In his February 23 Lenten reflection, Bishop of the Ho Diocese of Ghana, Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu explained that God is not interested in the death of the wicked person, and does not desire that they be wiped off the surface of the earth, citing the First Reading of the day, (Ezekiel 18, 21-26).
The prelate added that such action will be contrary to God’s nature as He would be denying His own true self, and would not manifest his true nature. “As a God of the living, he always lives in the hope that the wicked person would change for the better”, he said.
Bishop Fianu also touched on how upon observing the behavior of some people, we are sometimes tempted to ask if such people will ever change for the better, “When we observe or hear about people who kill innocent children and women, we ask ourselves why God does not eliminate these people in order to give security and peace to those who want to live by his commandments. In the face of such questions, we need to ask ourselves another question which is not only philosophical but basic to our human existence and our salvation. Since God created us in his own image and likeness, is it possible for him to recuperate his identity that sin has destroyed or tarnished in a person?” the Vice President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference asked.
Going on, he said our faith in God should help us answer the above question positively because He is omnipotent, stressing the fact that God loves His creatures and does not want to lose any single one of them. “He would do all he can to save his identity in the most sinful of all people, but he would not do so against the freewill of that person”, he added.
“The God we worship demands of us to preach his goodness to all peoples in the hope that someone would listen and repent so that he/she may be saved. The best way for us to preach this message of salvation is by living virtuous lives that communicate what we believe”, He added.
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