Accra, April 3, GNA - Ghanaian Catholic Communities on Sunday joined the Universal Church to mourn the death of Pope John Paul II, the Spiritual Leader of the Church, which occurred on Saturday, April 2. The Polish Pontiff, 84, died exactly 1937 GMT at the Vatican after his health deteriorated on Thursday, March 31. He served for 26 years. He was the first non Italian Pontiff elected over four centuries in 1978 to head the Church.
At the Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Church, Mamprobi, Dominic Amegashishie, the Parish Priest prayed for the repose soul of the Pope and urged all Catholics to continue to hold his teachings and principles in high esteem "even as he is no more with us."
He said the Universal Church and the World at large has lost a big personality but was hopeful that God himself will comfort the Christian communities by leading the Cardinals to appoint someone with similar qualities as Pope John Paul II.
Rev. Amegashishie prayed for the bereaved family in Poland for God's guidance and comfort.
Meanwhile, the Vatican had declared a nine-day of mourning after which the burial would be arranged later in the week. His body would be transferred to St. Peters' Basilica on Monday, April 3 to await the final burial.
The Catholic Church throughout the country would organise a Holy Mass on Thursday, April 7 in his memory.
Alao
Aflao (V/R), April 3 GNA-Catholic followers of the Roman Catholic faith on Sunday took to churches in Aflao in numbers to mourn the dead and pray for the soul of the departed Pope John Paul II.Wearing pensive mood, they asked God to accept him while He stretches hand in the selection of a replacement to build upon his good works for global peace, strengthening of the Catholic faith and championing of the rights of the weak and the voiceless.
The Reverend Father Theophilus Agoha, Parish Priest in-charge of Saint Peter and Paul Parish and its auxiliary Border Church, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that, " a great vacuum has been created in the Church." He adding however, that a leader would soon be elected to take over.
Reverend Father Agoha noted that, though people might disagree with some decisions and positions taken by the late Pope, he remained "a great moral leader."
