Ghana’s Catholic Bishops’ Conference has warned leaders not to treat moral and social issues as less important than the economy, insisting that values tied to human identity and family life are central to the nation’s future.
In a statement issued Friday, April 10, the bishops responded to President John Dramani Mahama and Communications Minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who recently suggested that LGBTQ+ matters were not a top priority for Ghana. The minister had called the debate a distraction.
While the bishops acknowledged the urgency of economic problems, they argued that development cannot rest on policy alone. Values, they said, form the “invisible architecture” of stable societies. “The family, in quiet ways, is a nation’s most efficient social welfare system,” the statement read, warning that weakening moral foundations could harm long-term progress.
The bishops reaffirmed that family values are rooted in marriage between a man and a woman, yet they also condemned violence and unjust discrimination against any individual. They called for dignity for all, regardless of sexual orientation.
On the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, they urged President Mahama to keep his promise to sign it if Parliament passes it, while also calling for careful review of its provisions. They appealed for respectful national dialogue, noting: “The tone of our discourse matters as much as its content.”
The bishops concluded that Ghana faces a defining moment where economic goals and moral choices meet, urging wisdom, justice, and compassion in the debate ahead.
