Pope names successor to 59-year-old Central African cardinal—reportedly after investigation by Cardinal Sarah
April 27, 2026
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CWN Editor's Note: In a highly unusual move, Pope Leo XIV appointed a coadjutor archbishop for a 59-year-old African cardinal.
Father Joseph Samedi, S.J., the Jesuit superior in the Central African Republic, will become the new archbishop of Bangui, the nation’s capital, upon the resignation of Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga, C.S.Sp.
Corbeau News Centrafrique, a local news site, reported that the apostolic nuncio requested Cardinal Nzapalainga’s resignation following an investigation conducted by Cardinal Robert Sarah in February at Pope Leo’s behest.
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