The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, has urged political actors and citizens to reject electoral violence and embrace justice and peace as the nation prepares for future elections.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Annual Plenary Assembly of the GCBC in Damongo, under the theme “A Synodal Church at the Service of Justice and Peace in Ghana,” Bishop Gyamfi warned that Ghana’s democracy is under moral strain.
“The 2024 elections were among the most violent since the beginning of the Fourth Republic,” he lamented, citing over 100 arrests and multiple deaths in post-election disturbances. “Democracy without conscience is fragile; without truth and justice, it risks becoming ritual rather than renewal.”
Highlighting the Church’s peacebuilding role, he noted that the GCBC’s Directorate of Governance, Justice and Peace trained and deployed 500 election observers across the country during the 2024 polls. The Church also partnered with the National Peace Council and traditional leaders under the Sahel Peace Initiative to mediate conflicts in Doba, Kandiga, and other flashpoints.
Beyond elections, Most Rev Matthew Gyamfi condemned environmental destruction from illegal mining, describing it as “a silent form of violence against the vulnerable and a sin against creation.”
He reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to fostering dialogue, reconciliation, and civic responsibility, saying:
“Peace is not merely the absence of war but the fruit of justice and justice is love made visible.”
The Bishops’ Conference will, during the week-long assembly, deliberate on national issues including governance, security, and environmental justice, as the Church continues to be a moral compass and advocate for lasting peace in Ghana.
Source: Padfm.com.gh/Kumatey Gorden/0243531604
