The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) officially opened its 2025 Plenary Assembly on Monday at the Unity Centre in Damongo, Savannah Region, calling on the Church to serve justice and peace in Ghana.
The opening ceremony, attended by clergy, religious leaders, government officials, and lay faithful, convened under the theme: “A Synodal Church at the Service of Justice and Peace in Ghana.”
Delivering the keynote address, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of the GCBC and Bishop of Sunyani, emphasized the importance of synodality—a spirit of walking together in faith, dialogue, and co-responsibility—as a guiding principle for the Church’s mission.
“Synodality is not a bureaucratic process but a spiritual attitude. It prefers dialogue to decree, participation to isolation, and communion to control,” Bishop Gyamfi said, highlighting that a synodal Church listens attentively to the experiences of the People of God, discerns collectively, and translates faith into action for justice and peace.
Reflecting on Ghana’s socio-political landscape, the Bishop noted that despite the peaceful conduct of the 2024 General Election, post-election violence led to over 100 arrests and several casualties. He warned that “democracy without conscience is fragile; without truth and justice, it risks becoming ritual rather than renewal.”
Environmental degradation, particularly from illegal mining, was also highlighted. Bishop Gyamfi stated that more than 60% of Ghana’s rivers and streams are polluted, 34 forest reserves have been compromised, and over 4,700 hectares of forest destroyed, disproportionately affecting the poor, especially women and children.
Persistent chieftaincy and communal conflicts in areas such as Bawku, Yendi, Bimbilla, and Kandiga have also caused loss of lives, displacement, and economic disruption. The GCBC continues to support peace-building through initiatives like the Sahel Peace Initiative (SPI), providing mediation, humanitarian assistance, and support for asylum seekers from Burkina Faso.
The Bishop outlined GCBC’s collaborative role in national development through election monitoring, civic education, environmental campaigns, and international conferences on justice and reconciliation—demonstrating synodality in practice.
Key focus areas for the Plenary Assembly include the future of Catholic education, combating illegal mining, conflict resolution, promotion of religious tolerance, and safeguarding civic freedoms amid legislative proposals such as the Hate Speech Bill.
Bishop Gyamfi concluded by affirming that peace is the fruit of justice, describing justice as “love made visible,” and prayed for divine guidance over the Assembly’s deliberations, calling on Bishops, clergy, consecrated persons, laity, and national leaders to journey together in truth, humility, and hope.
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