Archbishop Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle of Cape Coast has urged Catholics across Ghana to give thanks to God as the Archdiocese celebrates a Double Jubilee, marking both the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year and the Diamond Jubilee of its elevation to an Archdiocese.
Speaking ahead of the event, the Archbishop described the occasion as a time to express gratitude for God’s blessings upon the Church in Ghana. The Jubilee Year, themed “Pilgrims of Hope,” coincides with seventy-five years since Pope Pius XII elevated the Apostolic Vicariate of the Gold Coast to a Metropolitan See on April 18, 1950.
He explained that the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has endorsed the Double Jubilee as a national celebration, recognizing Cape Coast as the mother of all dioceses in Ghana. All nineteen dioceses, including the four metropolitan sees, were invited to join the celebration. Pope Leo XIV appointed Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier of South Africa as Papal Delegate to represent the Holy Father.
The celebrations began with a candlelight procession through the streets of Cape Coast, followed by a grand Mass at St. Augustine’s College. Thousands of faithful and priests participated, giving thanks for seventy-five years of God’s goodness. During the Mass, pilgrims renewed their baptismal vows, pledging to let their light shine in faith and service.
Archbishop Palmer-Buckle highlighted the Archdiocese’s role in education, healthcare, and evangelization, noting its over 250 schools, six health centres, and various media outlets such as Pax FM, CAFDIL TV, and Maryba TV. He encouraged the faithful to sustain the legacy of early missionaries and prepare for the Church’s 150th anniversary in 2030.
He further reminded the youth that they are not only the future but also the present of the Church, urging them to live as witnesses of faith and hope wherever they are.
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