He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Cape Coast on 20 July 1975 and did doctoral studies in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome. He taught at St Theresa’s Minor Seminary and St Peter’s Major Seminary.

 

On 6 October 1992 he was appointed Archbishop of Cape Coast and ordained on 27 March 1993, and he was created and proclaimed Cardinal by St. John Paul II in the Consistory of 21 October 2003, of the Title of San Liborio (St. Liborius). Cardinal Turkson was President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (1997-2005) and member of the Pontifical Commission for Methodist-Catholic Dialogue; Chancellor of the Catholic University College of Ghana; member of the National Sustainable Development, Ministry of Environment; member of the Board of Directors of the Central Regional Development Committee and treasurer of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).

 

He is a member of the Congregations for the Doctrine of the Faith, for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and for the Evangelization of Peoples; of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and for the Cultural Heritage of the Church; and of the XII Ordinary Council of the Secretariat General of the Synod of Bishops. He attended the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, Vatican City, 10 April to 8 May 1994; the 9th Ordinary General Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops, Vatican City, 2-29 October 1994; the 11th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Vatican City, 2-23 October 2005 and the 12th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Vatican City, 5-26 October 2008. General Relator of the 2nd Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, "The Church in Africa, at the Service of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace. 'You are the salt of the earth, ... you are the light of the world'" (4-25 October 2009).

 

On 24 October 2009, Pope Benedict XVI named him President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and Pope Francis reconfirmed him in this position in 2013. Cardinal Turkson has been appointed by Pope Francis as first Prefect of the new Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.