeed the entire Christian religion, should be nourished and ruled by sacred Scripture. In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children and talks with them”, he said.
The Archbishop stated that “such is the force and power of the Word of God that it can serve the Church as her support and vigour, and the children of the Church as strength for their faith, food for the soul and a pure and everlasting fount of spiritual life”.
He added that Scripture stated clearly that ‘The Word of God is Living and Active’ (Heb. 4:12).
Speaking on the theme for the Bible Week: The Bible and National Cohesion, Archbishop Anokye, noted that the Bible in its entirety was replete with examples of national cohesion, based on sincere acknowledgement of human inconsistencies, nothingness, and weakness.
“Our nation cannot stand if we are divided for any reason”, he added.
Present at the launching ceremony were Rev. Fr. Dominic Baffour Akowuah, Chairman of the National Commission for Biblical Apostolate and Very Rev. Fr. Marciano Ziem Kogh, Executive Secretary of the Department of Pastoral Ministry and Evangelization of the National Catholic Secretariat; with Mr. Charles D.B. Mensah, National Co-ordinator for Biblical Apostolate and members of the Commission.
Representative of the Bible Society of Ghana Northern Sector at the launch included Rev. Charles Adu-Twumasi, Mr. Paschal Dzenku, and Ms. Abigail Wetani.
Earlier, the Commission had adopted an Action Plan to organize Basic Bible Seminars in the four Provinces, Arch/Dioceses and Institutions, and bring together all past participants of the Dei Verbum Courses organized by the Divine Word Missionaries in Ghana.
It would be climaxed by with a National Bible Congress in September, 2013 on the theme: Faith Comes by Hearing The Word Of Christ (Rom 10:17), to celebrate the Year of Faith and 40 Years of implementing Dei Verbum in Ghana.