Archbishop Emeritus of Kumasi (Ghana) Sarpong Peter Akwasi

Archbishop Emeritus of Kumasi (Ghana), Most Reverend Peter Akwasi Sarpong was born in Masse-Offinso, Ashnti region in Ghana in 1933. He studied at St. Peters Seminary at Capes Coast, Ghana before being ordained as priest in 1959, attended the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, after which he studied for two years at Oxford University, specialising in social anthropology.  He became the first African to hold the post of rector at St. Peter’s Seminary, Cape Coast and in 1969 became Bishop of Kumasi. In 2002 Peter Sarpong was enthroned Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi and retired in 2008.


Archbishop Emeritus Peter Sarpong embarked on several projects to help in socio-economic, educational, health and religious sectors of the country and was the driving force behind the development of nineteen schools, a hospital, a minor seminary, one novitiate, seven rural health clinics and encouraged the establishment of cooperative credit unions everywhere in his diocese. He lectured worldwide and is author of numerous publications.

Content Posted by Archbishop Emeritus of Kumasi (Ghana) Sarpong Peter Akwasi

The Sacred Stools of the Akan

Among most of the peoples of the world, death does not end a person's membership in a society. Respect for the dead, therefore, is a sort of religion which is found among all peoples, and in all grades of culture. Peoples of different tongues, races, colour, traditions and times, have practised it and are still practising it. The Edo of Nigeria believe that their normal dead will go to their heaven and from there can send blessings to the survivors, and finally return. Hence their prayer to them: "My father, tell Osa to give you things when you are coming back." The Samoans, scattered on a group of islands in the Pacific, suppose that the spirits of their chiefs are nearer than those of common people, and so consult them on all important occasions. The aborigines of Australia today, worship their mythical leaders. For the Zulu of South Africa, the most worshipped ancestor is the last person of importance to die; they begin and end their prayers with his name. This is the prayer of the Malabar of India at feast at the beginning of the agricultural year: "May the gods on high, and the deceased ancestors, bless the seed."





JQuery PowerPoint