Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Archbishop emeritus of Cape Coast (Ghana), was born on 11 October 1948 in Nsuta-Wassaw, Ghana.He attended St. Teresa’s Seminary from 1962-1969 in Amisano and St. Peter’s Regional Seminary in Pedu from 1969-1971.
On 20 July 1975 he was ordained for the Archdiocese of Cape Coast .He then continued his studies in Rome at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, earning a license in Sacred Scripture (1976-1980), and then began work on his doctoral thesis (1987-1992). He also holds master degrees in Theology and Divinity from St. Anthony-on-Hudson, Conv. Franciscan Seminary, New York.From 1975-76 and 1980-1981 he served as staff member at St Theresa’s Seminary, and from 1981-1987 as staff member at St Peter’s Seminary. He was Acting Chaplain and Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast (1984-1986) and Visiting Lecturer at the Catholic Major Seminary, Anyama, Ivory Coast (1983-1986). He has been a Chancellor of the Catholic University College of Ghana since 2003.