The Catholic Diocese of Konongo-Mampong has announced that the priest it suspended indefinitely has been located at the Police Training Centre in Koforidua in the Eastern Region.
The Diocese made this known in a statement issued on August 27, 2026, following criticism over the whereabouts and welfare of Rev. Fr. Samuel Adapore.
Fr. Adapore was suspended from sacred functions on August 24, 2026, and prohibited from publicly administering the sacraments, celebrating or concelebrating Mass, and officiating at other liturgical services.
In the latest statement, the Diocese said Fr. Adapore was found at the training centre after he independently decided to enrol in a programme to join the Ghana Police Service.
The Diocese said he chose “on his own and singular volition” to be enlisted as a private person and undergo training at the centre.
It did not disclose when Fr. Adapore arrived at the facility or provide additional information about his decision to pursue a career in the Police Service.
The disclosure follows criticism on social media over the Diocese’s handling of the priest’s absence and subsequent suspension.
Some critics questioned whether the Diocese had done enough to establish Fr. Adapore’s whereabouts and welfare before proceeding with disciplinary action.
There were also questions about the canonical basis and procedure used for the suspension, with critics citing Canons 533 and 1717 and asking whether the priest had been given the opportunity to defend himself.
The Diocese, however, dismissed the argument that concern for Fr. Adapore’s welfare could not exist alongside disciplinary action.
“The Church can ask whether a priest is safe while also determining whether he has abandoned his assignment without authorisation, and can seek his whereabouts while regulating his ministry,” it said.
According to the Diocese, an unexplained departure by a priest from his parish places a responsibility on the Bishop to ensure that pastoral services remain available to the faithful.
It also rejected claims that suspending Fr. Adapore amounted to abandoning him.
The Diocese clarified that suspension from sacred functions restricts the exercise of certain priestly duties but does not mean the priest is no longer a priest or that he has been rejected by the Church.
“The Church is, in effect, saying: ‘You are still our brother and our priest, but you cannot presently exercise certain priestly functions because of the circumstances surrounding your conduct,’” the Diocese said.
The Diocese maintained that canonical discipline may have a restorative role, including safeguarding ecclesial order, repairing scandal and encouraging reform.
It also urged caution over calls for the public disclosure of every action taken to establish the priest’s welfare, stressing the need to protect confidentiality and his personal dignity.
The Diocese said the issue should not be portrayed as a dispute between the Bishop and Fr. Adapore, but as a matter of balancing the priest’s welfare and dignity with the Diocese’s duty to the faithful and the discipline of the Church.