Philippe Stevens Explained

Honorific Prefix:His Excellency, the Most Reverend
Philippe Stevens
Honorific Suffix:PFE
Bishop of Maroua-Mokolo
Archdiocese:Garoua
Diocese:Maroua-Mokolo
Appointed:-->
Term Start:11 November 1994
Term End:5 April 2014
Retired:-->
Predecessor:Jacques de Bernon
Ordination:13 July 1980
Ordained By:Jacques de Bernon
Consecration:15 January 1995
Birth Name:Philippe Albert Joseph Stevens
Birth Date:30 March 1937
Birth Place:Quaregnon, Belgium
Death Place:Nyons, France
Tomb:-->
Nationality:Belgian

Philippe Albert Joseph Stevens, PFE (30 March 1937 – 7 December 2021) was a Belgian Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Maroua-Makolo from 1994 to 2014.[1] He was a member of the Little Brothers of the Gospel.

Biography

Born on 30 March 1937 in Quaregnon, Stevens was the seventh child in a family of nine children.[2] Raised as a devout Catholic, he attended the Catholic University of Leuven. He earned a degree in philosophy in 1965 and three years later joined the Little Brothers of the Gospel. In the 1960s, he arrived in Cameroon, starting in, where he became a missionary under the leadership of . He was then ordained a priest on 13 July 1980 by Jacques de Bernon, who was then Bishop of Maroua-Makolo.[3] In 1994, de Bernon retired and was succeeded by Stevens on 11 November of that year.[3] He was consecrated on 15 January 1995 by .[2] On 5 April 2014, Pope Francis accepted his resignation on the grounds of age.[4] During his time as Bishop, he was dedicated to interreligious dialogue between Christians and Muslims.[5]

Stevens died on 7 December 2021, at the age of 84.[6]

Notes and References

  1. News: Djialeu. Armand. 7 December 2021. Nécrologie: Mgr Philippe Stevens, l’ancien évêque de Maroua – Mokolo est mort. French. Actu Cameroun. 8 December 2021.
  2. Web site: Bishop Philippe Albert Joseph Stevens, P.F.E. †. Catholic-Hierarchy.
  3. Book: Messina, Jean-Paul. van Slageren. Jaap. 2005. Histoire du christianisme au Cameroun: des origines à nos jours. French. Karthala.
  4. News: 8 April 2014. Diocèse de Maroua: Mgr Philippe Stevens dit avoir renoncé pour «des raisons de santé». French. Journal du Cameroun. 8 December 2021.
  5. News: 7 October 2016. Le ministère de Mgr Philippe Stevens au Cameroun. French. Journal du Cameroun. 8 December 2021.
  6. News: 8 December 2021. Nécrologie : Mgr Philippe Stevens n’est plus. French. Cameroun Actuel. 8 December 2021.