Ghana Sacred Heart of Jesus Congress reaffirms 'Laudato sì'

Ghanaian Bishop Peter Atuahene of Goaso Diocese in the Brong-Ahafo Region, has called upon devotees of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Catholics, in general, to be merciful to the earth by joining in the fight against the indiscriminate destruction of the environment.  The Bishop said the abuse of the earth should be a concern for everyone. 

In a homily at the closing Mass of the ninth Sacred Heart Congress at the Amaniampong Senior high School at Asante-Mampong in the Konongo-Mampong Diocese on 4 September, Bishop Atuahene said the earth was under threat and was crying for help.

The four-day Congress, from 1 to 4 September 2016, attended by about 20,000 devotees of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the league Tarcisians of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Confraternity, members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, several Priests and Religious was on the theme: Committing the Family to the Mercy of God through the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Congress held every five years was organised by the National Sacred Heart of Jesus Enthronement Centre.

Bishop Atuahene reminded the faithful that all charged with the protection of the environment should know that the environment is God’s handiwork and protecting it was an indication of being faithful to God.

He urged the faithful gathered to become ambassadors for a clean environment, decrying the persistent pollution of water tables; the littering of plastic waste everywhere; the careless felling of trees in forests and Savannah areas and the rampant mining operations in the towns and villages of Ghana.

He called on national authorities to find ways of stopping the degradation of the environment and allow the law that prevented the destruction of the environment to work effectively.

Bishop Atuahene further urged Catholics and others to read and practice Pope Francis' Encyclical, "Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home, saying it provided a good resource for all, but most especially, policymakers.

(By Damian Avevor in Ghana)

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