The Catholic Church in Ghana has announced that it will not accept donations that come from illegal mining activities, commonly known as ‘galamsey.’ This decision is part of a broader initiative to address the involvement of church members in these illegal operations.
During the Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the President of the Bishops’ Conference, emphasized the Church’s strong position on this issue. He revealed that the Church is ready to impose stricter sanctions, including the potential denial of Holy Communion to members who continue to engage in illegal mining.
“We will not accept any donations that are the result of illegal mining. Sanctions will be tightened further, to the extent that if you openly participate in galamsey after receiving multiple warnings, we may refuse you Holy Communion,” he stated.
Most Rev. Gyamfi clarified that the Church would provide warnings before enforcing such sanctions but reiterated that any money obtained from illegal mining will be outright rejected. “We do not believe that the Lord will accept such a gift; we will refuse it immediately. You will be warned, and if you continue with this activity, further sanctions will follow,” he said.
Additionally, Most Rev. Gyamfi urged the public to take an active role in eliminating illegal mining and protecting natural resources. He called on local communities to prevent illegal miners from destroying their lands and polluting water bodies.
“The people should take it upon themselves to protect their land and not allow outsiders to come and ruin their water sources. We often expect the government to intervene, but are we not the ones in local communities who contribute to this problem through galamsey? We cannot keep asking the government to save us from ourselves,” he added.