His Eminence Paul Zoungrana M. Afr. |
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Cardinal Zoungrana with Heinrich Lübke, 1966
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Archdiocese | Ouagadougou |
Appointed | February 22, 1965 |
Term ended | June 4, 2000 |
Other posts | Archbishop of Ouagadougou (April 8, 1960 – June 10, 1995) |
Orders | |
Ordination | May 2, 1942 |
Consecration | May 8, 1960 by Pope John XXIII |
Personal details | |
Born |
Ouagadougou, Upper Volta |
September 3, 1917
Died | June 4, 2000 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso |
(aged 82)
Nationality | Burkinabé |
Paul Zoungrana, MAfr (September 3, 1917 – June 4, 2000) was a Burkinabé Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Ouagadougou from 1960 to 1995, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1965.
Paul Zoungrana was born in Ouagadougou, Upper Volta (modern Burkina Faso). He studied at the minor seminary in Pabré and major seminary in Koumi, where he was ordained to the priesthood on May 2, 1942. Zoungrana, one of his country's first three priests, then did pastoral work in his native Ouagadougou until joining the Society of Missionaries of Africa on September 24, 1948, later taking his final vows in 1952 at Rome. From 1948 to 1953, he furthered his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, from where he obtained his doctorate in canon law; and the Catholic Institute of Paris. Zoungrana taught canon law at the seminary of Koumi, whilst again carrying out his pastoral ministry in Ouagadougou, from 1954 to 1959. He then served as Director of the Social Information Center until 1960.
On April 8, 1960, Zoungrana was appointed Archbishop of Ouagadougou by Pope John XXIII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 8 from Pope John XXIII himself, with Bishops Napoléon-Alexandre La Brie and Fulton J. Sheen serving as co-consecrators, in St. Peter's Basilica. Archbishop Zoungrana later attended the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965. With the assistance of Cardinals José Quintero Parra and José Bueno y Monreal, he delivered one of the closing messages of the Council on December 8, 1965.Pope Paul VI created him Cardinal Priest of San Camillo de Lellis in the consistory of February 22, 1965. He was the first cardinal from Upper Volta, and the only one belonging to the White Fathers.