Because the Catholic Church mourns the death of Pope Francis today on the age of 88, one title is already being spoken of with nice pleasure and hope.
His title? Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson. A proud Ghanaian and a towering determine throughout the Church, Turkson is broadly seen as a number one candidate to grow to be the following pope, a second that would mark a historic shift for the worldwide Catholic group.
Born on 11 October 1948 in Wassa Nsuta, a small city in Ghana’s Western Area, Turkson’s story is one in all outstanding perseverance and deep religion. He grew up in a modest family, the fourth of ten youngsters.
His mom, a Methodist, offered greens within the native market, whereas his Catholic father labored as a carpenter. Faith ran deep in his household, with a wealthy mixture of Christian and Muslim influences.
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Turkson’s path to priesthood started early. He studied at St. Teresa’s Minor Seminary and St. Peter’s Regional Seminary in Ghana, earlier than persevering with his training in the USA at St. Anthony-on-Hudson Seminary in New York.
He later pursued superior research in Rome, incomes a licentiate in Sacred Scripture on the prestigious Pontifical Biblical Institute.
Ordained a priest in 1975, Turkson rapidly confirmed management expertise. In 1992, he was appointed Archbishop of Cape Coast, and in 2003, Pope John Paul II made him a cardinal, turning into Ghana’s first.
Since then, Turkson has been an influential voice for the African Church, bringing consideration to problems with justice, peace, and human dignity.
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Identified for his heat persona, sharp thoughts, and multilingual skills. He speaks English, Fante, French, Italian, German, and Hebrew.
Turkson has usually been described as a “bridge-builder” between totally different cultures and traditions. In 2013, The Pill praised him as “one in all Africa’s most energetic church leaders.”
Throughout his time in Rome, Turkson held a number of key roles. He served as President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the place he spoke boldly about world inequality and the failures of contemporary capitalism.
He as soon as referred to as for the creation of a “world public authority” to supervise monetary markets, criticising the “idolatry of the market” and stressing the necessity for an “ethic of solidarity” amongst nations.
In 2016, Pope Francis appointed him the primary prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Growth, which is a significant Vatican division targeted on points like peace, migration, the setting, and financial justice.
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Turkson additionally acted as a papal envoy to distressed areas, together with Ivory Coast and South Sudan, the place he helped mediate throughout occasions of civil unrest.
Regardless of his spectacular resume, Turkson stays grounded. He’s usually seen smiling warmly and fascinating straight with folks, whether or not they’re world leaders or atypical parishioners.
His robust African roots and world outlook make him a compelling determine at a time when the Church is more and more targeted on the creating world.
Now, following the death of Pope Francis, Cardinal Turkson stands at a defining second. Ought to he be elected, he would grow to be the primary African pope in additional than 1,500 years.
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This can be a really historic occasion for the Catholic Church and for your entire African continent.
