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NICODEME ANAI BARRRIGAH-BENISSAN Togolese Roman Catholic prelate, archbishop of Lomé (since 2019) and bishop of Atakpamé (2008–2019).

Nicodème Barrigah-Benissan, or simply Nicodème Barrigah (19 May 1963 – 4 August 2024), has passed away according to sources through media outlets. He was a Togolese[1] prelate of the Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Lomé from 2019 to 2024. In addition to his episcopal ministry, he was known for his musical and dramatic career and was awarded the Grand Prize for Togolese Literature in 2020 for the play Le Trône Royal. [2]

He was also President of OCDI Caritas Togo, the official charity organization of the Catholic Church in Togo. [3]

Youth and education

Nicodème Yves Anani Barrigah-Benissan was born into a Togolese family in Ouagadougou, Upper Volta 1963. His family returned to Togo some years after his birth, and he completed his primary education and minor seminary in the Nyékonakpoé district of Lomé. He then studied philosophy and theology at the Saint-Gall Major Seminary in Ouidah, neighboring Benin.

Ordination and first missions

Barrigah-Benissan was ordained a priest on 8 August 1987 in the Our Lady of the Trinity Cathedral in Atakpamé, where he spent his first year as vicar of the cathedral parish. He was sent to study dogmatic theology at the Catholic Institute of Abidjan from 1988 to 1990,  exegesis at the Biblicum in Rome between 1990 and 1993,  canon law from 1993 to 1997 at the Pontifical Urban University, and diplomacy at the Pontifical Academy.

From 1997, he was employed by the diplomatic service of the Holy See and was sent to several successive nunciatures. His first mission was to Rwanda from 1997 to 2000, where he helped manage the judicial aftermath of the genocide, in particular the trial of a bishop. He was then sent to El Salvador (2000-2003), followed by Côte d’Ivoire (2003-2007), where he was present during the political and military crisis. He was then sent to Israel from March 2007 to March 2008.

Bishop of Atakpamé

On 9 March 2008, Barrigah-Benissan was ordained Bishop of the Diocese of Atakpamé. Within the Bishops’ Conference of Togo, he became the chairman of the Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission in 2009. This commission was tasked with shedding light on the political violence in Togo, from 1958 until the 2005 Togo protests and riots, and was a significant step towards healing and reconciliation in the country. The conclusions of this inquiry were presented to President Faure Gnassingbé in April 2012.

Archbishop of Lomé

On 23 November 2019, Barrigah-Benissan was appointed Archbishop of Lomé to succeed Denis Komivi Amuzu-Dzakpah, who resigned because of age. 

Before the 2020 Togolese presidential election, he worked, in particular, to ensure that candidates see politics as a “service that promotes social friendship to generate the common good” and their opponents “as brothers and sisters with other visions of development for the country.” After Faure Gnassingbé‘s re-election, a result contested in particular by Agbéyomé Kodjo and Archbishop Emeritus Philippe Kpodzro, Nicodème Barrigah-Benissan worked tirelessly to appease both sides and challenge the blockages imposed by the Presidency, his actions carrying significant weight.

His predecessor, Philippe Kpodzro, criticized his role as mediator in an open letter published on 21 January 2021. The archbishop emeritus, who called him his “favorite son whom I begot with so much love,” also criticized him for “shirking [his] responsibilities [… and] putting the church back under the boots of the bloodthirsty dictatorship.” This criticism, while harsh, reflects the complex political and social dynamics Barrigah-Benissan was navigating.

Artistic career

Musician

During his mission at the nunciature in Côte d’Ivoire, Barrigah-Benissan produced his first religious song album, Père pardonne-nous (“Father forgive us”). He wrote and composed the texts and music for hundreds of songs brought together on several albums. Most of his compositions were religious, but some were secular. He performed regularly in concert, singing and playing guitar.

Playwright and author

Barrigah-Benissan was also a playwright. In 1993, he wrote a play entitled Le Trône Royal, which he evoked certain African traditions, the place of the female figure, and predestination as program writer reissued the play in 2019 received the Grand Prize for Togolese Literature in 2020.

In 2022, he published a book, Crise d’autorité, abus de Pouvoir (“Crisis of authority, abuse of power”). He suggests auto workers are, too!