Archbishop of Yaoundé
Jean Mbarga was born on May 18, 1956, in Ebolmedzo, in the Archdiocese of Yaoundé. He pursued his studies in his home country at the Nkolbison Major Seminary, then studied Canon Law in Strasbourg, France, and finally obtained a doctorate in Moral Theology from the Alphonsian Academy in Italy, specializing in Bioethics at the Gemelli Faculty of Medicine (Rome). He was ordained a priest on December 5, 1981, and incardinated into the Archdiocese of Yaoundé. He served as: Parochial Vicar (1982–1983); Diocesan and National Chaplain for the Lay Apostolate (1984–1985); Rector of the Nkolbison Major Seminary (1992–2002); and Diocesan Bursar (2002–2003). He also studied in Rome from 1985 to 1992 and has served as Vicar General and as a Consultor to the Pontifical Councils for Culture (since 1998) and for the Laity (since 2001).