Jean-Pierre Kutwa

His Eminence
Jean-Pierre Kutwa
Cardinal, Archbishop of Abidjan
Archdiocese Abidjan
See Abidjan
Appointed 2 May 2006
Installed 18 June 2006
Predecessor Bernard Agré
Other posts Cardinal-Priest of Santa Emerenziana a Tor Fiorenza
Orders
Ordination 11 July 1971
by Bernard Yago
Consecration 16 September 2001
by Bernard Agré
Created Cardinal 22 February 2014
by Pope Francis
Rank Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born (1945-12-22) 22 December 1945
Blockhauss, Ivory Coast
Nationality Ivorian
Denomination Roman Catholic
Previous post Archbishop of Gagnoa (2001-2006)
Motto "Ut Omnes Unum Sint" (That they all may be one)
Coat of arms
Styles of
Jean-Pierre Kutwa
Reference style His Eminence
Spoken style Your Eminence
Informal style Cardinal

Jean-Pierre Kutwa (born 22 December 1945) is a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has served as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Abidjan in the Ivory Coast since May 2006. On 12 January 2014, Pope Francis announced that Kutwa would be made a cardinal in February 2014.

Biography

Kutwa was born on 22 December 1945 in Blockhauss (Abidjan). He had initial studies the school St Jean-Bosco, Treichville, in 1950; on 18 September 1955, he entered the "Petit-Clerc", Bingerville in class of CMI; in 1957, he entered the Minor Seminary in Bingerville, where he completed his secondary studies.

Education

On 2 October 1964, he entered the Grand Seminary of Anyama, where he studied philosophy and theology; on 22 December 1967, he received the cassock and the ecclesiastical tonsure; he received the diaconate on 20 December 1970, from Archbishop Bernard Yago of Abidjan, in the church of Notre Dame du Perpétuel Secours in Treichville; also, he studied at the Catholic Institute of Occidental Africa (I.C.A.O.), where he obtained a maîtrise in Biblical theology; and at the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome, where he earned a doctorate in Biblical theology.

Priesthood and Episcopate

He was ordained a priest on 11 July 1971 by Cardinal Bernard Yago. Pope John-Paul II named him archbishop of the archdiocese of Gagnoa on 15 May 2001. He was consecrated bishop on 16 September by Cardinal Bernard Agré, Archbishop of Abidjan.

He took part in the Synod of Bishops that met at the Vatican in October 2005 as a delegate of the bishops of the Ivory Coast.[1]

In May 2006, Pope Benedict XVI transferred him to the metropolitan see of Abidjan to succeed the retiring Cardinal Agré.

Following the violence in the Ivory Coast that followed the November 2010 elections and ended in April 2011, he called for reconciliation: "Yes, the Ivory Coast must be a land of friendship and brotherhood, from the North or from the South, black or white, from here or elsewhere."[2] In January 2012, speaking on behalf of the National Forum of Religious Groups, he called for Alassane Ouattara, President of the Ivory Coast and a Muslim, to release political prisoners, supporters of his defeated rival for the presidency, in order to facilitate the process of national reconciliation.[3]

Kutwa is the president of the bishops commission for ecumenism as well as vice-president of the Regional Episcopal Conference of Francophone West Africa.

Cardinal

On 12 January 2014, Pope Francis announced that he would name Kutwa a cardinal at the papal consistory scheduled for 22 February 2014, along with 18 others.[4] He was created Cardinal-Priest of "Santa Emerenziana a Tor Fiorenza" in February 2014. He will have the right to vote in conclave for Pope until his 80th birthday.

In September 2014 he was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Pontifical Council for Laity, and Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

Kutwa is also a composer.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Bernardelli, Giorgio (13 January 2014). "Meet the Church’s two new cardinals from West Africa". Vatican Insider. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  2. "L'archevêque d'Abidjan appelle les Ivoiriens à la Réconciliation". Jeune Afrique. 24 April 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  3. "Processus de réconciliation nationale: Monseigneur Jean-Pierre Kutwa demande la libération des prisonniers politiques". Abidjan Net. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  4. McElwee, Joshua L. (12 January 2014). "Pope chooses new cardinals from Africa, Asia, Latin America". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Noel Kokora-Tekry
Archbishop of Gagnoa
15 May 2001-2 May 2006
Succeeded by
Barthelemy Djabla
Preceded by
Bernard Agre
Archbishop of Abidjan
2 May 2006–present
Incumbent
Preceded by
Medardo Joseph Mazombwe
Cardinal Priest of Santa Emerenziana a Tor Fiorenza
22 February 2014–present
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