Pope appoints Ghanaian cardinal to head Vatican's justice and peace office

Vatican City : The Pope has appointed Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson to head the Vatican's justice and peace office.

The high-profile job cements Turkson's position as a possible future papal candidate.

The office is responsible for promoting the Church's social teachings on justice issues, such as war, the death penalty and human rights.

Turkson was informed of the nomination at a news conference on Saturday concluding a three-week Vatican meeting on the role of the Catholic Church in Africa.

The 61-year-old archbishop of Cape Coast replaces Italian Cardinal Renato Martino, who is retiring.

Turkson told reporters three weeks ago that there was no reason there couldn't be a black pope, particularly after Barack Obama was elected US president.