Five Newly Ordained Deacons in Ivory Coast Urged to Live Humble, Prayerful Lives

Abidjan, 22 September, 2025 / 6:23 PM

Jean-Pierre Cardinal Kutwa has urged the five Seminarians he ordained Deacons on September 20 in the Catholic Diocese of Man in Ivory Coast to live humble and prayerful lives.

In his homily during the Diaconate Ordination of Donatien Koné, Abel Christian Baba Yao, Michaël Désiré Kouakou, Williams Troh Boua, and Martial Kpan, the Archbishop emeritus of Ivory Coast’s Abidjan Catholic Archdiocese underscored the need for intimacy with Jesus.

“The Diaconate, like the Priesthood, is not and will never be a promotion, an elevation to the point that once one reaches these Orders, one believes everything is won,” Cardinal Kutwa said during the Eucharistic celebration that was held at St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral of Man Diocese.

Taking the example of the branch that bears no fruit recounted in John 15, the Cardinal encouraged the Deacons-elect to embrace humility. 

“You must accept to be pruned, cut back, like the branch that bears no fruit. This requires a strong dose of humility; without it, your life and ministry will be very difficult,” the Apostolic Administrator of Man Diocese said.

Cardinal Kutwa encouraged the Deacons-elect to make prayer their guiding principle to live their intimacy with the person of Jesus Christ. 

“Only sincere and trusting prayer allows you to maintain this link, which is vital for your life and future ministry. For Clerics like you, prayer is one of the fundamental choices that cannot be neglected under any pretext,” the Catholic Church leader said.

He continued, “We must find time for this essential practice: recitation of the office, personal and communal prayer, the rosary, and personal devotions are all bonds to be integrated into your schedule.”

Cardinal Kutwa also reminded the Deacons-elect that the Catholic Clergy’s identity is reflected in his attire.

“Dear sons, we have an identity to defend in a world where ‘Clothes don't make the monk.’ It is therefore up to us, the Consecrated, to show that even if this seems true, a monk can still be recognized as such without his clothes, and this is an obligation,” he said.

For Cardinal Kutwa, “The Priest must wear ecclesiastical attire worthy of the standards indicated by the Episcopal Conference and legitimate local customs. This means that when the attire is not a cassock, it must differ from the way laypeople dress and be in accordance with the dignity and sacredness of the ministry.”

He called on family members, and the Laity to support the Deacons-elect, saying, “Watch over your Deacons; help them! Let your critiques not be vain or sterile, bordering on slander. These Deacons are a treasure.”

Still addressing family members and other Laity, he described the Deacons-elect as “a treasure that the Lord places in your hands like eggs to hatch. Your responsibility is engaged just as theirs is. I urge you to respect and ensure respect for what they are becoming among you and for you. The Lord will reward you.”

Speaking on behalf of his fellow Deacons before the final blessing, Deacon Michaël Désiré Kouakou thanked the Local ordinary, Bishop Gaspard Bébi Gnéba, Cardinal Kutwa, all their formators, and family members.

“We give thanks to the Lord for all His blessings at this stage of our vocational journey. Indeed, it is not by our merit that we have been associated with the ministry of the Diaconate, and we commit ourselves to faithfully serve the Christian people in all humility,” Deacon Kouakou said.

He implored humility, describing it as “the virtue with which we will carry out our ministry as Deacons in a healthy and effective way.”