Bishops, Clergy, Laity Pay Glowing Tribute to Ghanaian Cardinal as “humble servant of God”

“As Christians, we know that the late Cardinal was only moved from here to a higher place. In fact, he deserves such a higher place; for Cardinal Richard was a man of God, with respect for every person who came his way and showing no discrimination to anyone who came into contact with him,” the Congolese Cardinal said.

He said that Cardinal Baawobr was “not happy seeing people suffer either emotionally, mentally or physically and he did everything within his means to make them feel comfortable.”

“Cardinal Richard was a true religious man with wide missionary and administrative experience, especially as Superior General of the Missionaries of Africa,” the Archbishop of Kinshasa Archdiocese in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) further says.

He eulogized the late Cardinal as “a humble servant of God, that even, with his permanent smile, catch people to God.”

“Cardinal Richard's smile not only made him very approachable, welcoming and consoling, but also attracted a good number of people to God. His commitment and dedication, expressed without reserve, are a testimony to his total self-giving, which has inspired many to the priesthood and religious life,” the first Vice President of SECAM says in his tribute.

During the short time of his presidency and in his many Church involvements, Cardinal Ambongo says in reference to the late Cardinal, “We experienced his fraternal and friendship style of living and working. His Eminence was truly a broadminded pastor, a person with great empathy, and above all, a man of God.”

“The entire Africa, the Islands, and, indeed, the universal Church have lost a great and devout churchman, a selfless servant and good Shepherd,” he adds.

In his tribute, the Congolese member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (O.F.M., Cap) who serves as the President of the Justice, Peace and Development Commission of SECAM invites “all the members of the Church, Family of God in Africa and the Islands and beyond to pray for our beloved President.”

“We promise to eternalise the Cardinal's dreams and plan for the growth of the Catholic Church in Africa and its Islands,” he says and adds, “We will follow your dedication and example so that SECAM can become a useful instrument for the coordinated work of evangelization so that Africa and the Islands may know Christ and have a true life in His Name.”

The Ghanaian-born Cardinal passed on days after he was discharged from hospital in Rome, and reportedly expressed gratitude to all those who accompanied him with prayers.

The third Ghanaian Cardinal after the late Peter Cardinal Dery and the Vatican-based Peter Appiah Cardinal Turkson had been appointed to the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity in October last year.

In an official telegram read out during the late Cardinal’s Funeral Mass on Thursday, January 12, Pope Francis recalled with gratitude Cardinal Baawobr's “faithful witness to the Gospel marked by generous service to the Church in Ghana, especially to those most in need.”

“I willingly join the faithful in praying that our merciful Father may grant to this wise and gentle pastor the reward of his labors and welcome him into the light and peace of heaven,” the Holy Father said in the telegram read out by the Apostolic Nuncio in Ghana, Archbishop Henryk Mieczysław Jagodziński.

In their tribute to the late Catholic Church leader, members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) say, “As the Chief Shepherd of Wa for the past six years and over, Cardinal Baawobr rendered fruitful, faithful, humble and wise leadership over his flock, making the care of souls, his greatest pastoral concern.”

“Within our Conference, he served fruitfully in various capacities, including being the Episcopal Chairman for Clergy and Religious, and also, Episcopal Chairman for Inter-Religious Dialogue and was the brain behind the Maiden National Dialogue of Muslim and Catholic Leaders on May 26, 2022,” GCBC members say.

(Story continues below)

They say that Cardinal Baawobr’s death is a “big blow to us, the Diocese of Wa, the Church in Ghana, and Africa and indeed, the universal Church.”

“We, however, take consolation in the faith and belief that when our earthly dwelling is folded up, God will give us a home, not of earthly making but of eternity in heaven. We believe that you are resting with God and the saints,” Catholic Bishops in Ghana further say.

They add, “We also believe that we have an advocate who will continuously intercede for us, your brother bishops, for the Diocese of Wa, the Church in Ghana and indeed, the whole continent of Africa and its Islands.”

On his part, the Superior General of the Missionaries of Africa, Fr. Stanley Lubungo says in his tribute, “The unexpected death of Richard Kuuia Cardinal Baawobr, M.Afr., Bishop of the Diocese of Wa is a deeply sad moment for the Society of Missionaries of Africa of which he was a member.”

“His life was marked by extraordinary dedication and service. Our thoughts and prayers go to his family, to the entire Church Family in Wa and to all those who, in Africa and around the world mourn the loss of a beloved friend,” he adds.

He notes that Cardinal Baawobr “leaves us the example of a man totally committed to the good of our Missionary Society and its members.”

Cardinal Baawobr, he continues, “was a great worker but also a charming companion. In spite of his delicate health, which a number of times required him to be hospitalized, he never gave up his tasks and as soon as he was discharged, he was at it again with different trips, visits, meetings and conferences.”

“He had become a true representative of our Society and an icon for many of us,” Fr. Lubango adds.

He says the Religious Congregation of the White Fathers has lost “a very promising Cardinal who was the pride of so many and whose absence will be deeply felt by the Church in Africa and beyond.”

The Catholic Church leader implores, “We pray that the Holy Spirit grant to the Church in Wa the wisdom and strength to continue the pastoral initiatives undertaken by Cardinal Baawobr.”

On their part, members of the Missionaries of Africa Ghana/Nigeria Province say Cardinal Baawobr was “widely admired and appreciated for the way he handled the difficult issues that crossed his path.”

“In a very competent way, he prepared the Society for its next Chapter held in 2016, as he chose the ‘appreciative discernment method’ as the principal way the Chapter should proceed,” they add.

Cardinal Baawobr’s student and confrere, Fr. John Bosco Dari Naaba, remembers the late Cardinal as a “transformer, a man of big heart, a unifier, a man ready to sacrifice your life for others, a man of deep and profound faith.”

“You also came across as a unifier. Where there was division, you sought to understand and seek common ground for the parties to discuss,” he says, and adds, “You demonstrated this spirit of openness and as a unifier during our ‘duma’ every Saturday in Toulouse/Wonderful.”

He describes the late Cardinal as a “successful pastor, a Bishop who looked beyond tribes/ethnic bigotry. This is what the Church needs.”

“Cardinal, you have left us with a vacuum, help us fill it,” Fr. Naaba mourns the late Ghanaian Cardinal.

On their part, members of the National Union of Ghana Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NUGCDPA) say, “Cardinal Baawobr showed tremendous love and devotion to our Union.”

“You were always present at our Executive Board and the Centre for Human Development CEHUD Board Meetings at the Samaritan Villa in Kumasi whenever you were available,” NUGCDPA members say.

They add, “You were present during our meeting in March 2022 and your contributions were timely. You celebrated Holy Mass with us and blessed us. After that, we had the pleasure of taking group pictures with you. It never occurred to us that those were your farewell photos with us.”

NUGCDPA members further say, “We cannot enter into despair because we believe in the resurrection. May God continue to rest your gentle soul till we meet again.”

In their tribute, members of Cardinal Baawobr’s biological family say they have been “so shocked and confused that we neither know how we feel nor how to express ourselves because we do not even know where you are going.”

However, the family members say they are comforted by Job's position that, “You, our Lord God, gave him to us and has taken him back, blessed be your name (Job 1.21b).”

For members of the Laity Council in Ghana, the late Cardinal “was a champion of the Christian faith.”

“He offered dedicated service to the people of God in various capacities within the Episcopacy of Ghana and beyond,” they say in their tribute, and add, “Cardinal Baawobr cared for the lay faithful and won many souls for Christ.”

“May your gentle Soul Rest in Eternal Peace,” members of Cardinal Baawobr’s biological family implore.