The Diocese of Kpalimé has a new bishop.
Monsignor Edmond Yawo Amekuse was ordained on Saturday, August 29, 2026, becoming the third bishop of the diocese.
Pope Leo XIV appointed him to the role on June 26, 2026.
The ordination ceremony took place during a Mass at the Immaculate Conception Parish of Tsihinu.
Monsignor Rubén Darío Ruiz Mainardi, Apostolic Nuncio to Benin and Togo, led the consecration, joined by Monsignor Benoît Alowonou, Bishop Emeritus and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Kpalimé, and Monsignor Prosper Kontiebo, Archbishop of Ouagadougou.
Among those present were the President of the National Assembly, Professor Komi Selom Klassou, representing the President of the Council, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, along with government members, the diplomatic corps, and administrative, military, and religious authorities.
The Mass followed the complete rite of episcopal ordination, including the introductory rites, Liturgy of the Word, ordination rites, Eucharistic liturgy, and communion rites.
During the Liturgy of the Word, the Gospel according to Saint John (15, 9-17) was proclaimed, in which Jesus calls his disciples friends and sends them to bear fruit that will remain.
The Apostolic Nuncio noted that this Gospel reminds us that the joy Christ promises to his friends is called to be perfect.
In his first message as bishop, Mgr Amekuse addressed the people of God, welcoming the presence of state dignitaries and emphasizing the complementarity between the Church and public authorities. He said, “I respectfully greet the President of the National Assembly.
Please convey my greetings and thanks to the President of the Republic and to the President of the Council. Thank you for their discreet presence.
Your presence honors us and reminds us that the Church and the State, each in its own domain, can walk together in the service of the same people.”
He continued: “Together, we are called to seek peace, justice, truth, and national concord.
Our country needs builders of bridges more than builders of walls, servants of the common good rather than defenders of particular interests, men and women who foster trust rather than fear.
The Church, humbly, wants to take its part in this common work: to be a school of conscience and responsibility, a house where one learns to build social cohesion.”
Mgr Amekuse was born on November 16, 1967, in Agou-Akoumahou, and was ordained a priest on December 28, 1996, at the Holy Spirit Cathedral of Kpalimé by Mgr Pierre Koffi Seshie, the diocese’s first bishop.
His formation includes a licentiate in interreligious dialogue (2004) and a doctorate in liturgy (2008) from the Sant’Anselmo Institute in Rome.
He also held academic roles, including serving as Secretary General at the Catholic University of West Africa (UCAO) in Ouagadougou at the time of his appointment.
His episcopal motto is “Adiutores gaudii vestri” — “Co-workers of your joy.” He intends to lead in service, listening, communion, and synodality, in continuity with the motto of the first bishop, “Non ministrari sed ministrare.”
The Diocese of Kpalimé was erected on July 1, 1994, from the Archdiocese of Lomé. It has been led by Mgr Pierre Koffi Seshie (1994–2000) and Mgr Benoît Alowonou (2001–2026).
The diocese currently has 75 parishes and approximately 301,500 faithful.
Mgr Amekuse will officially begin his pastoral ministry on Sunday, August 30, 2026, with a Mass of canonical possession at the Holy Spirit Cathedral of Kpalimé.
Source: Togo-Presse