Religious Orders in Ghana Challenged to Make Human Rights “more tangible”, Defend Ecological Justice

Accra, 09 October, 2025 / 1:01 AM

Members of the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious – Ghana (CMSR-GH) have been urged to take concrete steps to defend human rights and promote ecological justice in their services amid the growing threat of environmental degradation.

In his speech at the CMSR-GH Conference held on Wednesday, October 8, in Ghana’s Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Coast, Bishop John Aphonse Asiedu of the Vicariate Apostolic of Donkorkrom underscored that the Church’s mission must move beyond reflection to practical action in defending the dignity.

Bishop Asiedu decried rampant corruption and injustices in Ghana, including child marriages and environmental exploitation, which he said call for a renewed moral and pastoral commitment.

“Consecrated Men and Women in Ghana can make human rights more tangible defending girls from child marriage, caring for survivors of abuse, advocating for a stop to galamsey and distractive practices of our environment and ensuring the sick are treated with compassion,” he said at the event held at the Chapel of the Holy Cross Brothers at Brafoyaw in Cape Coast.

“Let us put into action Consecrated Life for human rights protection and ecological justice. Hope does not disappoint through our ministries in communities, schools, clinics, and shelters,” he added.

The Ghanaian-born member of the Society of Divine Word (SVD) reminded members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL) that hope, though often challenged by overwhelming realities, is rooted in the Resurrection of Christ and assures believers that every effort to defend life, protect the vulnerable, and heal creation participates in Christ’s victory over sin and death.

He highlighted some of the challenges the people of God in Ghana are facing, calling the ICLSAL members to be “agents of transformation,” through their vows.

“In Ghana today, this mission takes on particular agency in the defense of human dignity, the protection of life, and the promotion of ecological justice against the backdrop of poverty, socio-political instability, culture shifts, and environmental degradation caused by illegal mining commonly called galamsey, deforestation, and climate change,” Bishop Asiedu said at the event realized under the theme “Consecrated Life for Human Rights Protection and Ecological Justice , Hope Does not Disappoint”.

He added, “Our vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience are not only personal commitments but also prophetic signals. They speak loudly in a world wounded by inequality, exploitation, and disregard for the dignity of women, children, and the poor.”

Referring to the Second Vatican Council, the SVD Bishop affirmed that human dignity is the foundation of moral society.

He also referred to the late Pope Francis’ 2020 Encyclical Letter on Fraternity and Social Friendship, Fratelli Tutti, which teaches that the dignity of every person must be respected “in all circumstances not because of their physical appearance, their abilities, their language or their level of development.”

Bishop Asiedu acknowledged the key role of ICLSAL in Ghana in areas such as education, healthcare, social work, and pastoral care, especially among the marginalized women, children, the poor, migrants, and people with disabilities.

The Local Ordinary of Donkorkrom Vicariate challenged women and men Religious to be at the forefront in fostering communities of solidarity and service despite the increase in corruption, human trafficking, and economic exploitation.

He emphasized putting the teachings of the Church into practice, urging ICLSAL members to “be the memory of human dignity in our schools, clinics, parishes and mission stations.”

He called on women and men Religious to protect the vulnerable, claiming that it is “not an optional ministry but one that lies at the heart of the Gospel.”

“Often, women and men Religious are the first respondents in times of crises like conflicts, floods, disease outbreaks, and disasters, defending life by offering emergency aid and hope to those who suffer,” he noted.

Focusing on ecological justice, Bishop Asiedu recalled the May 2015 Encyclical Letter of the late Pope Francis on care for our common home, Laudato Si’, which highlights “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are one.” He said that specifically in Ghana, practices such as illegal mining, deforestation, and pollution of rivers threaten human life and the entire God’s creation.

“Ecological destruction is not only an environmental issue; it is a human rights issue for it robs the poor and the future generations of life and livelihood,” the SVD Bishop since his Episcopal Consecration in May 2019 said.

He recognized the efforts of ICLSAL involved in ecological projects such as environmental community education on sustainable farming and water preservation, encouraging them to model “ecological conversion” through community practices that reflect care for creation.

“Consecrated Life invites us to be guardians of creation. We should model ecological conversion in our own communities and pursue an ecological mission not as mere activism but spirituality by speaking against destructive practices,” he said.

For him, “Religion can prophetically remind leaders and communities that the earth is God’s gift, that future generations have the right to a healthy environment.”

Bishop Asiedu emphasized that Consecrated Life extends beyond personal holiness and is “a mission rooted in Christ’s love that extends to society and creation.”

He encouraged members of the CMSR-GH to continue defending truth, justice, respect for humanity, and to put into practice acts that inspire care for creation even when costly.

The Catholic Bishop invoked the intercession of Mary, Mother of Hope, and prayed to the Holy Spirit to strengthen the people of God to remain signs of hope that never disappoint.

(Story continues below)

“God’s love has been poured into our hearts and it compels us to live for human dignity, protection, and he cares for our common home,” he said referring to Romans 5:5 that has inspired the theme of the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, Pilgrims of Hope.

Bishop Asiedu appealed, “Let us individually and collectively as a Congregation do our part, play our role under the inspiration of God’s Spirit who has been poured into our hearts.”