Sebastian Koto Khoarai


Sebastian Koto Khoarai, O.M.I. is a prelate of the Catholic Church and bishop emeritus of Mohale's Hoek, Lesotho. Khoarai was born in Koaling in the diocese of Leribe in 1929. He entered the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and was ordained a priest in 1956.
He was appointed in 1977 as ordinary of Mohale's Hoek, receiving episcopal consecration in 1978. In May 2006, he submitted his resignation upon reaching the age limit, but remained as apostolic administrator of the diocese until February 2014. From 1982 to 1987 he served as president of the Episcopal Conference of Lesotho.
On October 9, 2016, Pope Francis announced that Khoarai would be created a cardinal on 19 November 2016 and become Lesotho's first cardinal. Khoarai is not eligible to vote in a conclave because he is over the age limit of 80. Due to his age he was unable to attend the consistory on 19 November, but he later received the biretta in Lesotho from the apostolic nuncio Peter Bryan Wells.