Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the Vatican, has urged prophets and clergy to seek God’s guidance through prayer before announcing any prophecy—especially those foretelling tragedy or national crisis.
His call follows a new directive from the Presidential Envoy for the Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations Office, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, requiring that prophecies or spiritual revelations involving high-profile political figures, governance, national security, or public stability be submitted for urgent review before being made public. The directive, issued on Sunday, August 10, came in the wake of viral social media videos following the August 6 military helicopter crash, which killed eight people, including two cabinet ministers.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, August 13, ahead of the August 22 inauguration of the John Kofi Turkson Memorial Institute in the Central Region—named in honour of his late brother, who died in the 2000 Kenya Airways Flight 431 crash in Abidjan—Cardinal Turkson stressed the moral duty of spiritual leaders to act responsibly when entrusted with sensitive revelations.
“If a prophecy points to possible disaster, the first response should be to intercede with God before making it public,” he said. Citing scripture, he added: “When God revealed His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham pleaded for mercy. Likewise, if God grants you such knowledge, pray first and seek His intervention.”
The Cardinal also cautioned against using prophecy to assert spiritual authority, noting that the question of who qualifies as a “credible prophet” is difficult to define.
“It’s easy to say, ‘listen only to credible prophets,’ but who determines credibility, and by what measure? Whenever you receive a prophecy, examine it carefully. If it calls for action, take that step before going public,” he advised.
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem