Togo’s Lomé Catholic Archdiocese Gets Apostolic Administrator Days after Passing on of Local Ordinary

He was appointed Local Ordinary of Aného Diocese in December 2007 and began his Episcopal Ministry in February 2008.

In remarks shortly after the announcement of his appointment as Apostolic Administrator of Lomé, Bishop Gaglo eulogized the late Archbishop as “a good and loyal servant”.

“Our emotions are running high; questions pierce our hearts and can only be answered by the faith we profess. The Church and the mission call us to move forward, whatever the situation. The work undertaken by Archbishop Barrigah-Benissan, a good and loyal servant, a great shepherd of souls, must continue,” he said.

Bishop Gaglo added, “I am humbled to be chosen as Apostolic Administrator for the Archdiocese of Lomé. With God's grace, I pledge to continue his pastoral work with the family of God.”

The late Catholic Archbishop had been battling cancer. In recognition of his passion for music and drama, he was awarded the Togolese Grand Theatre Prize for Literature 2020 for his play, “The Royal Throne”, which was published by the New Africans Edition of Togo in 1993.

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The late Togolese Archbishop had 100 songs to his name, collected into six albums. He was also a vocalist and played the guitar.

Born in May 1963 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, the late Archbishop Barrigah-Bénissan was ordained a Priest in August 1987.

He was appointed Bishop of Togo’s Atakpamé Diocese in January 2008. He was transferred to the Archdiocese of Lomé in November 2019.

In his Episcopal Ministry, Archbishop Barrigah-Benissan advocated for justice; he served as President of the National Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace of CET.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.