The Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) and Bishop of Sunyani, has urged national leaders, institutions, and citizens to recommit to truth, justice, and peace as the moral foundations of Ghana’s democracy.
Delivering the keynote address at the official opening of the 2025 Annual Plenary Assembly of the GCBC in Damongo, Bishop Gyamfi cautioned that democracy without conscience “is fragile,” warning that the country’s political gains risk becoming “ritual rather than renewal” if corruption, inequality, and violence are left unchecked.
The Assembly is on the theme “A Synodal Church at the Service of Justice and Peace in Ghana,” bringing together prelates, priests, local authorities, traditional leaders, and members of Catholic societies including the Knights of St. John International and Ladies’ Auxiliary, the Knights and Ladies of Marshall, Papal Knights and Dames, as well as representatives of the local council of churches and lay faithful.
Highlighting some of the nation’s challenges, Bishop Gyamfi lamented the growing threat of illegal mining (galamsey), which has polluted over 60 percent of Ghana’s rivers and destroyed thousands of hectares of forest.
He described the environmental crisis as a “moral and social tragedy” and a “silent form of violence against the vulnerable.”
He also raised concerns about the persistence of chieftaincy and ethnic conflicts, especially in Bawku, Doba–Kandiga, Yendi, and Bimbilla, which have caused numerous deaths and displaced thousands.
“Peace cannot exist without justice, and security cannot endure without compassion,” he stressed.
The GCBC, he noted, continues to play an active role in peacebuilding, civic education, and election monitoring through its Directorate of Governance, Justice and Peace.
He cited the Church’s collaboration with the Electoral Commission and National Peace Council as examples of faith in action for the common good.
Bishop Gyamfi outlined key areas for reflection during the plenary, including the future of Catholic education, interinstitutional collaboration against illegal mining, conflict mediation, and advocacy for the independence of state institutions.
He concluded by calling for collective prayers and action, saying, “Peace is not merely the absence of war but the fruit of justice. Justice, in turn, is love made visible.”
The weeklong assembly continues in Damongo and will end on Friday, November 14, 2025, with a Mass at St. Anne’s Cathedral.
By Celestine Edem Gbologah//Newswatchgh.com
