Bernard Yago was born in
Pass,
Yopougon, and studied at the
seminary in
Abidjan before being
ordained to the
priesthood on 1 May 1947, the second African priest to do so after
Rene Kouassi. He then served as a
professor at the
Minor Seminary of
Bingerville and as director of the Pre-
Seminary École de Petit Clerics until 1956, whence he began
pastoral work in Abidjan until 1957. Yago furthered his studies at the
Catholic Institute of Paris from 1957 to 1959. Upon his return to
Côte d'Ivoire, he was Counselor of
Catholic Action in Abidjan from until 1960. On 5 April 1960, Yago was appointed
Archbishop of Abidjan by
Pope John XXIII. He received his
episcopal consecration on the following 8 May from Pope John himself, with Bishops Napoléon-Alexandre Labrie,
CIM and
Fulton John Sheen serving as
co-consecrators, in
St. Peter's Basilica. Yago attended the
Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965, and sat on the Council's
Central Preparatory Commission.
Pope John Paul II made him
Cardinal-Priest of
San Crisogono in the
consistory of 2 February 1983. Yago, who was the first cardinal from Côte d'Ivoire, resigned his post as Archbishop on 19 December 1994, after 34 years. He lost the right to participate in a
papal conclave upon reaching the age of eighty in July 1996. Cardinal Yago died in Abidjan at age 81. He is buried in the
metropolitan cathedral of Abidjan. == Legacy ==