The Most Reverend Matthew Gyamfi, Catholic Bishop of Sunyani, has urged heads of the church’s educational institutions, to do everything possible to protect the values and basic principles for which the schools were established.

He said, these should never be sacrificed on the basis of satisfying people of other religious faiths.

The Most Rev Gyamfi, who is the Episcopal Chairman of Education of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, made the call when he opened a meeting of the Association of Catholic Heads of Higher Institutions, in the Volta Regional capital, Ho.

Bishop Gyamfi pointed out that Catholic schools were not only meant to provide the youth with academic and professional skills, but equally importantly, to serve as vital tools for evangelization.

This, he said, was something that must not be lost on the heads.

Bishop Gyamfi said “I am not unaware of the challenges you face in your schools where you have been compelled to admit students of other faiths, who otherwise would not want to be in Catholic schools. Some even think that religion and our faith are not important, and should be taught only as appendixes to other subjects.”

He, however, insisted that the Catholic faith was fully practised and manifested.

Bishop Gyamfi said, while followers of the other religious faiths should be permitted in Catholic institutions, the Catholic faith should hold sway.