{"id":16951,"date":"2026-05-29T06:55:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T06:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fishfmonline.com\/?p=16951"},"modified":"2026-05-29T06:55:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T06:55:07","slug":"pope-leo-xivs-historic-apology-paves-way-for-global-justice-summit-in-accra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fishfmonline.com\/?p=16951","title":{"rendered":"Pope Leo XIV\u2019s Historic Apology Paves Way for Global Justice Summit in Accra"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"><span class=\"\">Following Pope Leo XIV\u2019s historic apology regarding the Holy See\u2019s role in the transatlantic slave trade, Ghana\u2019s Presidency has announced that the country will host a major international conference in Accra next month.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"><span class=\"\">In a Thursday statement signed by Presidential Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the government expressed that it \u201cwarmly welcomes\u201d the Pope\u2019s recognition and regret over the Church\u2019s part in \u201clegitimising and sustaining the enslavement of Africans.\u201d The statement praised the Pope\u2019s words as \u201can act of moral courage\u201d and a valuable contribution to the global search for historical truth, human dignity, and justice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"><span class=\"\">President John Mahama finds the apology especially meaningful at a time of deepening global reflection on the lasting impacts of slavery and colonialism. The Presidency noted that confronting historical wrongs requires honesty and moral accountability as key foundations for justice and healing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"><span class=\"\">The statement also recalled the immense suffering and dehumanisation endured by millions of Africans and their descendants over centuries of racialised enslavement\u2014effects that continue to influence societies worldwide. It further referenced the recent UN General Assembly Resolution A\/RES\/80\/250, which labels the trafficking and enslavement of Africans as \u201cthe gravest crime against humanity.\u201d According to the government, debates on that resolution included significant discussion of the Church\u2019s historical role and papal decrees tied to the slave trade.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"><span class=\"\">Against that backdrop, the Presidency described Pope Leo XIV\u2019s apology as both significant and welcome, demonstrating a readiness to face difficult historical truths in the interest of justice, understanding, and reconciliation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"><span class=\"\">Given Ghana\u2019s deep historical ties to the transatlantic slave trade\u2014evident in its coastal forts and castles\u2014the government reaffirmed its commitment to advancing historical justice, remembrance, and the restoration of human dignity. As part of that effort, Accra will host a High-Level Consultative Conference from June 17 to 19, 2026. The conference, convened by President Mahama, aims to chart next steps following the UN resolution and maintain global momentum on historical justice, remembrance, and dignity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"><span class=\"\">The Presidency stated, \u201cGhana looks forward to welcoming the international community to Accra.\u201d It also expressed hope that countries which did not support the UN resolution would eventually align with its goals and join Ghana and the wider international community in ensuring its effective implementation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"><span class=\"\">President Mahama expressed appreciation to Pope Leo XIV for his meaningful gesture and said he looks forward to continued global cooperation in fostering truth, healing, and a shared commitment to humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Disclaimer: The content provided on Fish FM Online is for informational and entertainment purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we do not guarantee the completeness, reliability, or timeliness of the information presented. Fish FM Online and its affiliates are not responsible for any errors or omissions, nor for any decisions made based on the content available on our platform.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following Pope Leo XIV\u2019s historic apology regarding the Holy See\u2019s role in the transatlantic slave trade, Ghana\u2019s Presidency has announced that the country will host a major international conference in Accra next month. In a Thursday statement signed by Presidential Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the government expressed that it \u201cwarmly welcomes\u201d the Pope\u2019s recognition and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123457,"featured_media":16952,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[1619,5346,3477],"class_list":["post-16951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-news","tag-accra","tag-global-justice-summit","tag-pope-leo-xiv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishfmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishfmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishfmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishfmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/123457"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishfmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16951"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishfmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16953,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishfmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16951\/revisions\/16953"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishfmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishfmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishfmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishfmonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}