In a call at the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the bishops called on Ghanaians to seriously discuss family values and LGBTQ issues with each other on a national level, warning against attempts to minimize the significance of their conversation. A highly articulated pastoral and public statement on Friday, April 10, 2026, signed by the Bishop of Sunyani and President of the Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the Bishops said in response to remarks by President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, respectively. The Church said it spoke “as shepherds of the faithful and as citizens deeply concerned about the spiritual, moral, social and democratic well-being of our nation.” The intervention hopes to improve, not diminish, the quality of discourse, they emphasized.
The Bishops interpreted comments it heard from President Mahama at the World Affairs Council that LGBTQ+ affairs was “not the most important issue we face as a nation.” They also quoted comments by Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu on a theme that “wasn’t a major priority for Ghanaians” and that it was a “waste of time.” While the comment was written to highlight “critical issues of the economy,” the Conference warned that if taken at face value, such a framing can imply that moral issues are not of primary importance. Whilst designed to underline immediate socio-economic needs, such stories may imply that some moral issues may be considered insignificant. But questions that make their way into the shaping of human identity, family life and social continuity can never be trivial. Even nations do not survive on nothing more than bread. They are also sustained by the invisible architecture of values,” the statement said.
The Bishops were well aware of the serious social, economic challenges, including unemployment and inflation among others as well as breakdown in the welfare state. But, they also opposed what they considered an empty choice between economic progress and moral principle. “We accept very openly the gravity of Ghana’s current issues. But it is also analytically unsound to depict a choice between economic advancement and moral coherence. The two aren’t enemies but allies,” the statement stated. Strong and stable family structures, they emphasized, contribute significantly to having better educational outcomes, lower crime rates, and greater economic mobility, and they referred to the family as one of the basic pillars of social stability.
Fulfilling the Church’s stance, the Bishops defined what family values entail: “What we refer to as family values are marriage that combines a lifelong union between one man and one woman and, which is ordered for the mutual good, toward procreation of the children.” They said the family was “the first school of virtue; the foundation for civil responsibility,” suggesting that when the family thrives, such a state becomes coherent; but when it becomes weak, social cost often grows among subsequent generations.
From the summit we learned two important principles:
1. The inviolable dignity of every human being. No individual, no matter what their sexual orientation or identity, should be subjected to violence, hatred, or cruel discrimination. The Bishops condemned such acts without reservation.
2. The duty of society to safeguard the institution of the family, based on the union of a man and a woman.
The Bishops said they have been closely monitoring the passing of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill in Parliament. They remember a previous promise of assent to the bill made by the President and said he must honour it once Parliament completes it. At the same time, they accepted that criticism of the legislation had been made and sought to verify the legislation in terms of both the moral beliefs of the Ghanaian people and the constitutional provisions based on human dignity and rights.
The statement cautioned that refuting the conversation as a “waste of time” could lose the backing of many community members whose cultural, religious and existential views in society revolve around these matters. The Bishops implored the executive, the legislature, the clergy, tribal heads and civil society to consider a dialogue imbued with intellectual gravity, shared respect, and clear moral standards. “Words can help the nation build up trust or fracture it into suspicion. A national moment comes with great questions hanging over our very bones,” admonished the bishops.
In conclusion, as the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference recently pointed out, Ghana finds itself at a key juncture where economic hopes and moral consciousness collide. A verdict today with major effects upon tomorrow’s youngsters, the authors said. An offer of divine assistance and spiritual wisdom and a prayer that the nation receive intercession from the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. It ended with blessings: “May God bless our homeland Ghana and make her great and strong.”
Editor:
Obiri-Yeboah
