Michael Kpakala Francis
Michael Kpakala Francis | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop Emeritus of Monrovia, Liberia (Deceased) | |
_Michael_Kpakala_Francis.jpg) Francis in 1992 | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia |
| See | Monrovia |
| Appointed | 19 December 1981 |
| Installed | 19 December 1981 |
| Term ended | 12 February 2011 |
| Predecessor | Francis Malachy Carroll |
| Successor | Lewis Jerome Zeigler |
| Other post(s) | Apostolic Vicar of Monrovia, Liberia (28 October 1976 - 19 Dec 1981) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 4 August 1963 by Nicholas Grimley |
| Consecration | 19 December 1976 by Francis Malachy Carroll |
| Rank | Archbishop |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Kpakala Francis February 12, 1936 |
| Died | 19 May 2013 (aged 77) |
| Styles of Michael Kpakala Francis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | His Lordship |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Michael Kpakala Francis (12 February 1936 – 19 May 2013) was a Liberian prelate of the Catholic Church who led the Apostolic Vicariate of Monrovia from 1976 to 1981 and then served as the first Archbishop of the newly established Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia from 1981 to 2011. He retired from pastoral care on 12 February 2011, having attained the mandatory retirement age of 75 years for Catholic bishops. He died on 19 May 2013, three months following his 77th birthday.
Biography
[edit]Michael Kpakala Francis was born on 12 February 1936 in Kakata District, Liberia. He was ordained a priest on 4 August 1963.
On 28 October 1976, Pope John Paul II appointed him titular bishop of Ausuccura and Apostolic Vicar of Monrovia.[1] He received his episcopal consecration on 19 December 1976 from his predecessor, Francis Carroll.[2]
On 19 December 1981, Pope John Paul appointed him the first Archbishop of the newly created Archdiocese of Monrovia.[3]
He suffered a stroke in 2004 that left him paralyzed and unable to speak, using a wheelchair to move.[4] Andrew J. Karnley was named apostolic administrator to help manage the affairs of the Archdiocese.[5] Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation on 12 February 2011.[6][a]
He was the first priest and bishop to institute the Catholic Justice and Peace Council (J.P.C.) in Liberia. This council was organized to defend human rights and civil liberty in the war-ravaged country under then-President Charles Taylor. In 1996, after the famous 6 April fracas in Monrovia, the bishop decided to close all Catholic schools because he felt Catholic institutions (including Radio Veritas) were targeted by fighters loyal to Taylor. The bishop later reconsidered his decision in 1997, after a public outcry.
He died on 19 May 2013 following an illness.[4]
Francis was a recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in 1999, given each year to an individual whose courageous activism is at the heart of the human rights movement and in the spirit of Robert F. Kennedy's vision and legacy.[5]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Karnley had been appointed Bishop of Cape Palmas a month earlier.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXVIII. 1976. p. 743. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ "Monseigneur Francis Malachy Carroll". Society of African Missions. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXXIV. 1982. p. 246. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ a b Daygbor, E. J. Nathaniel (20 May 2013). "Liberia: Archbishop Michael Francis Is Dead". AllAfrica. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ a b "Robert F Kennedy Center Laureate". Archived from the original on 31 March 2014.
- ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 12.02.2011" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 12 February 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 05.01.2011" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- Additional sources
- Weinstein, Tim (13 September 2003). "The Saturday Profile: Peace and Reason Amid Chaos, a Balm for Pain". New York Times.
External links
[edit]
- 1936 births
- 2013 deaths
- Liberian Roman Catholic archbishops
- 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Africa
- 21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Africa
- People from Monrovia
- People from Margibi County
- Presidents of Inter-territorial Catholic Bishops' Conference of The Gambia and Sierra Leone
- Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award laureates
- Roman Catholic archbishops of Monrovia
- Roman Catholic bishops of Monrovia