Bishop Attakruh Urges Clergy to Lead Fight Against Environmental Destruction
The Bishop of Sekondi-Takoradi, Most Rev. John Baptist Attakruh, has called on the clergy to speak boldly against environmental destruction, lamenting the silence of some religious leaders amidst escalating ecological threats.
Delivering the 2025 Marshall Moreau Murat Memorial Lectures at the Our Lady Star of the Sea Cathedral in Takoradi as part of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall Centenary celebrations, he decried the Church’s inaction against harmful practices such as illegal mining (galamsey) and indiscriminate waste disposal.
“We have failed to speak boldly about the destruction we’re causing to our environment. Galamsey is killing our rivers, and plastic waste is choking our gutters. It is time for the Church to rise and lead this fight,” he said.
Bishop Attakruh warned that Ghana is already suffering the consequences—flooding, pollution, and environmental degradation. He urged clergy, youth, and elders to support the national clean-up exercise and take ownership of the ecological cause.
“Safeguarding the environment is part of God’s plan for creation,” he noted.
He stressed that climate change is not merely a scientific or political issue but a moral and spiritual crisis.
Referencing Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ 2015 Encyclical on caring for our common home, he highlighted the interconnectedness of environmental and human well-being.
“Climate change is about our stewardship of God’s creation and our responsibility to future generations,” he added.
Bishop Attakruh concluded by urging religious leaders to use their pulpits to raise awareness and promote environmental responsibility, warning that continued inaction will only deepen the suffering of the most vulnerable.
