By Wesley Omondi
VATICAN CITY, OCTOBER 8, 2024 (CISA) – On December 8, 2024, Pope Francis will elevate two distinguished African archbishops to the rank of cardinal during a consistory that will mark a significant moment for the Church.
Announcing the date of the consistory and the names of the 21 new cardinals, Pope Francis said their origins reflect the universality of the Church, that continues to announce God’s merciful love to all people.
Among the new cardinals are Archbishop Ignace Bessi Dogbo of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and Archbishop Jean-Paul Vesco of Algiers, Algeria. Their appointments not only honours their dedicated service to the Church but also underscores the importance of African voices within the Church’s leadership.
Most Rev Ignace Bessi Dogbo of Abidjan
63-year-old Archbishop Ignace Bessi Dogbo, born on August 17, 1961, in Niangon-Adjamé, Catholic Diocese of Yopougon. He was ordained a priest on August 2, 1987. His early ministry included roles as parish minister from 1987 to 1989 and later as diocesan director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (1993-1995).
He advanced to serve as vicar general of Yopougon (1995-2004) and parish priest of the Cathedral of Yopougon (1997-2004). Additionally, he taught biblical languages at the Saint Paul d’Abadjin Kouté Major Seminary and served as assistant diocesan spiritual assistant of the J.E.C.
He was appointed bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Katiola on March 19, 2004, receiving episcopal consecration on July 4 of the same year. He went on to serve as president of the The Episcopal Conference of Côte d’Ivoire (CECCI) from 2017 to 2023 and apostolic administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the Metropolitan SArchdiocese of Korhogo from 2017 until his appointment as archbishop of Korhogo in 2021.
On August 3, 2024, Archbishop Dogbo was installed as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Abidjan and is currently a delegate at the ongoing Synod on Synodality in Rome. Renowned for his commitment to peace and reconciliation, he has played a crucial role in West African peace processes, particularly in the aftermath of political conflicts.
Most Rev Jean-Paul Vesco of Algiers
After nine years at the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Oran, the Dominican friar, Archbishop Jean-Paul Vesco, was appointed by Pope Francis to head the Metropolitan Archdiocese of the Algerian capital, Algiers, on December 27, 2021.
Born in Lyon in 1962, Jean-Paul Vesco joined the Dominican order in 1995 after studying law and working as a lawyer. He was ordained a priest in 2001. His first contact with Algeria took place a year later when he moved to the Dominican convent of Tlemcen, in the diocese of Oran. He became the vicar general in 2005 and then the bursar in 2007.
He returned to France at the end of 2010 after being elected Prior Provincial of the Province of France. He held this position for a few months before being appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to head the Catholic Diocese of Oran on December 1, 2012.
On 8 December 2018, Archbishop Vesco hosted in his diocese the beatification of the 19 martyrs of Algeria, among them Bishop Pierre Claverie, the former bishop of Oran assassinated in 1996, and the monks of Tibhirine. Archbishop Vesco participated in the 2015 Synod on the Family held in the Vatican, pleading in particular for attention to remarried divorcees.
The consistory, a ceremony to formally install the new cardinals will take place on December 8, marking the 10th such event held by Pope Francis since his election 11 years ago.
Cardinals serve vital roles within the Catholic Church as the pope’s advisers and collaborators, with one of their most crucial responsibilities being the election of a new pope in the event of the current pope’s death or resignation.
The new cardinals hail from a diverse array of countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Italy, Britain, Serbia, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, Ivory Coast, and Algeria. Among them, 20 are under the age of 80 and eligible to vote in the conclave, while only one, a 99-year-old Italian archbishop, exceeds this age threshold, honored for his long service to the Church. Notably, Bishop Mykola Bychok of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Eparch of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne, stands out as the youngest at just 44.
By early next year, the total number of cardinal electors will reach 140, with nearly 80% appointed by Francis, enhancing the likelihood that his successor will embrace his vision of a more progressive and inclusive Church.
Although the Church caps the number of cardinal electors at 120, recent popes have routinely surpassed this limit.
