Joseph Samedi

Joseph Samedi S.J. (born 20 December 1971) is a Central African Catholic prelate who was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangui, Central African Republic on 25 April 2026. Before that, from 6 August 2006 until 25 April 2026, he served as a priest of Jesuits Catholic Order. He was appointed bishop by Pope Leo XIV. His episcopal consecration took place at Bangui on 14 June 2026. He is a professed member of the Society of Jesus (S.J.), a Catholic Religious Order.

Background and education He was born on 20 December 1971 in Mongoumba, in the Diocese of Mbaïki, Lobaye Prefecture, Central African Republic. He studied for his novitiate in Bafoussam, Cameroon. He studied philosophy in the Saint-Pierre Canisius Faculty of Philosophy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. He studied in Chad, as part of his "Jesuit formation". He studied theology in Brussels, Belgium. He graduated with a licentiate in Church History from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.

Priest He was ordained a priest for the Jesuits on 6 August 2006. He served as a priest until 25 April 2026. While a priest he served in various roles and locations, including: