Tempels was born on February 18, 1906, in Berlaar, Belgium. After completing his primary and secondary education, he wanted to become a priest. He began his training at the seminary of the Franciscan Minor Friars in Tielt, Belgium, on September 17, 1924. After his ordination to the priesthood on August 15, 1930, he finished his theological studies, followed by an Eloquentia course (training in rhetoric and moral casuistic) and one year of teaching at the H. Hartcollege in Heusden. Afterwards, he was assigned to be a missionary in the then Belgian Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo), where he worked for ten years in a traditional way, based on the catechism and canon law.

Frans Dokman, Beyond Bantu Philosophy_…, loc. 73