The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has issued a firm appeal to President John Dramani Mahama to honour his public commitment to assent to the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill once it is duly passed by Parliament, insisting that the final law must reflect what it describes as the moral convictions of the Ghanaian people as well as constitutional guarantees of human dignity.
In a strongly worded statement signed by the President of the Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the Bishops reminded the President of what they said was his earlier public assurance that he would sign the Bill into law if it followed due constitutional process.
“We respectfully recall the President’s earlier public assurance that he would assent to the Bill should it be duly passed in accordance with constitutional procedures,” the statement said.
The intervention comes amid renewed public debate following recent comments attributed to President Mahama and the Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, which the Bishops say prompted reflection and response, while still maintaining respect for the offices involved.
The GCBC noted that the President, speaking at the World Affairs Council, reportedly described LGBTQ+ issues as “not the most important issue we face as a nation,” while the minister was quoted as saying the subject was “not a major priority for Ghanaians” and a “waste of time.”
While acknowledging that the remarks may have been intended to prioritise pressing economic and social concerns, the Bishops warned that such framing risks diminishing the moral weight of the debate.
They stressed that issues relating to identity, family structure, and moral order cannot be treated as secondary or inconsequential.
“Nations do not live by bread alone. They are also sustained by the invisible architecture of values,” the statement said.
The Conference also recognised Ghana’s broader socio-economic challenges, including inflationary pressures, youth unemployment, and gaps in health and education, noting that the Church has consistently spoken on these issues and will continue to advocate for policies that promote equity and human development.
However, the Bishops rejected what they described as a false dichotomy between economic development and moral values.
“It is analytically unsound to frame a choice between economic progress and moral coherence. The two are not rivals but companions,” they stated, adding that strong family systems contribute to social stability and long-term development outcomes.
According to the GCBC, empirical evidence suggests that stable family structures are linked to improved education, reduced crime, and greater social mobility, describing the family as “a nation’s most efficient social welfare system.”
They warned that weakening the moral foundation of the family could undermine the conditions necessary for sustainable national development.
The Bishops further emphasised that for the majority of Ghanaians, matters of marriage, sexuality, and family are deeply rooted in religious, cultural, and moral traditions, and are actively discussed across churches, mosques, traditional councils, and civic platforms.
They defined family values as the understanding of marriage as a lifelong union between a man and a woman, oriented towards mutual support and the upbringing of children, describing it as a shared moral framework across many Ghanaian communities.
“When the family flourishes, society finds coherence. When it fractures, social costs multiply, often silently and across generations,” the statement added.
The GCBC’s intervention adds renewed moral and political pressure to the national conversation surrounding the Bill, reinforcing the Church’s longstanding position on family life while directly engaging the President on his earlier commitments.
