Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
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Accra (Agenzia Fides) - Hundreds of Consecrated men and women crossed the streets of the main cities of Ghana such as Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast, Takoradi, Sunyani, Damongo, Wa, Koforidua, Donkokrom, Bolgatanga, Konongo, Ho, in a candlelight procession and holding placards with various messages about the importance of Safeguarding the earth and protecting the environment.
Father Paul Saa-Dade Ennin, provincial Superior of the Society for the Missions in Ghana, tells Fides one of the initiatives undertaken at a national level in view of the celebration of the Jubilee Year 2025 by the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious-Ghana (CMSR-GH) of which he is President.
“Ghana in recent years has seen the destruction of its environment. An alarming rate due to the activities of illegal mining, indiscriminate falling of trees, pollution of water ways with plastics and improper disposal of waste - explains the missionary. Consequently, these activities have seen the pollution of waterbodies with heavy metal, depletion of the forest, destruction of farm lands, and total destruction of the environment.”
“As Consecrated persons in Ghana, today’s event is one in a series of activities across Ghana to highlight the need to engage all stakeholders and all persons interested in the future of our country and that of our children in a crusade to restore our damaged environment, our polluted water bodies and our destroyed forest,” underlines the President of the CMSR-GH.
“Under the cry of the Psalmist “Send Forth Your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the Earth” (Psalm 104:30), our aim is to cry out, as loud as we can, that the suicidal path of indiscriminate mining we have taken in our quest for instant riches, and total indifference to environmental pollution and cleanliness in our cities and towns are leading us only to a collective catastrophe,” insists the missionary.
Ghana is facing a serious existential threat to its environment and forest never witnessed before due to activities of illegal and irresponsible mining in its forests and waterbodies.
“We call on like-minded persons and groups, all the Catholic faithful, the Christian and Muslim confraternity, CSOs, professional bodies, institutions, traditional and political leaders, the media and all concerned Ghanaians who wants to be citizens, to join us on this pilgrimage of Hope for the restoration of our land.”
The campaign in line with Pope Francis encyclical Laudato si on protecting our common home and on the synodal journey towards the Jubilee Year 2025 under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”, was also joined by the various bishops of the Dioceses and many priests and lay faithful and others persons interested in the environment. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 15/7/2024)
