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Pope Francis Appoints Two New Archbishops in West Africa: For Bamako in Mali, Bouaké in Ivory Coast. Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Robert Cissé, the Local Ordinary of Mali’s Sikasso Diocese, as Archbishop of the country’s Catholic Archdiocese of Bamako, and Bishop Jacques Assanvo Ahiwa, the Apostolic Administrator of the Bouaké Catholic Archdiocese, as the Local Ordinary of the same in Ivorian Metropolitan See.

The Holy See Press Office made public the appointment of Bishop Cissé and Bishop Assanvo Ahiwa and the retirement of the 80-year-old Local Ordinary of Bamako, Jean Cardinal Zerbo, on Thursday, July 25.

Ivory Coast’s Bouaké Archdiocese became vacant following the passing on of Archbishop Paul-Siméon Ahouanan Djro on February 12; he was 71.

Set to become the 11th Local Ordinary of his native Archdiocese of Bamako, the Ivorian Archbishop-elect, who turned 56 on July 7 has been at the helm of Sikasso Diocese since his Episcopal Consecration in February last year, following his appointment in December 2022.

The alumnus of St. Augustine’s Major Seminary and St. Peter Claver Major Seminary in Koumi, Burkina Faso, where he had his initial Priestly formation in philosophy and theology respectively, was ordained a Priest of Sikasso Diocese in July 1993.

As a Priest, the Archbishop-elect served in various capacities, including Assistant Parish Priest, Parish Priest, head of the Diocesan Commission for Vocations, Chaplain, and lecturer at St. Pius XII Minor Seminary in Bamako.

He also served as head of the Diocesan Commission for Education, National Director of the Pontifical Missionary Society (PMS), Vicar General, Member of the Council for Economic Affairs, Secretary General of the Union of Priests in Mali, and Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at the Catholic University of West Africa (UCAO).

The holder of a Licentiate in Philosophy from the Pontifical Urbanian University in Rome is set to shepherd the people of God in the 85,000 square kilometer Metropolitan See with an estimated population of 5,836,797, Catholics numbering 284,436, according to 2022 statistics.

The Ivorian Metropolitan See that has Kayes, Mopti, San, Ségou, and Sikasso as Suffragan Dioceses was erected in 1868 as Prefecture Apostolic of Sahara and Sudan before its elevation to an Archdiocese in September 1955.

The 55-year-old Archbishop-elect who is a Clergy of the Catholic Diocese of Grand-Bassam was ordained a priest in December 1997 after completing his Priestly formation from the Major Seminary of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Anyama.

As a Priest, he served in various capacities, including Parish Vicar of San François Xavier, Aboisso; Secretary General of the Diocese of Grand-Bassam and Diocesan Director of PMS.

The holder of a Master’s degree in Biblical Theology from the Catholic University of West Africa and a Doctorate in Biblical Theology from the University of Strasbourg in France served as Vicar General of Grand Bassam Diocese.

In October 2020, he was Consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of Bouaké Archdiocese following his May 2020 appointment; he was assigned the Titular See of Elefantaria in Mauritania.

The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bouake was erected as a Prefecture Apostolic in May 1951, before it was elevated to a Diocese in September 1955. In December 1994, Pope St. John Paul II elevated it to an Archdiocese, with three Suffragan Dioceses: Abengourou, Bondoukou, and Yamoussoukro.

Measuring 20,000 square kilometers and with a 17.6 percent Catholic population, according to 2022 statistics, Bouaké Archdiocese is under the patronage of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus.

Rev. Fr. George Nwachukwu
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