Former Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Conakry, Monsignor Raymond-Marie Tchidimbo C.S.Sp., was born on August 15, 1920, in Guinea, than a French Colony, and was ordained to the priesthood through the Congregation of the Holy Spirit - which he joined in 1949 - at 31 years of age on October 7, 1951.
Appointed Archbishop of Conakry at 41 years of age on March 10, 1962, by Pope John XXIII, following the retirement of Monsignor Gérard-Paul-Louis-Marie de Milleville C.S.Sp., Tchidimbo received his episcopal consecration on the following May 31, from Archbishop Hyancinthe Thiandoum, assisted by Archbishops Bernardin Gantin and Bernard Yago. The latter three would be elevated, at a later date, to the Sacred College of Cardinals.
Asked by Pope John XXIII to renew the dialogue with Communist Ahmed Sékou Touré, first President of Guinea, whose repressive system drove thousands of Guineans to their death, Tchidimbo was ultimately arrested in 1970, and condemned to life imprisonment. Transferred to the Boiro Camp, he penned his experiences which were later published under the title "'Le Noviciat d'un évêque : 8 ans et 8 mois de captivité sous Sékou Touré'', in 1987.
Released and expelled from Guinea on August 7, 1979, Pope John Paul II received him at Castelgandolfo a few days later. After several years in Rome, he lived in retirement at the Institut Notre-Dame de Vie, of Vénasque, village of Saint-Didier, Avignon, France, where he passed away on Saturday, March 26, 2011, aged 90.
Cardinal Robert Sarah, one time successor at the Archbishop at Conakry, presided his funeral Mass on Wednesday, March 30, at Notre-Dame de Vie at 15.10 hrs. Successively, his body was transferred to his native Guinea and interred in the presence of Monsignor Jean-Pierre Cattenoz, Archbishop of Avignon, on Saturday, April 2, in Conakry.
Appointed Archbishop of Conakry at 41 years of age on March 10, 1962, by Pope John XXIII, following the retirement of Monsignor Gérard-Paul-Louis-Marie de Milleville C.S.Sp., Tchidimbo received his episcopal consecration on the following May 31, from Archbishop Hyancinthe Thiandoum, assisted by Archbishops Bernardin Gantin and Bernard Yago. The latter three would be elevated, at a later date, to the Sacred College of Cardinals.
Asked by Pope John XXIII to renew the dialogue with Communist Ahmed Sékou Touré, first President of Guinea, whose repressive system drove thousands of Guineans to their death, Tchidimbo was ultimately arrested in 1970, and condemned to life imprisonment. Transferred to the Boiro Camp, he penned his experiences which were later published under the title "'Le Noviciat d'un évêque : 8 ans et 8 mois de captivité sous Sékou Touré'', in 1987.
Released and expelled from Guinea on August 7, 1979, Pope John Paul II received him at Castelgandolfo a few days later. After several years in Rome, he lived in retirement at the Institut Notre-Dame de Vie, of Vénasque, village of Saint-Didier, Avignon, France, where he passed away on Saturday, March 26, 2011, aged 90.
Cardinal Robert Sarah, one time successor at the Archbishop at Conakry, presided his funeral Mass on Wednesday, March 30, at Notre-Dame de Vie at 15.10 hrs. Successively, his body was transferred to his native Guinea and interred in the presence of Monsignor Jean-Pierre Cattenoz, Archbishop of Avignon, on Saturday, April 2, in Conakry.
Former Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Conakry, Monsignor Raymond-Marie Tchidimbo C.S.Sp., was born on August 15, 1920, in Guinea, than a French Colony, and was ordained to the priesthood through the Congregation of the Holy Spirit - which he joined in 1949 - at 31 years of age on October 7, 1951.
Appointed Archbishop of Conakry at 41 years of age on March 10, 1962, by Pope John XXIII, following the retirement of Monsignor Gérard-Paul-Louis-Marie de Milleville C.S.Sp., Tchidimbo received his episcopal consecration on the following May 31, from Archbishop Hyancinthe Thiandoum, assisted by Archbishops Bernardin Gantin and Bernard Yago. The latter three would be elevated, at a later date, to the Sacred College of Cardinals.
Asked by Pope John XXIII to renew the dialogue with Communist Ahmed Sékou Touré, first President of Guinea, whose repressive system drove thousands of Guineans to their death, Tchidimbo was ultimately arrested in 1970, and condemned to life imprisonment. Transferred to the Boiro Camp, he penned his experiences which were later published under the title "'Le Noviciat d'un évêque : 8 ans et 8 mois de captivité sous Sékou Touré'', in 1987.
Released and expelled from Guinea on August 7, 1979, Pope John Paul II received him at Castelgandolfo a few days later. After several years in Rome, he lived in retirement at the Institut Notre-Dame de Vie, of Vénasque, village of Saint-Didier, Avignon, France, where he passed away on Saturday, March 26, 2011, aged 90.
Cardinal Robert Sarah, one time successor at the Archbishop at Conakry, presided his funeral Mass on Wednesday, March 30, at Notre-Dame de Vie at 15.10 hrs. Successively, his body was transferred to his native Guinea and interred in the presence of Monsignor Jean-Pierre Cattenoz, Archbishop of Avignon, on Saturday, April 2, in Conakry.
Appointed Archbishop of Conakry at 41 years of age on March 10, 1962, by Pope John XXIII, following the retirement of Monsignor Gérard-Paul-Louis-Marie de Milleville C.S.Sp., Tchidimbo received his episcopal consecration on the following May 31, from Archbishop Hyancinthe Thiandoum, assisted by Archbishops Bernardin Gantin and Bernard Yago. The latter three would be elevated, at a later date, to the Sacred College of Cardinals.
Asked by Pope John XXIII to renew the dialogue with Communist Ahmed Sékou Touré, first President of Guinea, whose repressive system drove thousands of Guineans to their death, Tchidimbo was ultimately arrested in 1970, and condemned to life imprisonment. Transferred to the Boiro Camp, he penned his experiences which were later published under the title "'Le Noviciat d'un évêque : 8 ans et 8 mois de captivité sous Sékou Touré'', in 1987.
Released and expelled from Guinea on August 7, 1979, Pope John Paul II received him at Castelgandolfo a few days later. After several years in Rome, he lived in retirement at the Institut Notre-Dame de Vie, of Vénasque, village of Saint-Didier, Avignon, France, where he passed away on Saturday, March 26, 2011, aged 90.
Cardinal Robert Sarah, one time successor at the Archbishop at Conakry, presided his funeral Mass on Wednesday, March 30, at Notre-Dame de Vie at 15.10 hrs. Successively, his body was transferred to his native Guinea and interred in the presence of Monsignor Jean-Pierre Cattenoz, Archbishop of Avignon, on Saturday, April 2, in Conakry.
