His Eminence Jean-Pierre Kutwa | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus of Abidjan | |
 Cardinal Kutwa. | |
| Archdiocese | Abidjan |
| See | Abidjan |
| Appointed | 2 May 2006 |
| Installed | 18 June 2006 |
| Term ended | 20 May 2024 |
| Predecessor | Bernard Agré |
| Successor | Ignace Bessi Dogbo |
| Other post | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Emerenziana a Tor Fiorenza |
| Previous post | Archbishop of Gagnoa (2001–2006) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 11 July 1971 by Bernard Yago |
| Consecration | 16 September 2001 by Bernard Agré |
| Created cardinal | 22 February 2014 byPope Francis |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1945-12-22)22 December 1945 (age 80) Blockhauss,Ivory Coast |
| Nationality | Ivorian |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Motto | Sinite parvulos venire ad me (Let the little children come to me) |
| Coat of arms |  |
Ordination history of Jean-Pierre Kutwa | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Styles of Jean-Pierre Kutwa | |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Religious style | Cardinal |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
Jean-Pierre Kutwa (born 22 December 1945) is anIvorian Catholic prelate who served asArchbishop of Abidjan from 2006 to 2024.Pope Francis made him acardinal in 2014.
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. Kutwa is also a composer.[1]
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 ArchbishopBernard 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 thePontifical Urbaniana University, Rome, where he earned a doctorate in Biblical theology.
He was ordained a priest on 11 July 1971 by CardinalBernard Yago.Pope John-Paul II named himarchbishop of thearchdiocese of Gagnoa on 15 May 2001. He was consecrated bishop on 16 September by CardinalBernard Agré, Archbishop of Abidjan.
He took part in theSynod 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 forAlassane 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 theRegional Episcopal Conference of Francophone West Africa.
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 createdCardinal-Priest ofSanta Emerenziana a Tor Fiorenza in February 2014.
In September 2014, he was appointed a member of theCongregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, theCongregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, thePontifical Council for the Laity, and thePontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
Pope Francis accepted his resignation as archbishop of Abidjan on 20 May 2024.[5]
He participated as acardinal elector in the2025 papal conclave that electedPope Leo XIV.[6]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Archbishop of Gagnoa 15 May 2001-2 May 2006 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Archbishop of Abidjan 2 May 2006–20 May 2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Cardinal Priest ofSanta Emerenziana a Tor Fiorenza 22 February 2014–present | Incumbent |
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