Pope Francis met the needs of our time – Ghana Catholic Bishops’ president
Bishop Gyamfi also reflected on how the leadership of the Catholic Church evolves in response to global circumstances, including Europe’s growing embrace of materialism and relativism—issues Pope Francis sought to confront
The president of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Reverend Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, has paid a heartfelt tribute to Pope Francis, describing him as a leader chosen by the Holy Spirit to respond to the unique challenges of his time.
Pope Francis, who led the Roman Catholic Church for 12 years, died on Monday morning (21 April) after recent health complications.
He was known for championing care for the environment, an inclusive approach to leadership and tackling abuses that had plagued the Church.
Compassionate leadership
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show after the death of the pontiff at the age of 88, Most Reverend Gyamfi said the Catholic Church and the world are in mourning, having lost a pope who embodied compassion, reform and strong moral leadership.
“We are shocked to hear the passing of the Holy Father. The Catholic Church and the whole world are mourning such a great leader,” he said.
“He came in at a time when the Church was going through a crisis of sexual abuse and other challenges.
“He was able to stem this and put in place systems and teachings to lessen such problems in the Church. He will be very much missed,” said Most Revered Gyamfi, who doubles as the Bishop of Sunyani.
New pope
The process for choosing a new pope – the conclave – generally takes place between 15 and 20 days after the death of a pontiff.
Reflecting on the process, the Ghanaian bishop assured the faithful that the Church has a well-established procedure that has stood the test of time.
“There is an established procedure. We already know who will be in charge of affairs. Under our traditions and systems, preparations for burial will take place and then the cardinals will enter what we call the conclave,” he explained.
He described the conclave – a private gathering of the cardinals – as a deeply spiritual process where the electors pray and discern the next leader of the Church.
“Every pope is chosen for us by the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of human beings – that is, the cardinals,” he said. “Each pope comes with a specific response to the needs of the time.”
Voice of reform
Bishop Gyamfi also reflected on how the leadership of the Catholic Church evolves in response to global circumstances, including Europe’s growing embrace of materialism and relativism – challenges that Pope Francis sought to confront.
He expressed confidence in the Church’s ability to build on experience to improve the election process, noting: “This practice of electing the Pope is a tradition or culture that has been tried, tested and refined.
“As we look forward to a new pope, we expect the conclave to be even more orderly and guided by lessons of the past,” he added.
Preparations are under way in the Vatican for the funeral of Pope Francis. A date for the conclave has yet to be announced.
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