Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lomé, Togo 🇹🇬

Continent: Western and Northern Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Lomé / Lomen(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Aného, Atakpamé, Dapaong, Kara, Kpalimé, Sokodé

Neighbouring Dioceses: Keta–Akatsi (←), Kpalimé (↖), Aného (→)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1892.04.12: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Togo (from Apostolic Prefecture of Dahomey)
1914.03.16: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Togo
1923.03.15: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Lower Volta
1937.05.18: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Sokodé
1938.06.14: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Lomé / Lomen(sis) (Latin)
1955.09.14: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lomé / Lomen(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan see Sokodé)
1964.09.29: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Atakpamé and gained suffragan see Atakpamé
1965.07.06: Gained suffragan see Dapango
1994.07.01: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Aného and Diocese of Kpalimé and gained suffragan sees Aného, Kara and Kpalimé

Papal Visits

Pope John Paul II (1985.08)

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2026.04.10 – ...):

Archbishop Isaac Jogues Kodjo Agbémenya Gaglo (67)

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Lomé (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Isaac Jogues Kodjo Agbémenya Gaglo (67)
(2026.04.10 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lomé (Togo)

In finem dilexit eos

Born:	1958.10.07 (Kpémé, Togo)
Ordained Priest:	1985.08.09
Consecrated Bishop:	2008.02.02

Priest of Aného (Togo) (1985.08.09 – 2007.12.03)

Bishop of Aného (Togo) (2007.12.03 – 2026.04.10)

Apostolic Administrator of Lomé (Togo) (2024.08.11 – 2026.04.10)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lomé (Togo) (2026.04.10 – ...)

Bishop Isaac Jogues Kodjo Agbémenya Gaglo (67) (later Archbishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 2024.08.11 – 2026.04.10)

Archbishop Nicodème Anani Barrigah-Bénissan
(2019.11.23 – 2024.08.04)

Ut unum sint

Born:	1963.05.19 (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso)
Ordained Priest:	1987.08.08
Consecrated Bishop:	2008.03.09
Died:	2024.08.04 (Lomé, Togo † 61)

Priest of Lomé (Togo) (1987.08.08 – 2008.01.09)

Bishop of Atakpamé (Togo) (2008.01.09 – 2019.11.23)

Apostolic Administrator of Atakpamé (Togo) (2019.11.23 – 2022.10.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lomé (Togo) (2019.11.23 – 2024.08.04)

Archbishop Denis Komivi Amuzu-Dzakpah (82)
(2007.06.08 – 2019.11.23)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Lomé (Togo)
former Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Togo

Humane divinus divine humanus

Born:	1943.10.10 (Kpogame Tahasi, Togo)
Ordained Priest:	1972.05.22
Consecrated Bishop:	2007.08.15

Priest of Lomé (Togo) (1972.05.22 – 2007.06.08)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lomé (Togo) (2007.06.08 – 2019.11.23)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Togo (2012.06.21 – 2019.11.23)

Archbishop Philippe Fanoko Kossi Kpodzro
(1992.12.17 – 2007.06.08)

Born:	1930.03.30 (Tamegbé, Togo)
Ordained Priest:	1959.12.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1976.05.02
Died:	2024.01.09 (Sweden † 93)

Priest of Lomé (Togo) (1959.12.20 – 1964.09.29)

Priest of Atakpamé (Togo) (1964.09.29 – 1975.12.19)

Titular Bishop of Bacanaria (1975.12.19 – 1976.04.10)

Apostolic Administrator of Atakpamé (Togo) (1975.12.19 – 1976.04.10)

Bishop of Atakpamé (Togo) (1976.04.10 – 1992.12.17)

President of Episcopal Conference of Togo (1992 – 2006)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lomé (Togo) (1992.12.17 – 2007.06.08)

Fr. Jean Kuassi Gbikpi-Benissan
(Apostolic Administrator 1992.02.13 – 1992.12.17)

Archbishop Robert-Casimir Tonyui Messan Dosseh-Anyron
(1962.03.10 – 1992.02.13)

Born:	1925.10.13 (Vogan, Togo)
Ordained Priest:	1951.12.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1962.06.10
Died:	2014.04.15 (Hirson, France † 88)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lomé (Togo) (1962.03.10 – 1992.02.13)

