Jean-Pierre Kutwa was born on 22 December 1945 at Blockhauss, in the Archdiocese of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. After the minor seminary at Bingerville and theological studies at Anyama, he was ordained a priest on 11 July 1971. He served at St Paul's Cathedral in the Plateau district, as chaplain to Catholic students and as national director of Catholic works, then as cathedral parish priest from 1978 to 1985. A biblical scholar, he took a master's in biblical theology at the Catholic Institute of West Africa (1982) and a doctorate at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome (1985), and taught Sacred Scripture at the Anyama seminary.
On 7 July 1997 he was gravely injured in a car accident and nearly died, returning to his parish in February 1998. On 15 May 2001 he was appointed Archbishop of Gagnoa, and on 2 May 2006 Archbishop of Abidjan, leading the Church of the capital through years of political crisis. He served the regional bishops' conference of West Africa as vice-president.
Pope Francis created him a cardinal on 22 February 2014, with the title of Sant'Emerenziana a Tor Fiorenza. Francis accepted his resignation as Archbishop of Abidjan on 20 May 2024.
Major Works & Initiatives
Archbishop of Abidjan
Eighteen years leading the Church in Ivory Coast's economic capital.
Archbishop of Gagnoa
His first archdiocese, in western Ivory Coast.
Vice-president of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa
Regional leadership among the francophone West African bishops.
Controversies
On the record
No significant public controversies reported.