Pope Appoints Bishop Kukah to Prestigious Vatican Role

Bishop Hassan Kukah, who oversees the Diocese of Sokoto, has been appointed to the Council of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development in Vatican City by Pope Leo IV.

A communication from Pascal Salifu, Director of Communications for the Diocese of Sokoto, revealed that the Pope notified Mr. Kukah of his new appointment via a letter.

This letter was officially signed by Cardinal Peter Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State. With this role, Mr. Kukah will collaborate with notable Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops from various regions around the world during his five-year term on the Council.

The Dicastery is tasked with addressing pivotal issues aligned with the Catholic Church’s Social Teachings, which encompass areas such as environmental matters, human rights, migration, human development, and social ethics.

Mr. Kukah will serve alongside prominent figures including Cardinal Walter McElroy, the Archbishop of Washington; Cardinal Matteo Zuppi from Bologna; Cardinal Conrad Krajewski of Poland; and Archbishop Fulgence Mugalu from Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Previously, Mr. Kukah was part of the Council when it was reconstituted by Pope Francis in 2022. His extensive history with the Vatican includes appointments initiated by Pope John Paul II in 1996 and his subsequent reappointment by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 to serve on the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue for a decade. He represented the Vatican in its diplomatic engagement with Qatar when relations were established in 2005 and has been involved with the Advisory Board of the King Abdulazeez International Council for Interreligious Dialogue (KAICIID) from 2018 to 2025.

Additionally, the Council announced the inclusion of Dr. Emmanuel Okechukwu, Director of Health Services at the Catholic Secretariat, who will join Mr. Kukah and other Priests, Religious, and Laity in providing their expertise to the Council's initiatives.

Upon receiving his appointment, Mr. Kukah expressed his humility and gratitude towards the Pope for the opportunity to serve the Church. He indicated that the focus areas of the Dicastery align seamlessly with his scholarly and pastoral interests and expressed his eagerness to promote Catholic values within public life in an increasingly challenged world marked by human avarice.

Fr Pascal Salifu

Director of Communications,

Diocese of Sokoto.

March 31, 2026.