The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has held its annual Plenary Assembly in Damongo, in the Savannah Region. This year’s gathering was themed, “A Synodal Church at the Service of Justice and Peace in Ghana.”
The event was graced by the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, His Excellency Most Rev. Julien Kabore, the Regional Minister, Hon. Isifu Salisu Be-Awuribe, Dr. Gameli Dominic Kewuribe Hoedoafia, the Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation at the office of the President who chaired the opening ceremony held at the Unity Centre in Damongo on 14th November, and several other dignitaries.
In his goodwill message delivered at the opening ceremony, the Regional Minister celebrated the longstanding partnership between the Catholic Church and the state in advancing national development.
As part of activities of the Plenary Assembly, the Bishops paid a courtesy call on the Overlord of Gonjaland, His Royal Majesty Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewusuale II, and the Damongowura, Seidu Kelly Boresa I, and the Member of Parliament for Damongo, Hon. Samuel Abdulai Jinapor. They also visited a number of tourists sites in the Region including the Mole National Park, Ghana’s premiere and largest wildlife sanctuary, and the famous Laribanga ancient mosque. They also celebrated Masses in the parishes and institutions in the Damongo Diocese, and interacted with the faithful, Consecrated Women and Men, and Priests, among others.
The week-long Plenary Assembly ended on 14th November, 2025, with the celebration of Mass at the St. Anne’s Cathedral in Damongo during which the President of the Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, who is also the Bishop of Sunyani Diocese, read a communique issued by the Bishops which touched on many national and ecclesial issues.
The communique noted that at the heart of this year’s theme is the concept of a synodal church — a community of faith that journeys together, listening attentively to the Holy Spirit and to one another through prayerful reflection, mutual respect, and shared responsibility for the mission of Christ.
The Bishops noted that in the Ghanaian context, this means deliberately creating spaces for genuine dialogue: between clergy and laity, across generations, and among diverse ethnic and social groups. It calls also for a church where every member of the faithful is empowered to contribute their gifts, insights, and charisms to strengthen the body of Christ.
A synodal church, the Bishops emphasised, flourishes when both the intellect and the heart are formed — enabling all believers to participate responsibly in the mission of the Church.
The Bishops also reflected deeply on the Catholic understanding of justice and peace. Justice, they noted, is the foundational structure of a fair and equitable society — one in which individuals and communities receive what is rightfully theirs and are treated with dignity and respect as persons created by God.
Touching on the indivisible bond between justice and peace, the Bishops affirmed that peace goes beyond the absence of conflict or war, describing it as, “the positive fruit that blossoms from the fertile ground of justice”.
The Bishops decried inequality, corruption, and political polarisation in Ghana, warning that these threatens the common good. “In Ghana today, where inequality, corruption, and political polarisation continue to threaten the common good, the Church reaffirmed its commitment to making visible the social consequences of faith — reminding the nation that “a faith that does not become culture is a faith not fully received.”
Source:Fiilafmonline/Walkiyatu Issahaku
