Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, the Archbishop of Kinshasa, is one of the leading Catholic figures on the African continent. In 2010, he was named a cardinal. Monsengwo had previously played a key political role in the transitional phase that Congo went through following the dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko. Monsengwo was praised both inside and outside of Congo for his contributions to peace, dialogue and human rights.