Train laity to drive social change – Caritas Ghana told

Accra, Selikem Norfegali – Economist, Dr. Fritz Gockel, has called on Caritas Ghana to give greater attention to the role of the Catholic laity in shaping advocacy and development work.

Delivering the keynote address at the Caritas Ghana Donors’ Conference on the theme “Reimagining Catholic Philanthropy: Strengthening Collaboration for Integral Human Development in Ghana”, Dr. Gockel cited Pope Francis’ reminder to Caritas Internationalis in 2023.

“Take care to train competent lay persons capable of bringing the Church’s message to political and social life. The challenge of a mature and conscious laity is as timely as ever, since their presence reaches all those spheres that directly touch the lives of the poor. They can express with creative freedom the Church’s maternal heart and concern for social justice, thanks to their involvement in the challenging work of changing unjust social structures and promoting the happiness of the human person.”

He told Caritas Ghana, “I hope that in implementing your framework, you will pay attention to Pope Francis’s words of advice. Your work for advocacy will become more efficient if you create think tanks of lay faithful who influence many of the policies and projects that shape the development landscape of our country. When they are resourced not only with gospel values but also with the foundations of the Social teachings of the Church and are aware of the direction Caritas is pursuing, they will see how best they can influence the development agenda in their areas of operations.”

Beyond the laity, Dr. Gockel also addressed broader issues in Catholic philanthropy. He warned that Caritas Ghana is “saddled with over-dependence on international Donors” and challenged the organization to improve “credibility and transparency” in order to remain attractive to both donors and private financiers.

Reviewing the new strategic framework, he stressed the principles of human dignity, preferential option for the poor, the common good, and solidarity as non-negotiable pillars of Caritas’ mission.

“In the face of human need, no one is to turn a blind eye. We cannot stand idly by. We must set to work: donors, the private sector, the public sector, and the Church,” he said.