His Eminence Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences at the Vatican, has urged Ghana’s political leaders to reflect on their interactions with Pope Francis and embrace his values ahead of the December 7 elections.

Speaking at the IDEG High-Level Forum 2024 on Thursday, 10 October 2024, Cardinal Turkson emphasised the importance of using the lessons learned from the Pope to guide their actions during the upcoming polls.

Addressing President Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Cardinal Turkson stated: “The three protagonists, the three leaders [Akufo-Addo, Bawumia, and Mahama], they visited Pope Francis, and they are the ones I’m inviting to come away with some of the values and virtues they experienced from their engagements with the Pope.”

Highlighting Pope Francis’ commitment to peace and human dignity, the Cardinal urged the candidates to prioritize the common good and reject conflict. He called for a leadership style grounded in compassion, empathy, and understanding.

“It’s one of peace, it’s one of respect for the dignity of a human person. It’s one of not putting any institutional structure over the dignity of any human person. But putting the human person first.

“It’s one therefore of cordial relationship and harmony and not one of conflict and hatred,” he stressed.

Cardinal Turkson expressed hope that the leaders would use their experiences with Pope Francis to create a more harmonious political climate in Ghana. He encouraged them to allow these values to inform their conduct and the leadership of their respective parties.