Rome has indeed spoken, the matter is closed as Pope Francis appoints Very Rev. Fr. John Kobina Louis, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Accra and Rev. Fr. Anthony Asare, Parish Priest of St. Anne and Joachim Catholic Church at Teshie as the Auxiliary Bishops of Accra.
The announcement was made in Rome on February 14, 2023 and simultaneously in Accra by the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, His Excellency, the Most Rev. Henryk Mieczyslaw Jagodzinski at the Holy Spirit Cathedral at Adabraka.
As Auxiliary Bishops, they would be assisting the Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, CSSPs.
An Auxiliary Bishop is a Bishop assigned to assist the Diocesan Bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the Diocese. Auxiliary Bishops can also be titular Bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions.
In Accra, they are the second and third Auxiliary Bishops after Bishop Oliver Bowers, SVD and in Ghana they join others who were once Auxiliary Bishops including Archbishop John Amissah of Cape Coast, Bishop Oliver Bowers of Accra, Bishop Francis Lodonu, Emeritus of Ho, Bishop Gabriel Justice Anokye of Kumasi Archdiocese and Archbishop Matthias Nketsiah, Emeritus of Cape Coast.
Canon law states that “When the pastoral needs of a diocese suggest it, one or more auxiliary bishops are to be appointed at the request of the diocesan bishop. An Auxiliary Bishop does not possess the right of succession.” (Can. 403 §1)
Subsection §2 of the Canon also states that “In more serious circumstances, even of a personal nature, an auxiliary bishop provided with special faculties can be given to a diocesan bishop.”
