Matthew Ishaya Audu (born 1959 in Rafin Pa) is a Nigerian

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...

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 has served as Archbishop of Jos since 2020. He was appointed Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafia in 2000. He was appointed archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jos in 2020.

Early life and education

Audu was born in 1959. He attended St. James Minor Seminary in Keffi, then completed his philosophical and theological studies at the

St Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...

Major Seminary in Jos.

Career in the Catholic church

Audu was ordained a

Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...

of Makurdi diocese in June, 1984. He served as assistant parish priest in Keffi (1984–86); assistant parish priest in Lafia (1986–88); parish priest of Nasarawa (1988–89); studies Moral

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

at the Institute of Moral

of the Pontifical Lateran University, Licentiate (1989–91); and Professor of Moral Theology and Vice-Rector of the Major Seminary of St Thomas Aquinas, Makurdi (1992–97). He studied for his Degree in Moral Theology at the Alfonsianum in

(1997–99). From June to December 2000, he was Acting Rector of the Major Seminary of St Thomas Aquinas, Makurdi. On 5 December 2000, 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 ...

appointed him, bishop elect of the newly created Lafia diocese. On 31 March 2001, he was ordained as bishop of Lafia. On 6 January 2020,

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. ...

appointed him as archbishop of Jos, succeeding Ignatius Kaigama.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Audu, Matthew Ishaya 1959 births Nigerian Roman Catholics Nigerian Roman Catholic bishops Roman Catholic archbishops of Jos Living people Roman Catholic bishops of Lafia