Pope appoints Kukah to Vatican’s Pontifical Council

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Sokoto, as a member of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, Vatican City. The 13-member Council is the highest decision and policy-making body for the Council for the Holy Father.

The Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Fr. Sixtus Onuh, who confirmed the appointment  said that Kukah’s new appointment was an addition to others already bagged by him. It could be recalled that in May 2012, the President of the Conference of Bishops of English and French speaking West Africa announced Bishop Kukah’s appointment as the Chairman of the Commission on Culture, Inter-religious Dialogue and Ecumenism. Prior to this, in February 2012, he was elected Chairman of the Commission on Inter-religious Dialogue for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria.

Bishop Kukah had earlier served the Council in five-year tenure when His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze served as the President of the Council. He was also a delegate at the just-concluded Synod of Bishops for the New Evangelisation in the Vatican.

Bishop Kukah has been known for his good works in the area of inter-religious dialogue especially in mediating between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.