Takoradi: The Most Reverend John Baptist Attakruh, Bishop of the Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese of the Catholic Church, has urged the church to spearhead attitudinal change towards environmental stewardship. He emphasized the church's role in shaping individual behaviors and public policies to foster care for the environment, thereby ensuring safe living conditions for all.
According to Ghana News Agency, Bishop Attakruh delivered these remarks during the 2025 Moreau Murat Memorial Lectures. The event, themed 'The Call to all People of Goodwill on the Climate Crisis in View of Laudate Deum - the Marshallan,' was held at the Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Cathedral in Takoradi and organized by the Knights and Ladies of Marshall as part of their Centenary Celebrations.
Bishop Attakruh referenced a document by Pope Francis on climate change, highlighting its potential to adversely affect families' lives through impacts on healthcare, employment, education, and resource access. He noted Pope Francis's assertion that climate change is a global social issue closely tied to human dignity.
The Bishop expressed concern over the alarming environmental degradation in Ghana due to human activities like indiscriminate plastic waste disposal, garbage accumulation, and illegal mining, known locally as galamsey. He specifically pointed out the destruction of forests and compromised air quality in the Western, Eastern, and Ashanti regions due to these activities.
From a Christian perspective, Bishop Attakruh stated that environmental stewardship aligns with God's mandates to humanity, stressing responsibility, care, and sustainable practices. He urged the church to promote behavior change through sermons, bible studies, liturgy, and community projects to raise awareness and mobilize actions to protect the environment.
The biennial Moreau Murat Memorial Lecture, established in 1989 by the Knights and Ladies of Marshall, honors Sir James Marshall, Rev Father Auguste Moreau, and Rev Fr Eugene Murat of the Society of African Missions (SMA) for their significant contributions to the establishment of the Catholic Mission in the Gold Coast in 1880.
