The misdeeds of some Christian leaders are impacting negatively on society, President John Evans Atta Mills has observed. He said while the number of churches kept on increasing each passing day, the crime rate, particularly among Christian leaders, also rose because supposed men of God were hooked to crimes and scandals involving sex, rape or defilement, fraud, theft, and causing unlawful harm. The President said the quest for materialism by such supposed men of God, whether orthodox or charismatic, was impacting negatively on society. He, therefore, advised such leaders to mend their way of life. President Mills made these remarks in a speech read on his behalf by the Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Kwasi Akyem Apea-Kubi, at the 8th National Congress of Sacred Heart of Jesus of the Catholic Church in Koforidua at the weekend. The four-day congress, on the theme: “Understanding the Eucharist through the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Living this devotion in our daily lives, especially in our families,” was attended by delegates of all the parishes throughout the country, as well as others from neighbouring countries. Also present at the gathering were Peter Cardinal Turkson, Director for Peace in the Vatican, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, Most Reverend Leon B. Kalenga, some archbishops, bishops, fathers and nuns. According to President Mills, church leaders advised their congregations to practice virtue while they ended up practicing the opposite and this was dragging the name of the Church into disrepute because they could not measure up to Biblical standard. “Some of these men of God, be it orthodox or charismatic, are morally incapacitated and cannot measure up to Biblical standards of moral uprightness so day in and day out we hear of pastors, evangelists, reverend ministers and bishops entangled in cases such as rape, fraud, theft, defilement, car snatching and causing unlawful harm. “It is about time that the leadership of churches in this country girded up their loins to cleanse the church of such iniquities,” the President stated. President Mills indicated that the congress was timely due to the rise in the political temperature, associated with indecent, inflammatory and intemperate language as the country was preparing for the polls next year and stressed the need for divine intervention. He expressed the hope that the Catholic Church would continue to do its best in addressing some of the challenges confronting the country. In his opening remarks, the Bishop of the Koforidua Diocese, Most Rev. Joseph Afrifa-Agyekum, was optimistic that the peace in the country would be preserved. Pope Benedict’s message deplored the emergence of hatred, wars and conflicts and called for peace and solidarity among men. Men, he also said, must show mercy, love and care for one another.