Speaking on The Point of View on Channel 1 TV, monitored by GhanaWeb, the legal practitioner stated that he is a committed and proud Catholic and finds no problem being a member of the Freemasons.
When asked by the show host, Bernard Avle, whether he took communion last Sunday, Afenyo-Markin responded:
"You want to ask about Freemasonry? We will go there if you have time for us to talk about it. Yesterday, we had mass at home. Father came to do mass with my wife and me. In my office, they gave us a room—a resting room—which I converted into a small chapel. Father came to consecrate it. We have the altar, and every Tuesday, we have mass. Yesterday, we had mass at home; Father came at seven, and we had mass. This evening, because of your programme, I missed mass. We will have mass tomorrow morning."
The Catholic Archdiocese of Accra recently reiterated its longstanding position prohibiting its members from associating with Freemasonry.
In an official statement titled "Catholics and Freemasonry," and signed by Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, the Church clarified that its teachings on the matter remain unchanged and emphasized that membership in Masonic associations is irreconcilable with Catholic doctrine.
The statement, which addresses questions about whether the Church had reconsidered its stance on Freemasonry, declared unequivocally:
"The answer is simply ‘No.’ The Church has not changed its position on Freemasons. You can’t be a true Catholic and a Freemason at the same time."
The document traces the Church’s position back to November 26, 1983, when the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released the Declaration on Masonic Associations.
This declaration stated that "Masonic principles are irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church, and Catholic membership in Freemasonry remains forbidden."
The statement warned that Catholics who join Masonic associations commit a grave sin and are ineligible to receive Holy Communion.
The statement went further to outline specific areas where Freemasonry conflicts with Catholic teachings. It pointed out that Freemasonry often equates Jesus Christ with other religious figures, such as Buddha, Krishna, and Confucius, while addressing prayers to the "Great Architect of the Universe" rather than through Christ. The Church views this as a denial of the unique divinity and centrality of Christ in salvation.
The Archdiocese also condemned Freemasonry for promoting ideas that allegedly undermine Christianity.
"Freemasonry wants the destruction of Christianity, and no one can claim to be a proud Catholic and a Freemason," the statement added.
However, commenting on this statement issued by the Church, Afenyo-Markin stated that his bishop is yet to write to him on this matter.
"My Archbishop Palmer-Buckle has not written any letter to me. I have been seeing letters flying around, but nobody has written to me personally. I am a committed Catholic. I am ready to discuss issues about fraternities that I join. I am ready to open up. If I was afraid, I wouldn’t have brought it up. There are many Catholics who are Freemasons and are afraid to talk about it."
He added: "Freemasonry is not anti-Christ. If nothing at all, in the Rose Croix, the highest level of Freemasonry, you must profess Christ. People don’t know, and people say things. But I am ready for that debate."
Afenyo-Markin indicated that should his church engage him personally and take a position on his association with Freemasonry, he would decide whether to leave the Catholic Church or remain.
"If I receive a delegation of my church leaders for a conversation, we will have a good discussion. If it gets to a point where the church takes a position and says, 'Kwamena, we really disagree with you,' then it would be for me to decide whether, in that circumstance, I would still remain a Catholic or move to the Anglican Church and become an Anglican."
When asked whether, if pushed to the wall, he would choose Freemasonry over his church, Afenyo-Markin responded:
"My church comes first. The church does not force people; the church will always listen. The church shows compassion; the church shows love, and I know that the Catholic Church I know will engage if it has to. President Kufuor has been a Mason. He occupied the grand rank in the UK, and the following week, the Pope invited him and honored him. What are we talking about here?" he asked.
'Freemason is not Anti-Christ [...] I am a committed Catholic, my Archbishop Palmer-Buckle has not written to me” - Afenyo-Markin addresses the Catholic Church & Freemason confusion on the #PointOfView with @benkoku
— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) January 29, 2025
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