Most Reverend Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle
Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has appointed His Grace Most Reverend Charles Gabriel Palmer Buckle as the New Archbishop of Cape Coast.
He takes over from His Grace Archbishop Matthias Nketsiah, who is said to have resigned on health grounds.
Until his appointment, Most Rev. Palmer Buckle was the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra.
Very Reverend Lazarus Anondee, the Secretary General of the National Catholic Secretariat, made this announcement in Accra.
He said His Holiness Pope Francis had accepted the resignation of Archbishop Mathias Nketsiah and had appointed Most Reverend Palmer Buckle to replace him.
The news, he said, was being released from the Apostolic Nunciature by His Excellency Most Reverend Jean Marie Speich, the Apostolic Nuncio.
Most Reverend Charles Gabriel Palmer- Buckle was born on June 15, 1950 at Axim in the Western Region.
He was ordained priest on December 12, 1976 in Accra and appointed the first bishop of Koforidua on July 6, 1992.
From 1994 to 2004 he served as the Bishop-Chairman for the Department of Socio-Economic Development of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Ghana, and from 1995 to 2003 was President of Caritas Africa Region and first vice president of caritas international – a federation of 198 member organizations in 154 countries all over the world, with headquarters in the Vatican City.
On March 30, 2005, Most Reverend Palmer Buckle was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra upon the retirement of the Late Bishop Kwadwo Andoh.
He was a member of the nine-member National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) from May 2002 to October 2004 – which stated mission was to bring truth and reconciliation in Ghana after human rights abuses and atrocities.
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey