SUMMARY

Fr. (Dr.) Charles Bruno Kabir, OFMConv, is a Roman Catholic Conventual Franciscan friar and a Priest-Lecturer at the Catholic University of Ghana (CUG). Though born (1965), bred and buttered in Nandom-Puffien in the Upper-West Region of Ghana, he is an epitome of diverse cultures thanks to his early international exposure to other cultures such as that of Kenya, Tanzania, Italy, America, Spain, etc. He speaks English, French, Kiswahili, Italian and Spanish, hence a polyglot - in addition to his native Ghanaian languages/dialects including Dagaare, Waali and Twi.

Originally from the Catholic Diocese of WA (CDW) he, however, joined the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFMConv) in the Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Coast (CACC) in1989 where he had his first year of Postulancy Formation and the second year in the Catholic Diocese of Sunyani (CDS) in 1990. In 1991 he made his Canonical Novitiate Year at the St. Francis’ Novitiate, Saltpond in the CACC. He professed his first/simple religious vows/evangelical counsels as an OFMConv in 1992.

He did his two-year philosophical studies (1992-1994) at the St. Paul’s Catholic Seminary (SPCS) in Accra-Sowutuom - affiliated to the University of Ghana (UG), Legon - and obtained a Diploma in Philosophy (1994). He proceeded to do his four-year (1994-1998) theological studies at Tangaza College for Religious (TCR) in Nairobi, Kenya - affiliated to the Pontifical Urban University (Urbaniana) in Rome - graduating with a BA in Sacred Theology (1998) after successfully defending his thesis in Canon Law on: The Customary Marriage among the Dagaaba of Upper-Western Ghana in the Light the Catholic Church’s Matrimonial Consent in Canon 1057. He also obtained a BA in Religious Studies from the Catholic University of Eastern Region (CUEA) in1998.

In 1996 he had his pastoral experience at the Divine Mercy (Yesu Mwenye Huruma) Parish at Mwanga in Tanzania and was recommended by his formators and superiors to profess his final vows. So in 1997 he made his perpetual or solemn vows as a permanent member of the OFMConv at the Christ the King Parish (CKP) in the Catholic Diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi (CDS-T). He immediately returned to Nairobi and successfully completed his theological studies at TCR in 1998. Following his graduation he was ordained a Deacon in 1998 at St. Peter’s Regional Seminary (SPRS), Pedu and eventually he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in the OFMConv at the CKP in CDS-T (1999).

As a Deacon, he served for one (1) year (1998) at the Sacred Heart Parish (SHP) in the CDS before his priestly ordination in 1999 and afterwards he served as a parochial vicar/curate in charge of the then nine (9) outstations under the SHP in the CDS for three years (1999 - 2002).

In June 2002 he was sent to Padua, Italy for further studies where he first, obtained a Diploma in the Italian language from Istituto Linguistico, Padua (2002); and proceeded to Rome where he obtained his two-year MA in Pastoral Theology from the Pontifical Lateran University (Pontificia Universitas Lateranensis, (PUL), Rome (2002-2004) after defending his thesis on: The Human Person as Inter-Relational: A Pastoral Perspective in the Light of the Dagara Holistic Anthropology. Immediately after his MA Programme in Rome, he was sent to do Franciscan Spirituality and Retreat Direction at the St. Bonaventure University in New York, USA (2004) and returned to Rome. In 2005 he left Rome again for Madrid, Spain, where he obtained a Diploma in the Spanish language from Escuela de Turismo, Vox (2005). He returned to Rome in 2005 and successfully completed his Doctoral thesis in 2007 on: The Southern Apostolate in the Catholic Diocese of WA: A Pastoral call on the Church in Ghana to be Missionary. Hence he holds a PhD in Pastoral Theology from his Alma Mater - the Pontifical Lateran University (Pontificia Universitas Lateranensis, (PUL), Rome since 2007.

Following his return to Ghana in 2007, he served in various capacities both at the national and local levels of the Catholic Church. At the national level, he once served as a resource person/translator (Italian-Spanish-English): European-African Bishops’ Conference (CCEE-SECAM) Seminar: on the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slave Trade, Elmina- Ghana (2008). Most of his services, however, were in formation and in the academia till date. Hence he served as a lecturer in spiritual theology at his Alma Mater, St Paul’s Catholic Seminary (SPCS), Accra-Sowutuom (2007-2008 academic year); as a Formator at St. Francis’ Novitiate, Salt pond, (2008-2009 Formative Year); as a Council Member (a Definitor) of the Conventual Franciscans’ Custody (2009 -2011); a Novice Master at St. Francis’ Novitiate, Saltpond, (2010-2011 Formative Year); and a Spiritual Director, St. Peter’s Major Seminary, Pedu, (2011 -2012). In 2012 he was appointed as a full-time lecturer at the then Catholic University College of Ghana (CUCG), Fiapre-Sunyani (2012-2022).

Since 2012, he has been a full-time lecturer at the Catholic University of Ghana (CUG) both at the graduate and the post-graduate levels as well as a moderator or supervisor of students’ theses till date. Subjects he lectures in at the under-graduate level include: Phenomenology of Religion; Psychology of Religion; Introduction to Islam; Catholic Social Teaching; Religion and Leadership; Hadith Studies; Sharia Law; Christianity and African Culture; Comparative Study of Religions; Inter-faith Encounter and Religious Dialogue. At the Post-graduate level, he lectures in the following courses: Pastoral Ministry; Research Methods; Pastoral Ministry and Mass Communication; Leadership in Ministry; Islamic Theology; Pastoral Care and Counseling; Islam and Development in Africa; and Comparative Studies of Religions.

In the area of extra-curriculum activities, he has served in various capacities in the CUG’s administration and chaplaincy for the past decade including the following: Acting Dean of Faculty of Religions & Social Sciences (RSS, 2013-2016); a member of the Chaplaincy Board (2013-2017); Project Manager/Lecturer of the Summer Certificate Course on Safeguarding Minors from Sexual Abuse jointly organized by Centre for Child Protection (CCP) of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and the Faculty of Religious Studies in the Catholic University College of Ghana (CUCG), Fiapre-Sunyani (2016- ?); Acting Dean of Students’ Affairs (2019-2021); and the Focal Person for the CUG-University of Calgary & AWB Ethics Project (2022 - ?).

He also served on the then CUCG’s Boards and Committees in the following capacities: A member of the CUCG’s Admissions Committee (2013-2017); chief examinations invigilator of CUCG (2013- 2017); a member of School of Research and Graduate Studies (SRGS, 2013-2017); a member of University’s Appointment and Promotion Committee (UAPC, 2013-2017); member of CUCG’s Senate (2013-2017); a chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Examination Mai-Practices (2016-2017); member of CUCG’s Disciplinary Committee (2017-2018); a member of the Library Board (2017-2018); a member of CUCG’s Development Committee; a member of Research & Conference Committee (2017-2018); and translator of CUCG’s English-Italian-Spanish documents (2012 - ?).

Notable among his publications and researches are: (1) KABIR, C. B. (1997). “The Church as Conscience and Voice of Society” in African Ecclesial Review (AFER), April (1997), Vol. 39, n. 2; and (2) KABIR, C. B. (2016). “The new evangelization and the role of pastoral agents” in Acts of the 2014 National Pastoral Congress. Accra: Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC). ISSN 2508-1071, pp. 230-245.