Dieudonné Nzapalainga

His Eminence Dieudonné Nzapalainga C.S.Sp.
Cardinal, Archbishop of Bangui
Nzapalainga on 16 August 2014.
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Bangui
See	Bangui
Appointed	14 May 2012
Installed	29 July 2012
Predecessor	Paulin Pomodimo
Other posts	President of the Central African Episcopal Conference (2013-) Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Andrea della Valle
Orders
Ordination	9 August 1998
Consecration	22 July 2012 by Fernando Filoni
Created Cardinal	19 November 2016 by Pope Francis
Rank	Cardinal Priest
Personal details
Birth name	Dieudonné Nzapalainga
Born	14 March 1967 Bangassou, Central African Republic
Previous post	Apostolic Administrator of Bangui (2009-2012)
Motto	"A l'image de Dieu I'l les crea" (Ad Imaginem dei Creavit Illum) (In the Image of God He created them)

Ordination history of Dieudonné Nzapalainga
Priestly ordination
Date of ordination	9 August 1998
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecrator	Fernando Filoni
Co-consecrators	Jude Thaddeus Okolo Edouard Mathos
Date of consecration	22 July 2012
Cardinalate
Elevated by	Pope Francis
Date of elevation	19 November 2016
Bishops consecrated by Dieudonné Nzapalainga as principal consecrator
Zbigniew Tadeusz Kusy	15 August 2014

Styles of Dieudonne Nzapalainga
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal

Dieudonné Nzapalainga (born 14 March 1967) is a Roman Catholic cardinal and the current Archbishop of Bangui in the Central African Republic and a professed member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. Nzapalainga served as the apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Bangui from 2009 until mid-2012 when Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as its metropolitan archbishop; since 2013 he serves as the President of the Central African Episcopal Conference.^[1]

When Pope Francis made Nzapalainga a cardinal on 19 November 2016 he became the youngest cardinal and the first born after the Second Vatican Council.

Life

Dieudonné Nzapalainga was born in Bangassou on 14 March 1967.

After he completed his secondary schooling he commenced his period of formation with the Spiritans and began his time as a postulant at Otéle in Cameroon. Nzapalainga underwent his philosophical studies at Libreville in Gabon and his novitiate with the order in Mbalmayo in Cameroon while later undergoing theological studies in France.^[1] He professed his initial vows into the order on 8 September 1993 and later made his perpetual profession on 6 September 1997; he was later elevated to the diaconate the following day. He was later ordained to the priesthood on 9 August 1998 in Bangassou.

The new priest began his pastoral mission in Marseille in France and worked as a chaplain at the Saint Francis de Sales house there while also ministering at the parish of Saint Jerome. In total he served in France from 1998 until 2005 when he returned to the Central African Republic. In March 2006 he was appointed as the Regional Superior for his region of the order and remained as such until 2008.^[1]

Nzapalainga became the apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Bangui following the resignation of Paulin Pomodimo and remained as such until mid-2012.^[1] Pope Benedict XVI - on 14 May 2012 - appointed him as the Archbishop of Bangui and he later received his episcopal consecration on 22 July 2012 from Cardinal Fernando Filoni before being installed in his new archdiocese on 29 July 2012.^[2]

Nzapalainga was elevated to the rank of Cardinal Priest at a consistory held on 19 November 2016. He was assigned the titular church of Sant'Andrea della Valle.^[3] He became the youngest member of the College of Cardinals.

References

1. "Fr. Dieudonné NZAPALAINGA, Archbishop of Bangui (RCA)". Spiritans. 7 June 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
2. "Archbishop Dieudonné Nzapalainga, C.S.Sp.". Catholic Hierarchy. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
3. "Titular churches and diaconates of the new cardinals, 19.11.2016" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 19 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.

External links

• Catholic Hierarchy
• Profile