Most Rev Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle
The Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Coast, has suspended one of its priests, Rev. Fr. Robert A.K. Oduro for refusing transfer and also failing to honour an invitation from the Archbishop.
Rev. Fr. Oduro, who cannot function a Catholic priest until his suspension is revoked, is also accused of establishing and managing a “Prayer Camp” without recourse to the church.
In a letter issued on June 3, 2022 and signed by the Metropolitan Archbishop, Most Rev. Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle, the church said the suspension was to take immediate effect.
It asked other priests, religious, the laity and the public to take note of Fr. Oduro’s suspension.
The letter explained that Fr. Oduro refused to proceed on transfer effective January 1, 2022 from the St. Paul’s Parish at Assin Jakai to the Archdiocesan Secretariat, Fourth Ridge, Cape Coast.
The letter indicated that partly accounted for his suspension is the priest’s subsequent acts of refusing to honour an invitation from the Archbishop and establishing and managing a prayer camp on his own without recourse to the church leadership.
“Thereafter, I have closely followed the events of your refusal to respond to my invitation to you for further discussion on your ministry as a Roman Catholic Priest of the Archdiocese of Cape Coast,” the letter stressed.
According to the Archbishop, his personal visit on Sunday, April 24, 2022 and that of his official delegation “later to the priest’s ‘Prayer Camp” inviting him for further discussion and discernment on his “Ministry as a validly ordained Minister of the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and member of the Presbyterium.”
“You have, however, persisted in your obstinacy and refusal to respond to any call extended to you for a dialogue on the matter.”
“Given these acts of disobedience, I hereby write to suspend you with immediate effect from Ministry as a Roman Catholic Priest and accordingly, I bring this to the notice of the Priests, Religious and the Laity of the Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Coast and to the general public to the effect that you cannot function as a Catholic Priest until this suspension is revoked,” letter indicated.
The letter said Fr. Oduro had been removed from his ministerial activities as a cleric.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey