Faith & Community
Landmark
Michael Kpakala Francis
1936 – 2013
The conscience of Liberia under Doe and Taylor
Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the Liberia Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
He attacked both Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor from the pulpit, and each accused him of backing the other's enemies. He kept going for thirty-five years.
Michael Kpakala Francis was born on 12 February 1936 and led the Apostolic Vicariate of Monrovia from 1976, becoming the first Archbishop of the new Archdiocese of Monrovia in 1981 and holding the office until 2011.
He was a fearless critic of the regimes of both Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor, and was accused by Doe of supporting Taylor's rebels and later by Taylor's people of supporting ULIMO — the usual fate of someone attacking everyone in power. He was the first Liberian bishop to found a Catholic Justice and Peace Commission in the country, set up to defend human rights and civil liberties, and was widely regarded as the moral conscience of Liberian society. He died in Monrovia on 19 May 2013.
He was a fearless critic of the regimes of both Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor, and was accused by Doe of supporting Taylor's rebels and later by Taylor's people of supporting ULIMO — the usual fate of someone attacking everyone in power. He was the first Liberian bishop to found a Catholic Justice and Peace Commission in the country, set up to defend human rights and civil liberties, and was widely regarded as the moral conscience of Liberian society. He died in Monrovia on 19 May 2013.
- Wikipedia — Michael Kpakala Francis
- Africa Faith and Justice Network — Archbishop Michael Kpakala Francis of Liberia
- FrontPage Africa — Archbishop Michael Francis: conscience of Liberian society
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