Pope Leo sends condolences to Ghana mourning victims of helicopter crash

by Divine Chidubem

August 7, 2025

in Ghana, International, News, Pope

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Pope Leo sends condolences to Ghana mourning victims of helicopter crash

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Pope Leo has expressed his sorrow over the deaths of ministers, government officials and the crew who perished in a military helicopter crash on Wednesday, 6 August, in the West African nation of Ghana. The condolences came in a telegram signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, addressed to Bishop Matthew K. Gyamfi of Suyani Diocese, also President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

The Holy See Press Office published the telegram on Thursday evening, 7 August, that reads, “His Holiness Pope Leo XIV sends his condolences upon the deaths of the ministers, government officials and all who perished in the military helicopter crash. Entrusting the souls of the deceased to the mercy of Almighty God, and with prayers for those who mourn their loss, especially their families, the Holy Father assures the nation of his spiritual closeness at this difficult time.”

The helicopter, carrying three crew and five passengers, crashed in a heavily forested area of the central Ashanti region. It was carrying Ghana’s Minister of Defence, Edward Omane Boamah, the Minister of Environment, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, six crew and other passengers accompanying them. They were traveling to the town of Obuasi for an event related to stopping illegal mining. There were no survivors.
The missionary news service, Agenzia Fides, reported Bishop Gyamfi’s reaction to the tragedy, saying the news came as a great shock to all.

The Ghana Bishops’ Conference issued a statement expressing its condolences to the President, the families of the victims, Parliament, and the nation, saying “we ask all Ghanaians to pray for them,” while they also noted their “shock to lose such brilliant minds all at once.”

The Bishops emphasised that the victims “were men of proven commitment, servants of the state, politicians, technocrats, and gallant officers of the Ghana Armed Forces, who gave their lives in the service of the Republic, the institutions, and the people of this country. Their sudden and untimely passing is not only a blow to their families and friends, but also a great loss for the nation.”

Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, has declared three days of national mourning.

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Daily Reading

Monday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time

First Letter to the Thessalonians 4,13-18.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers... and sisters, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore, console one another with these words.

Psalms 96(95),1.3.4-5.11-12.13.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing... to the LORD, all you lands.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
awesome is he, beyond all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,
but the LORD made the heavens.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them.
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult before the LORD.

The LORD comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 4,16-30.

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown... up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read
and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."
And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
He said to them, "Surely you will quote me this proverb, 'Physician, cure yourself,' and say, 'Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'"
And he said, "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."
When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
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