The Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally expressed regret over the Church of England’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and confirmed her support for a controversial £100 million fund aimed at assisting communities affected by enslavement. She made this statement on Thursday during a visit to Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, a former British fortress where thousands of enslaved Africans were held before being sent across the Atlantic Ocean.
Cape Coast Castle is a 17th-century fortress originally built by Swedish traders, later controlled by the Danes and Dutch, and captured by Great Britain in 1664. Mullally’s visit is part of a 10-day tour of Ghana and Cameroon, at the invitation of the head of the Anglican Church’s West Africa province, Archbishop Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith. Both countries are part of this province.
During her visit to the castle, the Archbishop said: “Being at Cape Coast Castle today and seeing the appalling conditions in which thousands of people were held, it is impossible not to feel the weight of the great evil that drove the transatlantic slave trade.” She was shown the dungeons where enslaved people were confined, after which she prayed in the former Anglican chapel above them. She also visited the “Door of No Return,” from which enslaved individuals were sent on ships across the Atlantic Ocean.
Tour events and meetings
Sarah Mullally’s journey began on Sunday in Accra, 142 km east of Cape Coast. In the capital, she visited four local parishes and delivered a sermon at a special Eucharistic service at St. Joseph the Worker Anglican Church in the Kaneshie district. Local reports indicated that the service was conducted by an all-female clergy of the Anglican Church of Ghana.
Mullally, who in March became the 106th leader of the 492-year-old denomination and the only woman to hold this position, earlier in the tour met with Ghana’s President John Mahama along with her husband Eamonn Mullally.
Following the launch of the government program “Year of Return” in 2019, aimed at helping Africans and their descendants in the diaspora reconnect with their roots, Ghana has seen a significant increase in the number of visitors. During her visit, Mullally laid the foundation stone for a hostel as part of the local church’s “Cultural Resort” initiative, which will accommodate pilgrims from the diaspora participating in this program. The Archbishop also preached at a service for over 1,000 nurses in the city of Mampong, where she participated in the ceremonial opening of a new campus clinic named in her honor.
Further visit plans
On Friday, the Archbishop will travel to Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, after which she will visit Douala, as well as the English-speaking cities of Buea and Limbe.
