Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, Most Rev. Anthony Narh Asare has said many Catholics are leaving the traditions of the Church for practices that are imitations of what the Catholic Church has been practicing for years.
Bishop Asare pointed out that many radio pastors now mirror the Catholic Church’s practices to the extent of even adopting the same readings used in Catholic liturgy on Sundays. “Listen to some of the radio pastors. Every Sunday, they use the readings we use. When they started their churches, they were using themes. If you are using themes, after three or four Sundays, you are finished. So now they are copying and going for our readings,” he said.
Speaking at a gathering of JHS and SHS graduates in the Archdiocese at the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Legon, on October 21, the Bishop went on to draw attention to the introduction of “Alpha hour,” which mirrors the Catholic tradition of the Holy Hour.
He highlighted that designated times for praying the Angelus among others are now being introduced by others as if they were novel concepts.
“They are copying us. We have Holy hour, now they have created Alpha hour and Catholics are behaving as if they have not heard it before. We tell you, 6am, 12noon, 6pm they are hours to pray the Angelus. Now they are introducing it as if it’s something new. They are copying us so don’t allow the copy to replace the original,” Bishop Asare said.
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