The West African country Ghana has nearly 29 million inhabitants. A great majority of them, about 70%, are Christians. Most belong to Protestant communities. Only about 15% are Catholics. Especially in the north of the country, the Church suffers from a poor infrastructure, the spread of cults and a lack of young priests.
ACN is therefore increasing its commitment to train priests and assists by providing Mass stipends to support the Catholic Church in Ghana on its way to a better future. Northern and southern Ghana are marked by great differences. The north is closer to the Sahara and is therefore characterised by drought and poverty.
For many here, the Christian faith is a release from their fear of witchcraft and ghosts.
Kinga von Poschinger, Head of Section
Many people of working age migrate to the south, leaving children and the elderly behind. In contrast to the rest of the country, which is predominantly Christian, the north is predominantly inhabited by Muslims or members of tribal religions. Christians form only a very small minority there. Nevertheless, coexistence between the religious communities has so far remained peaceful. ACN receives many requests for aid, particularly from the und erdeveloped north of the country. The Church there is facing numerous challenges.
The road conditions are extremely bad and there are too few priests to care for the widely scattered believers. As in many African countries, the Church often takes on tasks where the state fails, including in health and education. However, the Church is aware that its core task is to proclaim the faith and this is a task to which it devotes itself with success. Especially among the followers of traditional African religions, many are interested in Christianity. But where the Church has no presence, cults often spread, mostly financed from abroad. In order to secure the future of the Church, ACN therefore focuses on the training of much-needed priests. In addition, we help the priests who are already active with Mass stipends and enable them to participate in spiritual retreats so that they can recharge their batteries. After all, they perform their duties with great commitment and under the most difficult of conditions.