Jean-Pierre Kutwa

Jean-Pierre Kutwa (born 22 December 1945) is an Ivorian Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Abidjan from 2006 to 2024. Pope Francis made him a cardinal in 2014.

Biography 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.

Priesthood and Episcopate He was ordained a priest on 11 July 1971 by Cardinal Bernard Yago. Pope John-Paul II named him archbishop of the archdiocese of Gagnoa on 15 May 2001. He was consecrated bishop on 16 September by Cardinal Bernard Agré, Archbishop of Abidjan.

In May 2006, Pope Benedict XVI transferred him to the metropolitan see of Abidjan to succeed the retiring Cardinal Agré. In January 2012, speaking on behalf of the National Forum of Religious Groups, he called for Alassane 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.

Kutwa served as vice-president of the Regional Episcopal Conference of Francophone West Africa.

Cardinal 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. He was created Cardinal-Priest of Santa Emerenziana a Tor Fiorenza in February 2014.

In September 2014, he was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

He participated as a cardinal elector in the 2025 papal conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.