Pope Francis accepts resignation of Ghana’s Bishop Adanuty

The Head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Most Rev. Anthony Adanuty, the Bishop of the Keta-Akatsi Catholic diocese in the Volta region of Ghana.

Bishop Adanuty who was said to have tendered in his resignation a year ago, after attaining the ‘ canonical’ age of 75 years, had his resignation confirmed by the Pope on Thursday, April 7, 2016.

A brief statement from the Vatican to the church in Ghana stated that, "the Holy Father, on 7th April 2016, accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Keta-Akatsi (Ghana), presented by His Excellency Most Rev. Anthony Kwami Adanuty, in accordance with Canon 401 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law."

The statement also announced the Bishop of the Ho Catholic diocese, Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu as interim head of the Keta-Akatsi diocese.

“The Holy Father has accordingly appointed His Excellency Most Rev. Emmanuel Fianu, S.V.D., Bishop of Ho (Ghana) as Apostolic Administrator for the sede vacant et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the same Diocese.”

The Canon Law, which is the body of laws and regulations that governs the Roman Catholic Church, states that ‘a diocesan Bishop who has completed his seventy-fifth year of age is requested to offer his resignation from office to the Supreme Pontiff, who, taking all the circumstances into account, will make provision accordingly."

Most Rev. Adanuty, who is the Vice President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, was elected Bishop in December 1994 and has been in charge of the Keta-Akatsi Catholic diocese, which was carved out of the then Keta-Ho diocese in 1995. With the pontifical approval of his resignation, Bishop Adanuty formally begins his retirement as a ‘Bishop Emeritus.’