By Paschal Norbert

JANUARY 30, 2026 (CISA) – Pope Leo XIV has appointed the Msgr. Relwendé Kisito Ouédraogo, an official of the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, as Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville).

In an announcement made by the Holy See Press Office on January 28, 2026, Msgr Ouédraogo was also elevated the titular see of Ilta, with the dignity of Archbishop.

Archbishop-elect Relwendé Kisito Ouédraogo was born in Gourcy, Burkina Faso, on April 9, 1972. He was ordained a priest on December 13, 2000, and incardinated in the Catholic Diocese of Ouahigouya.

 In 2010, Archbishop-elect Ouédraogo was called to work in the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State at the Vatican.

In 2012, Archbishop-elect Relwendé Kisito Ouédraogo became the first person in his country to earn a doctorate in Sacred Liturgy. He completed his dissertation, entitled ” The Liturgical Image: An Essay on a Ritual Aesthetic in Romano Guardini,” at the Pontifical Institute of Saint Anselm in Rome.

From 2013 until his appointment as Apostolic Nuncio, he served as private secretary to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See. He is also a member of the Management Committee of the “Pro Africa” ​​Fund; the Board of Directors of the “Mondo Unito” Foundation; and the Association of African Liturgists (Consociatio Liturgica Africana).

Bishop Ouédraogo speaks fluent French, Italian, English and German.