President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated the essence of the National Cathedral will represent not just the Ghanaian Christian faith but that of Africa.
According to him, just as the building of the Temple of Solomon was an epoch-making event not only in Israel, but also in the whole world, the building of the National Cathedral is an epochal event not only in Ghana but also in the rest of Africa.
That, he said, is why the pathbreaking design and architecture of the edifice, which includes the Bible Museum of Africa, and the Biblical gardens of Africa has been added to ensure the relevance of the project to the Church in Africa.
President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the 19th Plenary Assembly of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (Secam), on Tuesday, 26th July 2022.
The event was on the theme, “Ownership of Secam; Security and Migration in Africa and the Islands.”
The President said the design, described as an ‘Architectural Expression of African Christianity’ captures the moment when Christianity became a significant force on Africa’s cultural landscape.
“The project also includes a Bible Museum of Africa, will be the largest Bible Museum in the world, with a thematic focus on, firstly, the role of Africa and Africans in the Bible, and, secondly, the history and contemporary place of the church in Africa and the African Diaspora.”
“It will house the Bible translated into African languages, tell the story of the Church in Africa and the African Diaspora, and provide a convening platform for discussions on the role of faith in Africa’s transformation.”
“Tthere will also be the Biblical Gardens of Africa, which will include the trees, shrubs and flowers of the Bible, and serve as a major resource for Christians all over the African continent.”
According to the President, these three initiatives – the pathbreaking design, the Bible Museum of Africa, and the Biblical gardens of Africa – will help to ensure the relevance of the project to the Church in Africa.
He disclosed arrangements are in place to engage the Vatican Museum and Library to see whether it will be possible to secure artifacts that will help to make this into a major resource centre for African Christians adding, the Vatican has been known to provide such assistance in appropriate cases.
“Let us build our National Cathedral to be the epicentre of our lives, the place for our great celebrations, our thanksgiving, our funerals, the place for great moments of silence and introspection, the place that symbolizes the place of faith in our national psyche,” he stated.
