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Thursday, 30 December 2004

Six pagans receive baptism of sacrament

Sekyedumase (Ash), Dec. 30, GNA - Six pagan couples
from Sekyedumase, who have joined the Catholic Church,
have received special baptism of sacrament at the
celebration of this year's Holy Family Day at
Sekyedumase.

Explaining the rational behind the baptism of the
pagan couples, the Reverend Father Joseph
Boakye-Yiadom, Catholic priest of the Ejura-Sekedumase
Saint Anthony's parish, said the church recognised a
marriage between two pagans.

He called a marriage between two pagans as "natural
marriage" since the traditional marriage rites had
been performed, according to the true traditions of
pagans.

Rev Father Boakye-Yiadom explained that the church
baptised any pagan, who joined it and said traditional
marriage rites bring about a marriage bond between the
two people.

He said holy baptism received by anyone of the couple
allowed him or her to receive communion in the church,
pointing out that there were some people in the rural
communities, who marry traditionally before becoming
Christians.

Rev Father Boakye-Yiadom said such people needed
enough Christian education to enable them to receive
the Holy Communion because the church called for one
wife and one husband.

He said however that, before a converted pagan can
have the sacrament of baptism and confirmation, his or
her partner must be at the place of baptism to give
his or her consent.

He said that, those who were baptised in the church
before entering into traditional marriage cannot
receive the Holy Communion unless they have their
marriage blessed in the church.

He therefore, urged people who had their traditional
marriage rites with one wife or husband before joining
the Catholic Church to come forward to have such an
important sacrament before they die.

Source: Ghana News Agency

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Aggo Akyea
http://www.tribalpages.com/tribes/akyea

"Instead of studying how to make it worth men's while to buy my baskets,
I studied rather how to avoid the necessity of selling them."
WALDEN by Henry David Thoreau – 1854

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