EULOGY: Archbishop Gregory Eebo KPIEBAYA (1933 to 2022)

Out from Euphoria and Charisma to the reality of Catholicism

The “mass conversion” and religious movement of the Dagaaba people into Catholicism in 1929 was euphoric in action and expectation. The tempo of the movement could only be sustained for a period of time by the over enthusiasm of the first missionaries to realise an eschatological hope in an African society combined with an unusual charisma of the first prelate who, also being a Dagao, was able to lead the people along this path of euphoria. The enthusiasm of the missionaries enabled them to find the appropriate material and human resources, mostly from outside the region and within the shortest possible time, to build a model church on earth that will take care of the material and spiritual needs of the people. The charisma of the local prelate, who was also extraordinarily gifted in ritual performance and church liturgy, perpetuated this euphoria as divine reality that could not be sustained. 

 I pay tribute to Archbishop Gregory Kpiebaya for his policy decisions following this era: 

Gregory spent his childhood period and formation years as a priest observing the enthusiasm of the missionaries. He worked as a priest under the charismatic aura of the first prelate and was fully aware of the popularity that charismatic leadership enjoyed. Indeed, after his ordination in 1962, he did one year pastoral work and then left for further studies at the International Institute of Lumen Vitae, Brussels. From there, he went to Paris for further studies in Pastoral Theology and Catechetics. On his return to Ghana in 1965, he was soon appointed director of the Catechists Training Centre and also as Chief Translator for the diocese. He spent five years in this position before leaving for further studies in Theology at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. He was appointed bishop of the diocese of Wa in 1974. 

Into the first five years as prelate, Gregory took historical policy decisions aimed at making the church more self-reliant and sustainable. These included making parishioners responsible for the upkeep of the priests and other church functionaries stationed in the parish. The second decision stipulated that for the creation of a new parish in any region or town, parishioners must make substantial financial contributions towards the building of the church and the parish house. To fully understand the significance of these policy decisions at the time, let me mention two incidents that soon developed and outline why they were significant moments. 

The policy announcement was soon followed by the decision to propose four settlement areas (Fielmuo area, Piina area, Domwin-Boo area and Nadowli area) as the next candidates that would be elevated from the position of out-stations to full parishes with resident curates; on the condition that each area would make a financial contribution of fifteen thousand cedis toward the construction of the church building. This meant that each area had to mobilise and engage as many citizens as possible, both within and outside the areas. The end result was the formation of many local social organisations and associations focusing on development issues and politics. The formation of these organisations was not restricted to the four areas but soon became a common phenomenon in all parishes. 

My second incident relates to these associations as they seek to find a voice in church affairs. Around this time, the youth of Ko Parish had come to form the opinion that their parish priest was diverting monies donated for the construction of their parish clinic for the construction of that of his own village. They raised the issue with the public after a Sunday church service and generated a heated debate over the administration of the parish. The priest feared that there would be a riots and violence if the debate continued. They departed, not just from the church but also from their residence. The bishop subsequently withdrew their official appointments to this particular parish but did not replace them. With great risk to his own popularity, Bishop Gregory kept the parish closed for over year and allowed genuine and honest dialogue within the clergy and between clergy and the laity. 

  I pay tribute to Archbishop Kpiebaya for his Institutional Innovations: 

The corner stone of missionary church administration centred around the personality of clerical individualism within which each priest and the prelate utilized the parish house and diocesan structures both as residence and bureaucratic offices where they dispensed commonly religious, private and official duties all together and intermittently. One of the first major construction soon after his ordination as a bishop was to build the diocesan secretariat (Maria Yir) where he was to carry out all bureaucratic and official duties aided by different functionaries – clergy and laity. Archbishop Gregory put his private signature into upgrading and developing two institutions that were of noted significance. The Department of Social Communication (DEPSOCOM) created in 1970 got a separate building of its own and by 1980 it was fully equipped with a recording studio, a film and tape library, an audio-visual section, a photography department and a technical repair section. In 1979, the Wa Catholic Printing Press took off and soon become a vibrant institution that encouraged local publications. Apart from printing the Gospels and church lectionaries, it made it possible for a culture of local writing and publication to take root. The printing of the academic brochure in 1982 “An Introduction to the Mole-Speaking Community” by G. Tuurey with a foreword by the bishop created a new awareness among the local elite and led to the proliferation of local publications in different areas of knowledge. 

I pay Tribute to Archbishop Kpiebaya for his Intellectual Contributions: 

Ever since his student days in Belgium to the last days in Tamale, Gregory had always been an engaged intellectual who wanted to share his ideas and insights with the wider audience not only through the pulpit but most importantly through writing and publication. He found time to engage with different authors and to write prefaces, forewords and introductions to many of their publications. He started his own scholarly publications in 1970 by generally reflecting on the church in northern Ghana and continued to publish until the last years of life. Thus, the last two publication: Not by power but by my spirit (2013) and Dagaaba customary marriage and traditional family life (2016) will for a long time remain significant and relevant for further research Dagaaba culture. 

Alexis B. Tengan 

8th June 2022, Zaventem (Belgium)