31/07/2026 14:00 - Internacionales
In a gesture of deep reflection and hope, Sarah Mullally, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the first woman to lead the 492-year-old Church of England (since March 2026), visited the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana on Thursday, July 30, 2026. This 17th-century fortress, built by Swedish traders and later occupied by the British in 1664, served as a departure point for thousands of enslaved Africans bound for the Americas.
During her tour, Mullally walked through the dungeons, prayed in an old Anglican chapel built above them, and stood at the 'Door of No Return' (now renamed the 'Door of Return'). She expressed her 'lament' for the Church of England's role in the transatlantic slave trade, stating: 'Being at Cape Coast Castle today and seeing the horrible conditions in which thousands of people were held makes it impossible not to feel the weight of the immense evil that drove the transatlantic slave trade.'
'Part of the Christian belief in repentance is about action, so we are implementing actions to support those communities that feel the legacy of the trade.' — Sarah Mullally
The visit reaffirms the Church of England's commitment to a £100 million fund (about $127 million USD) for investment, research, and engagement in communities affected by slavery. An independent oversight group had suggested the amount should be £1 billion, while a committee of Conservative MPs argued the money should instead go toward clergy salaries. Despite the debate, Mullally stood firm on reparative action, emphasizing that the Church's historical involvement in the slave trade demands tangible steps toward healing.
The fund builds on the apology issued by her predecessor, Justin Welby, in 2023, when he formally apologized for the Church using funds meant for poor clergy to invest in the enslavement of Africans.
Mullally's tour began on Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Accra, Ghana's capital (about 145 km east of Cape Coast). There she visited four parishes and preached at a service led entirely by female clergy. She also met with Ghanaian President John Mahama alongside her husband, Eamonn Mullally.
On Friday, July 31, 2026, she traveled to Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, to continue her pastoral visit in the Anglophone cities of Buea and Limbe. This journey comes as Ghana leads a global campaign for reparative justice, having hosted a historic conference in June 2026 with over 80 heads of state.
While local voices, such as accountant Kenneth Mordzro, note that repatriations of gold and artifacts looted during the 19th-century Anglo-Ashanti wars are still awaited, the reaffirmation of this fund represents a concrete act of faith and repentance. It illuminates a path toward healing for communities still bearing the scars of slavery.
Source: The Guardian
Alfredo S. Quiroga
