Members of the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious –Ghana (CMSR-G) have resolved to use the Year 2024 to crusade against the destruction of the environment and other harmful activities.
“We, Consecrated Men and Women of the Catholic Church in Ghana have taken the Year 2024 as a year of action to restore our damaged environment, polluted water bodies and destroyed forest,” they said in a New Year Message signed by Very Rev Fr. Dr. Paul Saa-Dade Ennin SMA, President of the Conference.
The Message made available to Newswatchgh.com declared: “We (Religious Working in Ghana) cannot all sit idle and fold our arms as we watch helplessly as unscrupulous persons destroy God’s creative gift to us which is our shared home.”
Fr. Ennin, therefore, called on all Consecrated Men and Women, Christ’s faithful, every citizen of Ghana and all persons of goodwill to join CMSR-G’s crusade against Galamsey and all harmful activities against the environment.
According to Fr. Ennin, the Religious are guardians of the earth, and “we have a duty to keep it safe and to use its resources responsibly and fairly,” adding, “We can no longer sit and weep as our common future is literally taken away from us.”
He was emphatic that “We cannot sit unconcerned and expect those who are benefiting from this evil venture to come to their senses and put a stop to their nefarious activities.
Our duty it is also to play our part in bringing restoration to our land. Together we can succeed “for there is nothing too hard for the Lord to do” (Jeremiah 32:27), he added.
In October 2022 during the 2nd biennial Conference at Koforidua, the members were privileged and grateful to receive some input on the impact of illegal mining popularly known as Galamsey on our environment by the Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Koforidua.
Based on the education, they simply horrified by what they saw and heard, hence in their Communique after the conference, condemned in the strongest possible terms all those involved in this shameful, despicable and destructive activities, whoever they may be.
The Consecrated Men and Women were most shocked to learn that the recent increase in ritual killings and child kidnapping may have some link to increase in Galamsey activities.
What are we becoming as a people? What devilish spirit of wealth accumulation and “get rich quick” no matter the cost has possessed us?, they asked in 2022.
The Conference of Major Superiors, Ghana comprises of leaders of Consecrated Men and Women Congregations in the Catholic Church who strive to witness to the love of God through evangelisation and charitable work for the poor and the most vulnerable in society. The ultimate goal is to be like Christ in the socio-cultural context in which evangelisation is carried out. Thus, Consecrated persons are invited to influence society actively through evangelisation and social interventions.
Damian Avevor//Newswatchgh.com
