Pope Francis appoints new Cardinal from Ghana
Pope Francis has named Most Rev. Richard Kuuia Baawobr, the Catholic Bishop of the Wa Diocese in Ghana’s Upper West Region, as the country’s new cardinal.
Sunday, May 29, in Rome, Pope Francis made the announcement alongside twenty other new cardinals for the Church.
Cardinals are prominent officials of the Roman Curia (papal bureaucracy), bishops of large dioceses, and frequently papal envoys.
They wear characteristic crimson robes, are addressed as “Eminence,” and are recognized as church princes.
Membership confers no additional spiritual authority, but the cardinals’ two primary responsibilities are supporting the pope in the administration of the huge international Church and, above all, electing a new pontiff for whom they are responsible. By old custom, they are referred to as “princes” due to the diplomatic significance conferred by their position and the fact that many of their predecessors belonged to the great noble families of Europe. The majority of cardinals today have extremely humble beginnings.
Rev. Fr. Richard Kuuia Baawobr, M. Afr., then Superior General of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers), was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Wa by the Holy Father in 2016. (Ghana).
Fr. Richard Kuuia Baawobr, M. Afr., was born in Tom-Zendagangn, Diocese of Washington, on June 21, 1959.
He attended the village’s elementary school before continuing his education at St. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary and Nandom Secondary School.
After studying philosophy, he entered the St. Victor diocesan Major Seminary in Tamale in 1979. In 1981, he joined the Society of African Missionaries and began his studies for the priesthood. From 1981 to 1982, he completed his Novitiate in Fribourg, Switzerland.
Subsequently, he completed his theology studies at the Missionary Institute London between 1982 and 1987. (MIL). On December 5, 1986, he took his religious vows at St. Edward’s College in London, and on July 18, 1987, he was consecrated a priest.
He has performed the following pastoral and academic capacities since his ordination: 1987-1991: Assistant priest in Livulu, Archdiocese of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; 1991-1996: Student of exegesis at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and at the Ignatian Spirituality at Le Chatelard in Lyon, France, earning a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture and a Doctorate in Biblical Theology; 1996-1999: Formation Director for the Missionaries of Africa in Kahangala, Tanzania; 1999-2004: Director of the formation house in Toulouse, France; 2004-2010: First Assistant General for the Missionaries of Africa.
Since 2010: Superior General of the Missionaries of Africa and Vice Chancellor at PISAI (Pontifical Institute of Arabic-Islamic Studies).
He was selected by the Union of General Superiors to attend the last Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family, which took place from October 4 to October 25, 2015. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 18/02/2016)
The following are the new cardinals’ names:
Artur Roche, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Sacramental Discipline
Lazzaro You Heung Sik, Prefect of the Clergy Congregation
Fernando Vergez, Governorate SCV President
Archbishop Jean-Marc Nol Aveline of Marseille
Peter Ebere Okpaleke, Bishop of Ekwulobia (Nigeria)
Archbishop Leonardo Ullrich of Manaus
Blacks António Sebastião Filipe do Rosário Ferrão Archbishop of Goa (India)
San Diego Archbishop Robert McElroy
Archbishop Virgilio do Carmo Da Silva of East Timor
Bishop Oscar Cantoni of Como
Archbishop Anthomy Poola of Hyderabad (India)
Cesa Paulo Costa, Brasilia Archbishop
Bishop Richard Kuuia Baawobr of Wa (Ghana)
William Goh, Singapore’s Archbishop
Archbishop Martines Adalberto Flores of Asuncion
Apostolic Prefect of Ulan Bator Giorgio Marengo
In addition to these bishops, the Pope created five cardinals over the age of eighty:
Jorge Enrique Jiménez Carvajal, Archbishop Emeritus of Cartagena (Colombia)
Lucas Van Looy, former Bishop of Gent
Arrigo Miglio, retired Cagliari archbishop
P. Gianfranco Ghirlanda SI
Monsignor Fortunato Frezza.
Source: Modern