Isidore de Souza explained

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]

References

Notes and References

  1. News: Vince . Duhem . Bénin : Marcel de Souza, à la fois proche de Thomas Boni Yayi et de Patrice Talon . . 2016-04-20 . 2021-08-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160828011356/https://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/318546/economie/benin-marcel-de-souza-a-proche-de-thomas-boni-yayi-de-patrice-talon/ . 2016-08-28 . live.
  2. Houngnikpo & Decalo 2013, p. 139
  3. http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bdesouzai.html Isidore de Souza
  4. Houngnikpo & Decalo 2013, p. 109
  5. https://assemblee-nationale.bj/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Histoire-et-patrimoine.pdf
  6. http://www.cef.fr/catho/espacepresse/communiques/1999/commu03.php Nouveau visage et nouveau nom pour le site de l'Eglise catholique en France