By Damian Avevor and
Isaac Fritz Andoh
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Most Rev. Gabriel Justice Anokye as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi. He was until his appointment Bishop of Obuasi. The announcement of his appointment was made on Tuesday, May 15 at the St. Peter’s Basilica, Kumasi by Most Rev. Leon B. Kalenga, Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana. It was simultaneously announced at the Conference Room of the National Catholic Secretariat (NCS), Accra by Very Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Abbey Quaye, Assistant Secretary General of the NCS.
Archbishop-elect Anokye replaces Most Rev. Thomas K. Mensah, who has retired.
With the elevation of Bishop Anokye, the See of Obuasi remains vacant.
He was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Kumasi on January 17, 2004 and promoted Residential Bishop of Obuasi on March 26, 2008 until his appointment.
Archbishop-elect Anokye was born on May 27, 1960 at Emmena, in the Archdiocese of Kumasi. His family originates from Nsuta-Asuagu, a town in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. He is the youngest child of a very good and pious family which is blessed with many children.
He had his elementary education at Emmena, Appiadu and Boadi from 1966-1974.
He started his Seminary Formation at St. Hubert Minor Seminary in Kumasi and continued at St. Peter’s Regional Seminary in Cape Coast 1982-1984 and at the Facultes Catholiques de Kinshasa, Zaire, now Democratic Republic of Congo from 1984-1989.
He was ordained Priest on July 16, 1988 for the Archdiocese of Kumasi. After his ordination, he went back to the Democratic Republic of Congo to complete his Master’s Degree Programme in Theology.
In August 1994, he went for further studies in France where he earned a PhD in Theology at the Institute Catholique de Paris, and another PhD in History of Religions, and Religious Anthropology at the Sorbonne Paris IV State University from 1994-1999.
Ministries and Offices held by the new Archbishop included Assistant Priest, St. Mary’s Church, South Suntreso; Diocesan Youth Chaplain and Bishop’s Personal Secretary from 1989-1992.
From 1992-1994, he was Professor at the St. Peter’s Regional Seminary, Cape Coast and from 1999-2003, he was Professor and Acting Rector of the St. Peter’s Regional Seminary, Cape Coast.
Reports from Kumasi say that Archbishop-Elect who was present when the announcement was made thanked Archbishop Emeritus Peter Sarpong for his encouragement in his Priestly vocation.
He also thanked the faithful in Obuasi whom he had worked with in the last four years as a Bishop for their co-operation and support.
Present at the Press briefing were Archbishops Emeriti Mensah and Sarpong.
Additional file by Kwesi Yirenkyi Boateng