A Shepherd to the Very End”: Ghana’s Catholic Faithful Mourn Pope Francis at Solemn Requiem Mass in Accra
By Peter Martey Agbeko, APR
As the bells of the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Adabraka tolled on the evening of Friday, April 25, 2025, hundreds of Catholic faithful—Bishops, Priests, Religious, and laity—gathered under the grand arches of Ghana’s mother church. Their mission was a sacred one: to honour and bid farewell to a man who led with tenderness, spoke with courage, and lived with a servant’s heart—Pope Francis.
The Requiem Mass, beginning promptly at 6:30 p.m., was part of a global wave of remembrance following the passing of the Supreme Pontiff earlier this month. Yet in Accra, it was more than a ritual; it was a deeply spiritual and emotional tribute to a leader whose message of mercy, inclusivity, and love had touched souls across Africa and the world.
Leading the congregation was Archbishop Julien Kaboré, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, who delivered a homily that stirred hearts and minds. Echoing the great themes of Pope Francis’ papacy, he reminded all that “the Church is called to be a field hospital, not a fortress,” a place for healing, welcoming, and compassion.
The cathedral was alive with prayerful energy. Rows upon rows of Religious—clad in simple habits and robes—sat alongside lay men, women, children, and dignitaries. Their faces told the story: sadness at the loss, but gratitude for the life lived.
A moving biography of Pope Francis, read by the Cathedral Dean, recounted how Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born in Buenos Aires, rose to become the first Jesuit Pope and the first from Latin America, elected on March 13, 2013. It was during his twelve-year papacy that he transformed the image of the Papacy, living simply, advocating for the poor, challenging global injustice, and reaching out across religious divides.
After the Liturgy of the Eucharist, tributes poured forth. Bishop Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, on behalf of all Catholics in Ghana, spoke passionately of Pope Francis as a “voice for the voiceless,” a man who challenged the Church and the world to look outward with compassion.
Representing the Government of Ghana, Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa praised Pope Francis’ commitment to global peace, environmental stewardship (through his landmark encyclical Laudato Si’), and his relentless pursuit of human dignity.
For many present, the Mass was not just a farewell—it was a call to action. A call to carry forward the spirit of Pope Francis: to build a Church that welcomes, a society that uplifts, and a world that heals.
As the final blessing was given and the faithful stepped out into the cool Accra night, candles still flickering in their hands, there was a quiet, solemn resolve in the air. Ghana’s Catholics had come to say goodbye—but also to say thank you.
Pope Francis had been, to the very end, a shepherd who loved his flock.
