Peter Turkson: 6 Things to Know About Ghana’s Cardinal and Papal Contender

• Ghana's Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson has once again become Africa's leading papal contender
• Cardinal Peter Turkson has been regarded as one of the Church's most powerful figures from Africa, where Christianity is rapidly expanding and where some people think the next Pope may be born
• Turkson has served as the chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences at the moment

The Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday at his residence in the Casa Santa Marta within Vatican City, setting in motion the process to select his successor.

Cardinals from 71 different countries have assembled in the Sistine Chapel to cast their votes for the next pope.

Many individuals from various nations pray in the pews of Roman Catholic churches in the northwest of England, which is the most Catholic area outside of London.

One of the leading candidates for the pope is Cardinal Peter Turkson, a Ghanaian clergyman who might become the first Black Pope.

Early life and family of Cardinal Peter Turkson

Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, who is of Fante ethnicity, was born on October 11, 1948, in Wassa Nsuta, Western Ghana, to a Catholic father and a Methodist mother.

He is the fourth of ten children, and his mother sold vegetables, while his father was a talented carpenter. According to reports, one of his paternal uncles was Muslim.

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Cardinal Peter Turkson's educational background

From 1962 to 1969, he attended St. Teresa's Seminary in Amisano, and from 1969 to 1971, he attended St. Peter's Regional Seminary in Pedu, Cape Coast.

He subsequently pursued his education at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, where he obtained a licence in Sacred Scripture from 1976 and 1980. From 1987 to 1992, he worked on his PhD thesis.

In addition to knowing Latin and Greek, Turkson is fluent in English, Fante, French, Italian, German, and Hebrew.

Cardinal Peter Turkson's priesthood

He worked as a staff member at St. Theresa's Seminary from 1975–1976 and 1980–1981, and St. Peter's Seminary from 1981–1987.

He served as the University of Cape Coast's Acting Chaplain and Lecturer from 1984 to 1986. From 1983 to 1986, he was a visiting lecturer at the Catholic Major Seminary in Anyama, Ivory Coast. Since 2003, he has served as the Catholic University College of Ghana's chancellor.

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Cardinal Peter Turkson's episcopal career

On October 6, 1992, Pope John Paul II named Turkson Archbishop of Cape Coast. Archbishop Dominic Kodwo Andoh consecrated him as an ecclesiastical leader on March 27, 1993.

Archbishops Peter Kwasi Sarpong and Peter Poreku Dery co-consecrated him. In addition to serving as Chancellor of the Catholic University College of Ghana from 2003 to 2005, he was President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference from 1997 to 2005.

Cardinal Peter Turkson was the first cardinal from Ghana and one of the cardinal electors who took part in the papal conclaves in 2005, which elected Pope Benedict XVI, and in 2013, which elected Pope Francis.

Roman curia

Cardinal Peter Turkson was named Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace by Pope Benedict XVI on October 24, 2009.

The creation of a "global public authority" and a "central world bank" to oversee financial institutions that are out-of-date and frequently incapable of handling crises equitably was what Turkson demanded in October 2011.

Pope Francis dispatched Turkson as his special envoy to South Sudan in 2016 with the goals of promoting peace, calling for an end to the country's conflict, and fostering communication and mutual trust between the warring factions.

Pope Francis appointed him chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on April 4, 2022.

Papabile status

Cardinal Peter Turkson was mentioned by the media as a potential contender for the pope when Pope Benedict XVI's anticipated departure was announced on February 11, 2013.

As of April 23, 2025, Turkson was once more viewed as papabile following the passing of Pope Francis and the start of the 2025 papal conclave in May 2025.

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Old video of Cardinal Turkson emerges

Earlier, YEN.com.gh wrote about the debate regarding who will take over as the Catholic Church's next head after the demise of Pope Francis.

In an old video, Cardinal Peter Turkson was shown endorsing the notion that a Black or African person may become pope.

He explained the procedures that have been put in place to guarantee that any Cardinal as Pope may serve effectively.

Source: YEN.com.gh