Hospitalized Ghanaian Archbishop with COVID-19 Seeks Prayers for Patients, Health Workers

“Dearly beloved, please bring all COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers and patients to the Grotto today, my personal intention as a special one for Mother Mary to intercede for all of as she alone knows best to her Son Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I bless you, and I will remember you at all Grotto prayers in our country,” Archbishop Palmer-Buckle says.

In his video message, the Archbishop says, “Let us continue praying, thanking God for the doctors, the nurses, the front-line workers and the great good job they are doing. They are really stretched out and stressed out; they need our prayerful support, love and concern for themselves and anything God can help them to do.”

The Local Ordinary of Cape Coast Archdiocese who doubles as Vice President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference (GCBC) urges the general public to take COVID-19 preventive protocols seriously in order to help stop the spread of the pandemic.

“COVID-19 is real and let us be religious in our observation of the health protocols. God helps those who help themselves,” the Archbishop appeals.

He invites the people of God in the West African nation to commit to “prayer, protocols and prayer”, to combat the coronavirus. 

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“My advice is what I call the three Ps; Prayer, Protocols and Prayer and you can add two more to it and protocols and prayer so it becomes five Ps,” the Archbishop says in his video message and reiterates, “COVID-19 is real. We can overcome it in unity of focus and purpose.”

Archbishop Palmer-Buckle goes on to express his appreciation to the people of God in Ghana for journeying with him in prayer saying, “Thanks for your prayers and good wishes.”

He assures the people of God in Ghana about his health situation saying, “Am getting better. I bless you. I miss you all. I hope to join you soon.”

“Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes, Health of the Sick and Comforter of the Afflicted, pray for us,” he implores.

Archbishop Palmer-Buckle is the first Catholic Prelate known to have contracted the virus in his country where 70,046 cases have been reported, including 449 deaths and 63,502 recoveries.

In Africa, the President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), Phillip Cardinal Ouédraogo, tested positive for the virus in April 2020 and later recovered. Earlier, in March 2020, the Vicar Apostolic of Ethiopia’s Gambella Vicariate, Bishop Angelo Moreschi, succumbed to the virus.

In August, the Bishop of Nigeria’s Yola Diocese also tested positive for COVID-19 and later recovered. 

The Archbishop of Kenya’s Nyeri Archdiocese who recovered from the disease expressed appreciation to the people of God in the East Africa country, thanking them for journeying with him in prayers as he battled with  COVID-19.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.