Pope Francis appoints new Archbishop for Accra

Pope Francis has appointed Catholic Bishop of Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese, Most Rev John Bonaventure Kwofie, as new Metropolitan Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra.

The appointment was announced at a conference held on Wednesday, December 2, 2019, at the Catholic Secretariat in Accra, Wednesday. 

He succeeds Most Rev. Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle.

The appointment of Most Rev John Bonaventure Kwofie's follows the transfer of Most Reverend Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle to the Central Region as the new Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast which also follows the retirement of His Grace, Archbishop Matthias Nketsiah.

In Canon Law, the ultimate decision in appointing Archbishops rests with the Pope in Rome.

The process for selecting candidates for the episcopacy normally begins at the diocesan level and works its way through a series of consultations until it reaches Rome.

It is a process bound by strict confidentiality and involves a number of important players – the most influential being the apostolic nuncio, the Congregation for Bishops, and the Pope.

PROFILE OF THE NEW METROPOLITAN ARCHBISHOP ACCRA

MOST REV. JOHN BONAVENTURE KWOFIE, CSSp

Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie was born on the 26th of April 1958.

He is a native of Apowa in the Sekondi Takoradi diocese.

He attended the St. Theresa's Minor Seminary, Amisano.

He also attended the Spiritan Postulancy St. John XXIII Seminary, Ebolowa, Cameroon.

He received his bachelor’s degree in theology from Paul’s College-Seminary in Liberia/ Urbaniana University in Rome and continued his studies in pastoral leadership formation at Lumko Institute, South Africa. He earned his S.S.L. from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.

Additionally, he holds a certificate from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra.

He was ordained a Priest of the Holy Catholic church on the 23rd of July 1988 after his priestly training. 

Most Rev. John Bonaventure belongs to the Congregation of Holy Spirit (CSSP), a Catholic religious mission group, he twice served as Provincial Superior of the Congregation for West Africa, between 1995 and 2001.

He was also the first assistant to the Superior General of the congregation until 2012.

The Holy Father, Pope Francis announced his appointment as the new Bishop of the Sekondi Takoradi diocese on Thursday the 3rd of July 2014 at the Vatican and was simultaneously released by the Apostolic Nunciature in Ghana.

Most Rev. John Bonaventure succeeds the late Most Rev. John Martin Darko who resigned on health grounds on the 14th of December 2011 and died on the 12th of January 2013.

Most Rev John Bonaventure was the fourth Bishop of the Sekondi/ Takoradi diocese of the church.

From 1995 to 1998, Most Rev. Kwofie was the Vice Chairman of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men and served as its President for two terms from 1998 to 2004.

He was elected Co-ordinator of the Continental Conference of Major Religious Superiors in Africa from 2003 to 2005.

Kwofie’s experience is rooted in his roles as an academic, a pastor and a leader in his congregation.

Most Rev. Kwofie has served in various capacities as assistant priest and lecturer at the Pontifical Bible Institute in Rome.

Since his Licentiate in Sacred Scriptures in 1995, Most Rev. Kwofie has spent most of his time in the ministry of leadership in the Spiritan Congregation, either at the provincial level or at the congregational level.

His pastoral work has touched parishes in Bohyen Bamtama, the Archdiocese of Kumasi and the Archdiocese of Accra, the capital city of Ghana.

Additionally, he has done pastoral and missionary work in The Gambia.

Between 1996 and 2003, he taught at the Spiritan International School of Theology (SIST) in Nigeria, an affiliate institute of Duquesne University, lecturing on Biblical Theology to MA students.

Kwofie has served in a variety of leadership roles with the Spiritan Congregation, which is the order that founded and operates Duquesne.