Isidore de Souza

Isidore de Souza (4 April 1934 – 13 March 1999) was a Beninese priest who was Archbishop of Cotonou from 1990 to 1999.

He was born into the aristocratic De Souza family of Ouidah on 4 April 1934. He was the uncle of Chantal Yayi, who served as First Lady of Benin from 2006 to 2016, and the late Marcel Alain de Souza (1953–2019), a banker and former President of the ECOWAS Commission.[1]

De Souza went on to study in Abidjan and Rome.[2] He was ordained a priest on 8 July 1962. De Souza was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Cotonou on 17 July 1981 and became Archbishop on 27 December 1990.[3] He led the National Conference in February 1990, which was convened to address economic issues but returned Benin to democracy. He was instrumental in preventing the army from disbanding it.[4] De Souza served as the chairman of the High Council of the Republic from 28 February 1990 to 31 March 1991,[5] setting up the presidential election and a new constitution. He persuaded President Mathieu Kerekou to accept the decisions of the council and return Benin to civilian rule.[2] De Souza was the chairman of the Regional Episcopal Conference of Francophone West Africa from 1997 to his death.[6] He died on 13 March 1999 in Ouidah.[2]

Notes
  1. Duhem, Vince (2016-04-20). "Bénin : Marcel de Souza, à la fois proche de Thomas Boni Yayi et de Patrice Talon". Jeune Afrique. Archived from the original on 2016-08-28. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
  2. Houngnikpo & Decalo 2013, p. 139
  3. Isidore de Souza Catholic Hierarchy
  4. Houngnikpo & Decalo 2013, p. 109
  5. https://assemblee-nationale.bj/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Histoire-et-patrimoine.pdf
  6. Nouveau visage et nouveau nom pour le site de l'Eglise catholique en France Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine (in French)

References
  • Houngnikpo, Mathurin; Decalo, Samuel (2013). Historical Dictionary of Benin. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0810871717.


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