26 Facts About Peter Turkson

Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson was born on 11 October 1948 and is a Ghanaian Catholic prelate who has served as chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences since 2022.

Peter Turkson was president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace from 2009 to 2017 and the inaugural prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development from 2017 to 2021.

Peter Turkson has been viewed as papabile, a candidate for election to the papacy, both during the 2013 papal conclave which elected Pope Francis, as well as during the events leading up to the upcoming 2025 papal conclave.

Peter Turkson is an ethnic Fante and was born in Wassa Nsuta in Western Ghana to a Methodist Protestant mother and a Roman Catholic father.

Peter Turkson's mother sold vegetables in the open market while his father worked as a carpenter.

Peter Turkson had a paternal uncle who was a Muslim.

Peter Turkson was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop John Amissah on 20 July 1975.

Peter Turkson did pastoral work in a parish annexed to the seminary.

On 6 October 1992, Peter Turkson was appointed Archbishop of Cape Coast by Pope John Paul II.

Peter Turkson received his episcopal consecration on 27 March 1993 from Archbishop Dominic Kodwo Andoh, with Archbishops Peter Poreku Dery and Peter Kwasi Sarpong serving as co-consecrators.

Peter Turkson served as President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference from 1997 to 2005, and as Chancellor of the Catholic University College of Ghana beginning in 2003.

Peter Turkson is the first Ghanaian cardinal and was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the papal conclave of 2005 that elected Pope Benedict XVI and the papal conclave of 2013 that elected Pope Francis.

Peter Turkson is a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church and, since 4 March 2010, the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses.

On 12 June 2012, Peter Turkson was appointed a member of the Congregation for Catholic Education.

Since 2009, Peter Turkson had been president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

In October 2011, Peter Turkson called for the establishment of a "global public authority" and a "central world bank" to rule over financial institutions that have become outdated and often ineffective in dealing fairly with crises.

Peter Turkson's text was very specific, calling for taxation measures on financial transactions.

Peter Turkson traveled to Juba to support the archbishop and to meet with the country's leaders.

Peter Turkson carried with him a letter from Francis for President Salva Kiir and one for Vice President Riek Machar who are historic enemies and represent different ethnic groups.

Ahead of the World Meeting of Families 2018 in Dublin, Peter Turkson was announced as homilist at the opening ceremony at the Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow.

Peter Turkson speaks English, Fante, French, Italian, German, and Hebrew, in addition to understanding Latin and Greek.

Peter Turkson said that the quality of condoms in Africa is poor, their use would engender false confidence.

Peter Turkson said that the money being spent on condoms should instead be spent on providing anti-retroviral drugs to those already infected.

Peter Turkson has affirmed that in certain circumstances natural family planning can be used.

Peter Turkson has endorsed anti-sodomy laws, in particular the Ugandan legislation on sodomy, though has condemned legislation criminalizing LGBTQ identities.

Peter Turkson stated that bad political leadership and exploitation of differences between many Africans has led to a lack of peace and justice in Africa.