IACK COUNCIL
STATEMENT, GHANA 1997
The Year of Charity 1999
Post Meeting Statement
The International Council of the Alliance
held its Biennial meeting in Accra, Ghana during the period September 24th to 29th 1997
under the Presidency of Owusu Prempeh, Supreme Knight of the Host Order, the Knights of
Marshall.
Also attending were International President
designate Dr Edmund S K Kwaw; Past International President George Habib
(Knights of Marshall); William J VanTassell (Knights of Columbus, USA); Supreme
Knight Jackie Elly (Knights of Peter Claver, USA); Supreme Knight Eamonn Fleming (Knights
of St Columbanus, Ireland); Supreme Knight J Kenneth Hargreaves, (Knights of
Saint Columba, UK); National President Michael Cassidy (Knights of the Southern Cross,
Australia) also representing Supreme Knight John Cahalane, (Knights of the Southern Cross,
New Zealand); Supreme Knight Dr Christopher Abebe (Knights of St Mulumba,
Nigeria); Supreme Knight Peter Hauser (Knights of Saint Virgil, Austria); National
President Joseph Jallow and Past President Jeffrey Renner (Fratemal Order of Saints Peter
and Paul, The Gambia); Secretary General of the International Alliance Tony Rouse (UK),
also representing Supreme Knight F Wightman (Knights of Da Gama, South Africa).
The Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, His Excellency
Mgr Andre Dupuy, celebrated the Mass opening the conference; he welcomed the
International Council to Ghana and delivered an inspiring message from the Holy Father in
which His Holiness thanked the the Council for their expression of loyalty and support and
imparted his Apostolic Blessing to all members of the Alliance and their families.
During this meeting, with the theme The Year
of Charity 1999, the Council:
Approved the application for membership of
the Alliance made by the founding chapter of the new Order of the Knights of Saint Gabriel
at the United Nations in New York.
Received an inspiring keynote address from
the Right Rev Bishop Peter Akwasi Sarpong, International Chaplain to the Alliance, on
The Christian Virtue of Charity.
Received and debated reports of studies made
by member Orders of their individual and collective commitment to the Year of Charity 1999
and their ongoing co-operation with the Pontifical Council ‘Cor Unum’ from whom
they received an inspiring dissertation, emphasising the vital role of Catholic Knights as
defenders of the weak, the poor and the oppressed.
Attended Mass celebrated by the Bishop of
Keta-Akatsi, the Right Rev Anthony Adanuty whose homily concentrated on the special
privilege attached to serving the Church as a Catholic Knight. The Alliance demonstrated a
wonderful unity of purpose and a common resolve to play more than a superficial role in
the Church.
Agreed to respond to pleas of Bishop Sarpong
and Bishop Adanuty by exhorting Catholic aid agencies internationally to be less
restrictive in conditioning of grants and more open to making grants for religious
initiatives and trusting recipients to use donations wisely.
Agreed to work to facilitate the vision of
all young people by assisting them to grow in the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to
continue the work of promoting their attendance at World Assemblies of Youth and to
demonstrate that we serve and care for them through our Christian concern for others.
Undertook to continue to fight that the Holy
Father has described as "The Culture of Death" in all its forms by sharing the
experiences and development work of all member Orders worldwide through the creation of an
international information exchange. To pursue this aim as a matter of utmost urgency as
the need to be prepared prior to the introduction of regressive legislation is recognised
as the most important element ensuring that the "The Right To Life" is
preserved.
Witnessed the installation of their new
International President Dr Edmund S K Kwaw MD, KSG, during the concluding
Mass.
Signed: E Fleming, SK; M Cassidy,
NP; P Hauser, SK; T Rouse, Secretary General. |
