The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has urged religious leaders across the country to speak out boldly against the devastation caused by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey. 

In a strongly worded pastoral message, the bishops said the crisis is both a moral and ecological catastrophe and cannot be met with silence. 

“To religious leaders: speak prophetically without fear or favour,” the statement read, adding that the fight against galamsey requires moral courage from all sections of society.

According to the Conference, galamsey has “ravaged our rivers and forests, poisoned our soil, endangered public health, corrupted governance, eroded our moral fibre, and extinguished livelihoods.” 

It warned that such destruction amounts to a betrayal of humanity’s sacred duty to protect creation. 

“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,” the bishops said, reminding clergy and faith-based groups that stewardship of the environment is not optional but a central tenet of their calling.

The bishops lamented that some traditional leaders, politicians and even religious figures have been implicated in shielding illegal operators for personal gain. 

They described this as a “cancer in our national soul” which corrodes conscience and undermines public trust. 

“Delay is betrayal,” they cautioned, urging religious leaders to use their pulpits and platforms to call both government and citizens to repentance and decisive action.

They further appealed for a holistic national strategy to address galamsey, including declaring a state of emergency in affected zones, revising mining laws, establishing special courts, and offering sustainable livelihoods to those driven to illegal mining by poverty. 

“This struggle is not merely about law enforcement. It concerns the very soul of Ghana,” the bishops stressed, adding that prophetic witness from the country’s religious leaders could help galvanise the nation to “choose life” for future generations.