President of Episcopal Conference of Togo (1970 – 1992)

President of Regional Episcopal Conferences of Western Francophone Africa (1978 – 1979)

Archbishop Joseph-Paul Strebler, S.M.A.
(1955.09.14 – 1961.06.16)

Born:	1892.09.12 (Mertzwiller, France)
Ordained Priest:	1921.07.10
Consecrated Bishop:	1946.06.29
Died:	1984.03.12 (Saint-Pierre, France † 91)

Prefect Apostolic of Sokodé (Togo) (1937.05 – 1945.11.08)

Titular Bishop of Curubis (1945.11.08 – 1955.09.14)

Vicar Apostolic of Lomé (Togo) (1945.11.08 – 1955.09.14)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lomé (Togo) (1955.09.14 – 1961.06.16)

Titular Archbishop of Nicopolis in Epiro (1961.06.16 – 1971.06.11)

Vicars Apostolic of Lomé (Roman Rite)

Bishop Joseph-Paul Strebler, S.M.A. (later Archbishop)
(1945.11.08 – 1955.09.14)

(see above)

Bishop Jean-Marie Cessou, S.M.A.
(1923.03.22 – 1945.03.03)

Born:	1884.12.18 (Quimper, France)
Ordained Priest:	1908.07.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1923.07.15
Died:	1945.03.03 (Lomé, Togo † 60)

Apostolic Administrator of Togo (Togo) (1921.01.11 – 1923.03.22)

Titular Bishop of Verinopolis (1923.03.20 – 1945.03.03)

Vicar Apostolic of Lomé (Togo) (1923.03.22 – 1945.03.03)

Vicars Apostolic of Togo (Roman Rite)

Bishop-elect Jean-Marie Cessou, S.M.A.
(Apostolic Administrator 1921.01.11 – 1923.03.22)

Bishop François-Ignace Hummel, S.M.A.
(Apostolic Administrator 1918.01.11 – 1921)

Bishop Franz Wolf, S.V.D.
(1914.03.16 – 1921.01)

Born:	1876.02.02 (Borbeck, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1899.02.05
Consecrated Bishop:	1914.06.28
Died:	1944.02.23 (Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia † 68)

Vicar Apostolic of Togo (Togo) (1914.03.16 – 1921.01)

Titular Bishop of Byblus (1914.03.16 – 1944.02.23)

Vicar Apostolic of Eastern New Guinea (Papua New Guinea) (1922.11.24 – 1944.02.23)

Apostolic Administrator of Central New Guinea (Papua New Guinea) (1923 – 1928)

Prefects Apostolic of Togo (Roman Rite)

Fr. Nicolaus Schoenig, S.V.D.
(1910.03.20 – 1914.03.16)

Born:	1867.03.21 (Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1893
Died:	1925.10.11 († 58)

Pro-Prefect Apostolic of Togo (Togo) (1907 – 1910.03.20)

Prefect Apostolic of Togo (Togo) (1910.03.20 – 1914.03.16)

Fr. Nicolaus Schoenig, S.V.D.
(1907 – 1910.03.20)

(see above)

Fr. Hermann Bücking, S.V.D.
(1896.07.28 – 1907)

Born:	1863.11.07 (Borbeck, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1890.05.11
Died:	1931.06.10 (Münster, Germany † 67)

Prefect Apostolic of Togo (Togo) (1896.07.28 – 1907)

Fr. Johann Schäfer, S.V.D.
(1892.06.04 – 1894.06.02)

Born:	1857.12.25 (Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1886
Died:	1930.06.10 († 72)

Pro-Prefect Apostolic of Togo (Togo) (1892.06.04 – 1894.06.02)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathédrale du Sacré Cœur, Lomé, Maritime

Keta–Akatsi (←), Kpalimé (↖), Aného (→)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 3,682 km²

Population: 668,580 Catholics (29.8% of 2,245,375 total)

Pastoral Centres: 76 parishes, 35 missions

Personnel: 379 priests (267 diocesan, 112 religious), 1,016 religious (405 brothers, 611 sisters), 173 seminarians