The Most Famous
RELIGIOUS FIGURES from Ghana
This page contains a list of the greatest Ghanaian Religious Figures. The pantheon dataset contains 3,187 Religious Figures, 3 of which were born in Ghana. This makes Ghana the birth place of the 86th most number of Religious Figures behind Hong Kong, and Nicaragua.
Top 3
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Ghanaian Religious Figures of all time. This list of famous Ghanaian Religious Figures is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.
1. Peter Turkson (b. 1948)
With an HPI of 69.55, Peter Turkson is the most famous Ghanaian Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 42 different languages on wikipedia.
Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson (born 11 October 1948) is a Ghanaian Catholic prelate who has served as chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences since 2022. He was president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace from 2009 to 2017 and the inaugural prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development from 2017 to 2021. Turkson was previously Archbishop of Cape Coast from 1992 to 2009, and was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2003. He has been viewed as papabile, a likely candidate for election to the papacy, both during the 2013 papal conclave which elected Pope Francis, as well as the 2025 papal conclave, which elected Pope Leo XIV.
2. Peter Poreku Dery (1918 - 2008)
With an HPI of 58.88, Peter Poreku Dery is the 2nd most famous Ghanaian Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.
Peter Porekuu Dery (10 May 1918 – 6 March 2008), originally Porekuu Der, was a Ghanaian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Tamale from 1974 to 1994, and was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 2006. He was the Bishop of Wa from 1960 to 1974. The cause for his canonization commenced in mid-2013 and he is now referred to as a Servant of God.
3. Richard Baawobr (1959 - 2022)
With an HPI of 53.44, Richard Baawobr is the 3rd most famous Ghanaian Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Richard Kuuia Baawobr, MAfr (21 June 1959 – 27 November 2022) was a Ghanaian Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Wa from 2016 until his death in 2022. A member of the Missionaries of Africa (also known as the White Fathers), he worked in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, and Tanzania before being named a bishop in his native country. Pope Francis created him a cardinal on 27 August 2022. Baawobr died just a few months later.
People
Pantheon has 3 people classified as Ghanaian religious figures born between 1918 and 1959. Of these 3, 1 (33.33%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Ghanaian religious figures include Peter Turkson. The most famous deceased Ghanaian religious figures include Peter Poreku Dery, and Richard Baawobr. As of April 2024, 3 new Ghanaian religious figures have been added to Pantheon including Peter Turkson, Peter Poreku Dery, and Richard Baawobr.
Living Ghanaian Religious Figures
Go to all RankingsDeceased Ghanaian Religious Figures
Go to all RankingsNewly Added Ghanaian Religious Figures (2024)
Go to all Rankings
Peter Turkson
1948 - Present
HPI: 69.55
Peter Poreku Dery
1918 - 2008
HPI: 58.88
Richard Baawobr
1959 - 2022
HPI: 53.44
