All is set for today’s national prayer walk against illegal mining locally referred to as galamsey.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, with support from the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious Congregations, is organizing the event, which starts today at 8:00 AM at the Holy Spirit Cathedral and ends with an Episcopal Mass at Christ the King Parish.
The prayer walk comes a day after the botched organized labor nationwide strike, following assurances by the government it will deal with the situation, which has attracted both national and international attention.
The organizers of the prayer walk emphasized the responsibility of both Catholics and Ghanaians to safeguard the environment.
“We recognize our moral obligation to protect God’s creation and promote integral human development, not only in words but also in action. The Latinists expressed this idea as facta non verba.
The bishops called upon Catholics, Christians, and all well-meaning Ghanaians to take part in what they referred to as an “environmental prayer war against galamsey.
”The initiative focuses on urging the government to declare a state of emergency. “The goal of this prayer walk is to raise awareness about the devastating effects of galamsey, advocate for the government to declare a state of emergency to stop all forms of mining activities, and allow for evaluation of the damage and healing of the land,” the bishops added.
They further underscored the urgency for governmental action. “We are mobilizing Catholics and Ghanaians to demand that the government act now and not keep giving promises. Our land and our future are at stake,” the bishops asserted.
Participants will deliver a petition to the President at the Jubilee House before continuing to Christ the King Parish. The bishops also emphasized the need for a unified effort, calling for collaboration to tackle the environmental damage.
“We must foster collaboration among stakeholders to address the issue of mining activities that are destructive to our environment. Please bring your rosary, and if you are unable to do so, feel free to join us in prayer. We must unite in faith to protect our land from destruction,” they noted.