Chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, has called for deeper discernment and spiritual responsibility in how prophecies — particularly those claiming to reveal divine knowledge — are received and shared.
His remarks follow a recent appeal from the Office of the Presidential Envoy for Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations, urging religious leaders across Ghana to formally communicate any prophecies or spiritual insights of national significance to the government.
In a statement issued on Sunday, August 10, on behalf of President John Mahama, Presidential Envoy Elvis Afriyie Ankra expressed “heartfelt appreciation” to churches and other faith bodies for their “unwavering spiritual support, intercessory prayers, and sustained leadership in promoting peace, moral integrity, and national unity.”
Speaking to journalists, Cardinal Turkson raised concerns about how individuals are recognised as credible prophets.
“Who is credible? How do we determine that? What is the criteria for a credible prophet?” he asked. “It leaves a lot of questions that need to be answered.”
He stressed that while some individuals may genuinely believe they have received divine revelations, such messages should be approached with humility, reflection, and caution.
Cardinal Turkson advised that prophecy should first prompt private intercession and deeper dialogue with God before any public announcement.
“Whatever prophecies occur, and God makes his knowledge known to you, you can see the content of that message, and if it requires some form of intercession, please do that first — even before seeking to communicate it to anybody,” he said.
He added that prophecy, as a form of divine communication, is intended to draw the recipient closer to God, especially when its content involves warnings, disasters, or troubling events.
“For me, prophecies, as a communication of divine knowledge to humans, first and foremost make you privy to God’s thought. And the first consequence of that should be to speak with God himself.”
