The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference says Ghana cannot treat moral values and economic development as competing priorities in the ongoing national debate over the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, insisting both must be pursued together.

The Director of Governance, Justice and Peace at the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Rev. Fr. Michael Quaicoe, made the remarks on Top Story, where he argued that separating moral considerations from economic policy creates a false distinction in national development planning.

“A nation truly prosperous is the combination of the pursuit of both economic excellence and the upholding of moral values,” he said.

He added that development must be understood as a combined effort to improve both material conditions and societal values.

“So it is not one over the other. It is not a question of this or that. It is more a question of this and that,” he stressed.

His comments come amid renewed political debate over the status of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, which has been reintroduced in the 9th Parliament after earlier efforts lapsed without presidential assent following the 2024 general elections.

The bill continues to divide opinion in Ghana, with religious bodies, including the Catholic Church, strongly backing its passage, while human rights groups and sections of the international community continue to raise concerns about its implications.

The issue has also become a point of political discussion following President John Dramani Mahama’s March 30 engagement with civil society organisations at the Jubilee House, where he reportedly stated that although the bill is important, it is not among the country’s most pressing national priorities at this time.

That position has drawn reactions from proponents of the bill, including some Members of Parliament, who maintain that it reflects strong public sentiment and should remain a legislative priority despite competing economic and governance challenges.

Rev. Fr. Quaicoe, however, insisted that national discourse must avoid what he described as a false separation of priorities, arguing that moral values remain central to Ghana’s development trajectory.