Archbishop of Lomé dies at 61, Togo Bishops’ Conference announces

H.E. Msgr. Yves-Nicodème Anani Barrigah-Bénissan, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lomé, has died at the age of 61, the Conference of the Bishops of Togo announced.

“With sorrow, I inform you that H.E. Msgr. Yves-Nicodème Anani Barrigah-Bénissan, Metropolitan Archbishop of Lomé, passed away today at DOGTA-LAFIE Hospital in Lomé. Further information will be provided as soon as possible,” said +Mgr Benoit Alowonou, Bishop of Kpalimé and President of the Conference of the Bishops of Togo, in a statement.

The Bishops’ Conference also announced that Archbishop Barrigah-Bénissan’s body will lie in state for the faithful to pay their respects, with details to be provided soon.

The Archbishop, who had been battling cancer, was appointed as the Archbishop of Lomé on November 23, 2019, and took office on January 11, 2020. Born on May 19, 1963, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, he was baptized on May 26, 1963. His family returned to Togo in 1966, where he pursued his primary education at the Catholic school of Nyékonakpoé and later trained at the Petit Séminaire Saint Pie X of Agoènyivé from 1974 to 1981.

Archbishop Barrigah-Bénissan continued his studies in philosophy and theology at the Grand Séminaire Saint Gall in Ouidah, Benin, from 1981 to 1987. He was ordained a priest on August 8, 1987, by Mgr Robert Tonyui Dosseh-Anyron in the Sainte Trinité Cathedral of Atakpamé. His academic pursuits took him to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and Rome, Italy, where he specialized in dogmatic theology, exegesis, Canon Law, and diplomacy.

He served the Church in various international assignments, including roles as secretary and advisor of the Nunciature in Rwanda, El Salvador, Côte d’Ivoire, and Israel. On March 9, 2008, he was consecrated as the fourth bishop of Atakpamé.

Archbishop Barrigah-Bénissan’s contributions to the Episcopal Conference of Togo were significant. He served as president of the National Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace and was responsible for the apostolate of the laity.

Fluent in several languages, including French, English, and Italian, he was a man of many talents and interests, including music, with six albums to his name.