Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga, C.S.Sp., Metropolitan Archbishop of Bangui (Central African Republic), was born on 14 March 1967 in Mbomou, in the diocese of Bangassou (Central African Republic). After primary school, he entered the Minor Seminary of Saint Louis of Bangassou and then the Saints Apôtres Major Seminary of Philosophy of Otélé, Cameroon, before continuing his studies at the Daniel Brottier Spiritan Major Seminary, in Libreville Gabon.

He made his first vows in the Congregation of the Spiritan Fathers on 8 September 1993 and his perpetual vows on 6 September 1997. He was ordained a priest on 9 August 1998. In the following years he obtained a licentiate in theology at the Jesuit’s Centre Sèvres in France. From 1998 to 2005, he was Chaplain of the orphans of the Fondation des Apprentis d’Auteuil and assistant priest at St. Jerôme, Marseille.

In 2005 he returned to Central Africa as regional superior of the Spiritan Fathers and served as parish priest in Bangui until 2009. From 2008 to 2009 he was president of the Conference of Major Superiors of Central Africa.

Since 2009 he has been Apostolic Administrator of Bangui, and on 14 May 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as Metropolitan Archbishop of Bangui. He received episcopal consecration on 22 July of the same year.

Since July 2013 he has served as president of the Episcopal Conference of the Central African Republic, and in that capacity participated in the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family in October 2014.

In November 2015 he welcomed Pope Francis to his diocese; in Bangui the Holy Father opened the first door of the Holy Year of Mercy.

Personally committed to the peace process in his country, in 2013 he participated, alongside the president of the Islamic Council and the president of the Evangelical Alliance in Bangui, in the foundation of the Interfaith Platform for Peace in Central Africa.

He is the youngest cardinal and the first from Central Africa.

He was created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the Consistory of 19 November 2016.

Member of:

• Dicasteries: for Evangelization; for Interreligious Dialogue.