Catholic Archbishop of Cape Coast
Ghana's First Cardinal

Cardinal-designate Turkson is a member of several Vatican bodies: the Methodist Catholic Dialogue (since 1997), the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (since 2002) and the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Goods of the Church (since 2002).

He is the treasurer of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), which is the continental body of bishops' conferences in Africa.

In Ghana, he is the chancellor of the Catholic University College of Ghana. He is also a member of the University Council of the University of Ghana, Legon; the National Sustainable Development Council of the Ministry of Environment; the board of directors of the Central Regional Development Committee; and the board of trustees of the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Educational Fund.

After studies at the St. Teresa's Minor Seminary at Amisano and the St. Peter's Regional Seminary at Pedu, he was ordained as priest in July 1975 by Archbishop John Kodwo Amissah, whom he succeeded.

He did a licentiate at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome from 1976 to 1980, and then from 1987 to 1992, he studied for the doctorate degree at the same institute.

In addition to English and his native Fante, he also speaks French, Italian, German and Hebrew fluently, and has written knowledge of Latin and Greek.

The Cape Coast Archdiocese, which he heads, is the oldest in Ghana. The Catholic faith arrived at Elmina in 1482.

This initial mission died off, until 1880 when Father Auguste Moreau and Eugene Murat, both of the Society of African Missions, reintroduced the faith.