The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, has urged Catholic youth across West Africa to defend the dignity of human life and reject abortion, telling participants at the opening Mass of the West Africa Youth Days that every child conceived in the womb has a place in God’s plan.
Bishop Gyamfi delivered the message on September 8, 2026, during the official opening Mass of the RECOWA World Youth Day in Accra, held under the theme, “Take Courage: Catholic Youth as Actors and Agents of Peace and Hope in West Africa.”
Reflecting on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference said Mary’s birth and her role in salvation history point to the sacredness and purpose of human life.
He noted that the Church celebrates both Mary’s Immaculate Conception on December 8 and her birth on September 8, saying these celebrations highlight the importance of her life and vocation in God’s plan of salvation.
Bishop Gyamfi said Mary could have regarded her pregnancy with Jesus as an inconvenience, given the social consequences and accusations of infidelity she could have faced.
Instead, he said, she accepted God’s will and protected the life entrusted to her, becoming the mother of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.
The Bishop challenged Catholic youth to draw courage from Mary’s example and resist pressures that could lead to abortion, particularly when pregnancies occur in difficult or unexpected circumstances.
He said the Church should encourage society to support women facing crisis pregnancies rather than push them towards ending the lives of their unborn children.
“There is no such thing as an unwanted pregnancy,” Bishop Gyamfi said, stressing that every pregnancy involves a human life with dignity and purpose.
He also pointed to the genealogy of Jesus Christ as evidence that God can bring his purposes to fulfilment through circumstances that people may consider undesirable.
Referring to biblical figures including Rahab and Ruth, the Bishop said their stories became part of the history leading to the birth of Christ, demonstrating that human beings cannot always foresee what God may bring out of difficult circumstances.
He urged the young people gathered in Accra to trust God amid painful, unexpected and difficult experiences, reminding them that their own lives are not accidents.
Bishop Gyamfi called on Catholic youth to become advocates for life, compassion and hope in their communities and to embody the theme of the gathering by becoming “actors and agents of peace and hope in West Africa.”
He said this mission includes defending unborn life while standing alongside women and families experiencing difficult pregnancies.
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