KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY MOST REV. MATTHEW KWASI GYAMFI
PRESIDENT OF THE GHANA CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE
(GCBC) AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 2024 PLENARY
ASSEMBLY HELD IN ST. THOMAS SOCIAL CENTRE, OBUASI
ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2024
THEME: “JUBILEE YEAR: A TIME TO PROCLAIM CHRIST, HOPE
FOR THE CHURCH AND GHANA”
Introduction
Mr. Chairman, Lawyer Franklin Kwabena Asamoah, Your Excellency Most Rev. Julien Kaboré, Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Ghana, Your Excellencies Archbishops and Bishops of the Conference, The Regional Minister, Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Andrew Asiamah Amoako, other Members of Parliament here present, MMDCEs, Representation of the Adansi Traditional Council, Clergy and Religious, Distinguished Invited Guests, Dear Lay Faithful, Friends from the Media. Ladies and Gentlemen, Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
I consider it a singular honour, for the opportunity to address this august gathering at the beginning of our Plenary Assembly here in the Catholic Diocese of Obuasi.
Congratulations and Welcome
Before exploring our theme for this year as well as some of our common challenges and aspirations as Church and Country, permit me to congratulate and welcome some new faces. I am delighted to introduce to you two of our new members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) who are participating in the Annual Plenary Assembly as
Bishops for the first time.
They are: Most Rev. John Opoku-Agyemang of the Konongo-Mampong Diocese and Most Rev. Francis Bomansaan, M.Afr. of the Wa Diocese and the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, His Excellency Most Rev. Julien Kaboré.
Our Dear Bishops John Opoku-Agyemang and Francis Bomansaan, by the grace of Almighty-God, were ordained to the third degree of Holy Orders – the bishopric, on 7th June, 2024 and 2nd August, 2024 respectively. Your dioceses of Konongo-Mampong and Wa must be proud to have you as their Chief Shepherds.
On behalf of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, we extend our heartfelt congratulations and warm welcome to both of you as you embark on this significant journey in your episcopal ministries.
Your appointment is a testament to your unwavering dedication and exemplary service to the Church and the faithful in Ghana. We are confident that your leadership will inspire and guide our communities toward greater faith and unity.
As you take on these new responsibilities, may the Holy Spirit strengthen you and grant you wisdom in all your endeavours. We look forward to working alongside you in spreading the message of Christ and serving the needs of our people.
Once again, congratulations! We assure you of our prayers and support for your new chapter in ministry.
New Apostolic Nuncio
Your Excellency, Most Rev. Julien Kaboré, having distinguished yourself as Priest and Ecclesiastical Diplomat, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appointed you Titular Archbishop of Milevi to take over from His Excellency Archbishop Henryk Mieczyslaw Jagodzinski as Apostolic Nuncio to our dear country after your episcopal ordination on September 14, 2024.
On behalf of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, it is with great joy that we extend a warm welcome to you as the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana.
Your presence among us is a source of encouragement and hope, and we are grateful for the vital role you will be playing in fostering the relationship between the Holy See and our beloved country.
We look forward to your guidance and collaboration as we work together to promote the Gospel of Christ, Our Lord, and serve our communities with love and compassion. We are more than eager to engage with you in addressing the spiritual and social challenges of our people.
May your time in Ghana, be filled with blessings, fruitful interactions, and meaningful experiences. We assure you of our prayers and support as you undertake this important mission.
“Jubilee Year: A Time to Proclaim Christ, Hope for the Church and Ghana”
The theme for this year’s Plenary Assembly is “Jubilee Year: a Time to proclaim Christ, Hope for the Church and Ghana”. As it has been in previous opening ceremonies of our Plenary Assemblies, many of you may be expecting me to elaborate on the theme and to touch on some concerns regarding our country Ghana. However, after careful evaluation and reflection on our previous Plenary Assemblies, we find it meaningful to modify a bit, our procedure.
This time round, we shall first study and reflect together as a Conference on the theme before coming out with our teaching on the theme. I would therefore not address the theme in detail but only offer some insight into what we shall be studying. I invite you to participate in our closing session on Friday 15th November 2024 so that we can share with you the outcome of our deliberations.
In reference to the theme, we all know that the Holy Father, Pope Francis has declared 2025 a Jubilee Year with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”.
A Jubilee Year traditionally signifies a period of renewal, forgiveness, and celebration. For the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, this theme invites us to reflect on several key aspects:
Hope for the Church
The Church in Ghana faces both opportunities and challenges. This Jubilee Year serves as a reminder that hope is foundational to the Church’s mission. It encourages a renewed commitment to pastoral care, social justice, and community building. The call to hope also invites reflection on the role of the Church as a beacon of light in times of darkness, fostering resilience among its members.
A Time for Reflection and Renewal
A Jubilee Year is also a time for introspection. It prompts individuals and communities to reflect on their journeys of faith, acknowledge shortcomings, and seek renewal. This process of personal and communal reflection can foster a deeper understanding of what it means to live out the Gospel in contemporary Ghana, in a truly Synodal Church.
Hope for Ghana
Our theme speaks of the proclamation of Christ as hope for Ghana. We shall therefore deliberate on how the faith can bring hope to our Catholic population and all people of goodwill in Ghana. It is in this light that our deliberations will touch on how we can speak of hope in the face of economic challenges, the need for educational reform, the impending general elections and the pending Presidential assent to the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Bill.
The Devastation of Illegal Mining (Galamsey)
This year, we are holding our Plenary Assembly in the Obuasi Diocese, a place where we find one of the most pressing issues we face as a country today. It is the devastation caused by illegal mining, commonly known as “galamsey.”
The environmental destruction it leaves in its wake is staggering. Our water bodies are poisoned, our farmlands rendered useless, and the entire ecosystems destroyed.
Yesterday, all bishops here paid pastoral visits to many parishes in the diocese and interacted with the Catholic faithful. We have heard their concerns especially about this menace. Their concerns and those of the people of Ghana will certainly come to bear on our deliberations this week. Conclusion
Lawyer Chairman and all gathered here, as I end my address, I pray that the message of hope will resonate in all we do. Hope in Christ, hope in each other, and hope in the future of our country. As leaders of the People of God and followers of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we have a duty to inspire, guide, and work toward a society where justice, peace, and prosperity are attainable for all.
As we your Shepherds enter into a period of study and reflection, we invite you to accompany us with your prayers so that enlightened by the Lord with the gift of his Holy Spirit we may come out with the word of God that is appropriate and relevant for our times.
May the Lord grant us the wisdom and courage to rise to these challenges, and may His grace continue to lead Ghana towards a brighter future.
On this note, I declare the 2024 Plenary Assembly of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference formally open in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!
God bless you all!
