He emphasized his desire to lead the people of God with humility and focus on the Gospel, saying, “I have made the resolution to do all I can so that the Gospel continues to be proclaimed. The love of my Priests, of Women and Men Religious, and of the laity will be for me a testimony of life.”
The Ivorian Archbishop-elect is to shepherd the people of God in Gagnoa Archdiocese that has been vacant since 4 October 2023 following the 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.
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.
