Summary: Cardinal Peter Turkson’s Background
Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, born October 11, 1948, in Nsuta-Wassaw, Ghana, is a prominent Catholic leader of Fante descent, fluent in six languages. Raised in a religiously diverse family, he was ordained a priest in 1975 after studying in Ghana and New York, later earning a licentiate in Sacred Scripture from Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute.
Turkson served as Archbishop of Cape Coast (1992–2009) and became Ghana’s first cardinal in 2003. He held key Vatican roles, including President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (2009–2017), Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (2017–2021), and Chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences (2022–present).
Known for advocating social justice, climate action, and interreligious dialogue, Turkson proposed a global financial authority in 2011 and supports decriminalizing homosexuality. A papabile in the 2013 conclave, he remains a potential candidate for the papacy. His work includes conflict mediation, liturgical catechesis, and promoting integral human development, earning him global recognition and honors like Ghana’s Order of the Star.
