GHANA CHURCH: Pope Francis names a new bishop for the Diocese of Ho in Ghana

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the Diocese of Ho in Ghana presented by Bishop Francis Anani Kofi Lodonu. The bishop who will turn 78 the 19th of November, resigned for reasons of age. According to the Code of Canon Law, bishops should submit their resignation to the Successor of Peter when they reach 75 years but the Pope can asked them to stay on if there is a need.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Emmanuel  Fianu, a member of the Divine Word Missionaries (S.V.D), as the new bishop of Ho in the Volta Region of Ghana. Until his appointment Tuesday, the bishops-elect has been serving as secretary of the General Council of his congregation.

The Diocese of Ho was created in 1994, when the then Diocese of Keta-Ho  was split into two to form the Diocese of Ho and the Diocese of Keta-Akatsi. In 2013, the diocese which is in the Ecclesiastical province of Accra had a population of 200,670 Catholics or 30.5 percent of the total population of 658,845. In 2014, there were 28 parishes served by 78 diocesan priests, four missionary priests, 11 male religious and 81 female religious.

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