barthlemy adoukonou born 24 august 1942 is secretary of the pontifical council for culture since his appointment by pope benedict xvi on 3 december 2009 he was previously secretarygeneral both of the confrence piscopale rgionale de lafrique de louest francophone and of the association of episcopal conferences of anglophone west africa and was a consultor of the pontifical council for promoting christian unity as well as the languages of the two west african international conferences he speaks italian and germanadoukonou was born in abomey benin in 1942 he was ordained priest on 16 december 1966 after teaching in the saint joan of arc minor seminary of ouidah 19671968 and being chaplain and teacher at the aufiais college in cotonou 19681970 and assistant parish priest of st francis of assisi at bohicon abomey 19701971 he spent 1971 to 1977 continuing his studies in religious sociology in paris and then of theology at the university of ratisbonne where he earned his doctorate he was meant to present his dissertation to the current pope in june 1977 but ratzinger suddenly asked him to hurry up and finish it earlier so he could move the presentation forward to march 77 between 1977 and 1984 he was rector of the minor seminary of st paul at djimi abomey missionary professor at the university of west africa in abidjan and professor of methodology of research in human and social sciences at the university of the state of abomeycalavi and at the major seminary of saint gall in ouidah benin from 1988 to 1999 he was rector of the benin propaedeutic seminary at missrt porto novoon strategies against aids catholic documentation information international published that in march 2009 the priest signed a document along with cardinal theodore adrien sarr president of the regional conference of bishops of french west africa stating that it is a crime against mankind to deprive children teenagers and young people from the training needed for his mind to master the body and its impulses which is called sexual education in this sense advertisements for and distribution of condoms could well be nothing else than irresponsibility and a crime against mankind in the late 70s adoukonou was a student of the then professor joseph ratzinger at the university of regensburg he kept in touch with his former professor turned archbishop then a month later cardinal going on to become prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith and finally pope in 2005 under the name of benedict xvi at the end of 2009 when the nomination of the new secretary of the pontifical council for culture was due to take place its president gianfranco ravasi spoke to the pope benedict suggesting the possible addition of a figure from africa to assist him as he felt that the roman curia was at risk of becoming too italianised benedict seized the opportunity stating i have a candidate giving adoukonous name to ravasi in december 2009 adoukonou was appointed the secretary or secondranking official of the pontifical council for cultureadoukonou is a member of the ratzinger schulerkreis an informal group composed of ratzingers former students and accordingly he participated in it 2011 annual meeting which discussed new evangelizationon 10 september 2011 adoukonou was appointed titular bishop of zama minor his episcopal ordination is to be at the hands of cardinal secretary of state tarcisio bertone on 8 october 2011 along with giuseppe sciacca on 29 december 2011 he was appointed a member of the pontifical council for social communications for a five year renewable term