Suspended Catholic priest found at Police Training Centre in Koforidua
The Diocese disclosed his location in a statement issued on August 27, 2026, following public concern over his whereabouts and welfare.
Rev. Fr. Samuel Adapore, the Catholic priest recently suspended by the Konongo-Mampong Diocese, has been located at the Police Training Centre in Koforidua.
The Diocese disclosed his location in a statement issued on August 27, 2026, following public concern over his whereabouts and welfare.
According to the Diocese, Fr. Adapore independently enrolled at the training centre to pursue enlistment into the Ghana Police Service.
It said the decision was taken by the priest “on his own and singular volition” and that he was at the facility as a private individual.
Fr. Adapore was suspended from sacred functions on August 24.
The suspension barred him from publicly administering the sacraments, celebrating or concelebrating Mass, and officiating at other liturgical services.
The decision triggered debate on social media, with some critics questioning whether the Diocese had made sufficient efforts to locate him and attend to his welfare before announcing the suspension.
Others also raised questions about the canonical procedure and the basis for the disciplinary action.
The Diocese has rejected suggestions that its concern for Fr. Adapore’s welfare was inconsistent with disciplinary action.
It said the Church could both seek to confirm a priest’s safety and examine whether he had left his assignment without authorisation.
“The Church can ask whether a priest is safe while also determining whether he has abandoned his assignment without authorisation, and can seek his whereabouts while regulating his ministry,” the Diocese said.
The Diocese also explained that where a priest leaves his parish without explanation, the Bishop has a duty to ensure that pastoral care for the faithful continues.
It further denied claims that the suspension amounted to abandoning the priest.
According to the Diocese, suspension from sacred functions does not remove Fr. Adapore’s priestly status.
Rather, it temporarily restricts his ability to exercise certain priestly duties because of the circumstances surrounding his conduct.
“The Church is, in effect, saying: ‘You are still our brother and our priest, but you cannot presently exercise certain priestly functions because of the circumstances surrounding your conduct,’” the statement said.
The Diocese also defended the confidentiality surrounding the matter.
It said not every step taken to establish the priest’s welfare or address the disciplinary issues could be made public, because his dignity and privacy must be protected.
The Diocese maintained that canonical discipline is not only punitive but may also serve a restorative purpose by protecting ecclesial order, addressing scandal and encouraging reform.
It urged the public not to frame the matter as a conflict between the Bishop and Fr. Adapore.
Rather, it said the issue involves balancing the welfare and dignity of the priest with the Diocese’s responsibility to the faithful and to the discipline of the Church.
