John Kodwo Amissah
Encyclopedia
John Kodwo Amissah was a Ghana
ian prelate
of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Cape Coast from 1959 until his death.
Born in Elmina
, he was ordained
to the priesthood
on December 11, 1949. His thesis
at St. Peter's College
in Rome
was on a comparison between canon law
and the native customs of marriage
.
On March 7, 1957, Amissah was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Cape Coast
and Titular Bishop
of Bencenna, receiving his episcopal consecration
on the following June 16 from Archbishop William Thomas Porter, SMA
. Amissah replaced Porter as Archbishop of Cape Coast
on December 19, 1959.
During the late 1950s, he also studied the native and controversial custom of pouring libation
s on important occasions. Amissah explained that before Church leaders determine if this practice is good or bad, they must understand what villagers intend when they pour a libation.
He died at age 68.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Cape Coast from 1959 until his death.
Born in Elmina
Elmina
Elmina, is a town in the Central Region, situated on a south-facing bay on the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ghana, about 12 km west of Cape Coast...
, he was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on December 11, 1949. His thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
at St. Peter's College
St. Peter's College
-Australia:*St Peter's College, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia*St. Peters Lutheran College, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia-England:*Peterhouse, Cambridge, sometimes known as St Peter's College*St Peter's, Sunderland, part of the City of Sunderland College...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
was on a comparison between canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
and the native customs of marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
.
On March 7, 1957, Amissah was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Cape Coast
Cape Coast
Cape Coast, or Cabo Corso, is the capital of the Central Region of Ghana and is also the capital city of the Fante people, or Mfantsefo. It is situated 165 km west of Accra on the Gulf of Guinea. It has a population of 82,291 . From the 16th century the city has changed hands between the...
and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Bencenna, receiving his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following June 16 from Archbishop William Thomas Porter, SMA
Society of African Missions
The Society of African Missions is a Roman Catholic missionary organization. Its members come from around the world with a commitment to serve the people of Africa and those of African descent....
. Amissah replaced Porter as Archbishop of Cape Coast
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Coast
The Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Coast is the Metropolitan See for the ecclesiastical province of Cape Coast in Ghana. The Archdiocese has been generous in supplying priests for underserved areas of the United States; for example, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Victoria in Texas in the Victoria,...
on December 19, 1959.
During the late 1950s, he also studied the native and controversial custom of pouring libation
Libation
A libation is a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a god or spirit or in memory of those who have died. It was common in many religions of antiquity and continues to be offered in various cultures today....
s on important occasions. Amissah explained that before Church leaders determine if this practice is good or bad, they must understand what villagers intend when they pour a libation.
He died at age 68.