IVORY COAST: Pope Francis Appoints Fr Clément Amiezi Bishop of Odienné

By Odiwuor Opiyo

VATICAN, JULY 1, 2022 (CISA)– “The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Alain Clément Amiezi of the clergy of Bondoukou, until now parish priest of the Cathédrale Sainte-Odile, as bishop of the diocese of Odienné, Cote d’Ivoire,” reads an announcement by the Holy See Press Office on June 30.

The executive secretary of the Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith for the Ivorian Episcopal Conference becomes the fourth local ordinary of the diocese after the death of Bishop Antoine Koné in 2019.

Fr Amiezi who was ordained a priest in 1999, has worked previously as an assistant parish priest of the Cathedral and diocesan head of pastoral care of vocations and communications media; resident professor in dogmatic theology at the Major Seminary of Anyama, and visiting lecturer at the Université Catholique de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (UCAO), also teaching at the Institute of Theology of the Society of Jesus and the Catholic Missionary Institute of Abidjan.

He became Parish priest of the Cathédrale Sainte-Odile in 2021.

The 50-year-old priest was born in Dimbokro in the Catholic Diocese of Yamoussoukro, he joined the Society of African Missions (SMA) in Ebimpé, where he studied philosophy for two years before continuing with his theological studies at the Major Seminary of the Sacred Heart of Marie in Anyama.

He attended the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome from 2004 to 2008 where he attained a doctorate in dogmatic theology.