Catholic Church Promises To Reject Donations, Offerings Of Those Involved In Galamsey

• The Catholic Church has decided to take punitive measures against church members engaged in illegal mining
• The measures are meant to serve as a deterrent to those involved in the galamsey menace polluting rivers and lands
• Matthew Kwesi Gyamfi said the church would reject offerings from such persons and exclude them from communion

The Catholic Church has warned that it would take punitive actions against members of the church who engage in illegal mining activities.

The first of such punitive actions is to refuse donations sourced from the proceeds of illegal mining, commonly called galamsey in Ghana.

The decision forms part of a broader set of church sanctions geared at deterring church members from engaging in illegal mining activities.

The punitive actions were announced during a speech delivered by the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Ghana, Most Reverend Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, at the conference's plenary assembly.

He said the church was ever ready to impose even stricter sanctions on members engaged in illegal mining, including denying Holy Communion to members who persist in engaging in the abhorrent act despite warnings.

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Most Rev Gyamfi stated that members would be made amply aware of the church’s stance on galamsey before such punitive actions were imposed.

In the meantime, the church would reject donations, offerings, and gifts from persons who engage in illegal mining activities.

The Bishop also urged the public to be active campaigners against illegal mining and urged them to rather protect the sanctity of the natural environment.

He called on traditional leaders and community members to collectively prevent illegal miners from destroying their lands and polluting their water.

Catholic Church embarks on prayer walk

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church in Accra embarked on a protest prayer walk on October 11, 2024.

The church had described the walk as a clarion call for collective action against the illegal mining menace that has devastated Ghana’s natural environment, threatening the lives and livelihoods of all Ghanaians.

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The protest organisers said the government could no longer be complacent in the fight against galamsey and urged it to immediately initiate sustained action to clamp down on the illegal miners.

Anti-galamsey task force destroys Changfans

YEN.com.gh reported that the government's anti-galamsey task force had destroyed 10 Changfans and other illegal mining equipment on the Pra River.

Colonel Tedanu, Commander of the unit, stated that the task force is concerned with destroying illegal miners' infrastructure and machines on the rivers.

He also explained that they are mainly focusing on the major water bodies at risk from illegal mining activity and not the lands and forest reserves.

Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh