The Vatican has announced the appointment of Matthew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, as a Member of the Council of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in Vatican City.
The appointment, conveyed in an official letter addressed to Bishop Kukah, and made public by Fr Pascal Salifu, the Sokoto Diocesan Director of Communications, was approved by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
With this elevation, Kukah joins an elite global body of Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops tasked with shaping the Catholic Church’s response to some of the world’s most pressing social challenges. His tenure on the Council is for a five-year term.
Among other distinguished members of the Council are Cardinal Robert Walter McElroy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, and Fulgence Muteba Mugalu of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development is one of the Vatican’s most strategic departments, overseeing critical thematic areas central to Catholic Social Teaching, including environmental protection, human rights, migration, social justice, and ethical governance.
Notably, Bishop Kukah is not new to the Council. He was first appointed in 2022 following its reconstitution by Pope Francis, underscoring the Vatican’s continued confidence in his intellectual depth and moral authority.
Kukah’s longstanding service to the universal Church spans decades. He was first appointed in 1996 by Pope John Paul II to serve on the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, a role he held for ten years following a reappointment in 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI. He also participated in the historic Vatican delegation to Qatar in 2005 during the establishment of diplomatic relations.
In 2018, Kukah was further appointed by Pope Francis to serve on the Advisory Board of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, where he contributed to advancing global interfaith engagement until 2025.
In a related development, the Council also announced the appointment of Emmanuel Okechukwu, Director of Health Services at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, who will serve alongside clergy, religious, and lay experts to strengthen the Council’s work.
Reacting to his appointment, Bishop Kukah expressed deep gratitude, describing the opportunity as both humbling and challenging.
“I thank the Holy Father immensely for this opportunity to serve the Church at this level,” he said. “The thematic areas of the Dicastery align closely with my research and pastoral interests. I look forward to contributing to infusing Catholic values into public life, especially in a world increasingly wounded by human greed.”
Kukah’s latest appointment is widely seen as a significant recognition of Nigeria’s growing influence within the global Catholic Church, as well as a testament to his enduring voice on issues of justice, governance, and human dignity.
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