The Catholic Diocese of Konongo-Mampong has confirmed that Rev. Fr. Samuel Adapore, who was recently suspended indefinitely from sacred functions, has been located at the Police Training Centre in Koforidua in the Eastern Region.
The Diocese made the disclosure in a statement issued on August 27, 2026, following public criticism and questions about the priest’s whereabouts and welfare.
Fr. Adapore was suspended on August 24 and barred from publicly administering the sacraments, celebrating or concelebrating Mass, and performing other liturgical functions.
According to the Diocese, the priest independently decided to enrol at the Police Training Centre as a private individual to undergo training with the intention of joining the Ghana Police Service.
The Diocese said he made the decision “on his own and singular volition,” but did not disclose when he arrived at the facility or provide further details about his decision to pursue a career in policing.
The disclosure comes amid a public debate, particularly on social media, over how the Diocese handled the priest’s absence and subsequent suspension.
Some critics questioned whether adequate efforts had been made to establish Fr. Adapore’s whereabouts and welfare before the disciplinary action was taken. Others also raised questions about the canonical basis and procedure for the suspension, citing Canons 533 and 1717 and questioning whether the priest’s right to defend himself had been adequately protected.
The Diocese, however, rejected the suggestion that concern for the priest’s welfare was incompatible with disciplinary action.
It explained that the Church could simultaneously seek to establish whether a priest was safe, determine whether he had left his assignment without authorisation and regulate his ministry.
The Diocese said an unexplained departure from a parish places an obligation on the Bishop to ensure that pastoral services continue for the faithful.
It also dismissed suggestions that the suspension amounted to abandoning Fr. Adapore, stressing that suspension from sacred functions does not strip a priest of his priestly status or mean that the Church has rejected him.
According to the Diocese, the measure means that the priest remains a member of the clergy but is temporarily restricted from exercising certain priestly functions because of the circumstances surrounding his conduct.
The Diocese further maintained that canonical discipline can have a restorative purpose by preserving ecclesial order, addressing scandal and encouraging reform.
It cautioned against calls for the public disclosure of every step taken to establish the priest’s welfare, noting that confidentiality and his personal dignity must also be protected.
The Diocese said the matter should not be viewed as a personal conflict between the Bishop and Fr. Adapore, but rather as a situation requiring a balance between the priest’s welfare and dignity, the needs of the faithful and the discipline of the Catholic Church.
