Emmanuel Marie Philippe Louis Lafont (born 26 October 1945) is a French prelate of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

who was Bishop of Cayenne in

French Guiana French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic coast of South America in the Guianas. ...

from 2004 to 2020. Lafont was born in Paris and studied in France and Rome; the

Pontifical Gregorian University The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school ( pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as ...

granted him a Licentiate in Theology. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Tours on 2 August 1970. His posts have included: assistant parish priest, student ministry, youth ministry for Tours Diocese, and fourteen years of missionary work in

Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...

, South Africa. While in Africa as part of the Fidei donum initiative, he also taught at Pretoria's major seminary. On returning to France, he was National Director of the

Pontifical Mission Societies The Pontifical Mission Societies, known in some countries as Missio, is the name of a group of Catholic missionary societies that are under the jurisdiction of the Pope. These organizations include the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, th ...

for two consecutive terms and served as the Secretary of the French Bishops’ Commission for Missionary Cooperation. From 2002 until his elevation to the episcopacy in 2004, he served as a parish priest in his home archdiocese. Concerning Lafont's work as a priest in Soweto and as an activist against Apartheid, Cardinal Tomko reported:

He was the only white person, aside from local missionaries, who could drive into Soweto without any gunshots being aimed at his car. I remember the poor apartments, the dirty streets, and the inquiring looks of the people. As soon as they recognized Father Lafont, their faces started to shine. Eventually, the priest had to leave the country because of his protests against the apartheid laws and because of his advocacy on behalf of blacks.

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

named him Bishop of Cayenne on 18 June 2004.

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

accepted his resignation on 26 October 2020, his 75th birthday. In April 2021, a canonical investigation was opened against Lafont, and civil complaints were filed. In October 2022, the

Dicastery for Bishops The Dicastery for Bishops, formerly named Congregation for Bishops (), is the department of the Roman Curia that oversees the selection of most new bishops. Its proposals require papal approval to take effect, but are usually followed. The Dica ...

handed down a sentence of guilty for sexual abuse. Lafont is confined to a monastery in France for "a life of prayer and repentance". Civil investigations are still ongoing in French Guyana.

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1945 births Living people 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in South America French Guianan Roman Catholic bishops Roman Catholic bishops of Cayenne {{FrenchGuiana-bio-stub Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals in Latin America Catholic bishops convicted of sexual abuse Roman Catholic anti-apartheid activists Roman Catholic missionaries in South Africa

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