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Apostolic Administrator of Ivory Coast’s Gagnoa Archdiocese Appointed Local Ordinary of Same Metropolitan See

Silas Isenjia

By Silas Isenjia

Gagnoa, 08 April, 2025 / 8:49 pm (ACI Africa).

Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Jean-Jacques Koffi Oi Koffi of Ivory Coast’s San Pedro Catholic Diocese, who has been doubling as the Apostolic Administrator of the country’s Gagnoa Catholic Archdiocese as the Local Ordinary of the same Metropolitan See.

The appointment of Bishop Koffi was made public by the Holy See Press Office on Tuesday, April 8.

The Ivorian Catholic Bishop was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Gagnoa following the  4 October 2023 resignation of Archbishop Joseph Yapo Aké at the age of 72. 

While the Vatican announcement of Archbishop Aké’s resignation did not include reasons for the decision, a 4 October 2023 report by La Croix hinted to protests from a section of the Clergy, who accused the Catholic Archbishop of “financial and human resource mismanagement”. 

Archbishop Roger Houngbedji of Benin’s Cotonou Catholic Archdiocese was commissioned for Apostolic Visitation to the Ivorian Metropolitan See, the La Croix report further indicated.

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The newly appointed Archbishop was born on 22 March 1962 in Bongouanou. He was ordained a Priest for the Catholic Diocese of Abengourou in August 1990.

As a Priest, the holder of a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Urban University in Rome served in various positions, including Parochial Vicar and Diocesan Head of Children's Catechesis; Parish Priest; Vicar General and Spiritual Assistant of the Christian Families Association; and President of the Diocesan Ecclesiastical Tribunal of First Instance.

The Ivorian Archbishop-elect started his Episcopal Ministry in December 2003 as Bishop of native Diocese of Abengourou. He was transferred to the Diocese of San Pedro-en-Côte-d’Ivoire in January 2009.

Once installed, Bishop Koffi will become the sixth Archbishop of the 19,949-square-kilometer Metropolitan See with an estimated population of 2,589,000, of which 515,800 are Catholics, representing 19.9 percent of the total population, according to 2023 statistics. 

Erected as Diocese of Daloa in June 1956 before being elevated to a Metropolitan See in December 1994, Gagnoa Archdiocese has Daloa, Man, and San Pedro-en-Côte d’Ivoire as Suffragan Dioceses.

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Silas Isenjia

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.

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