Archbishop of the Abuja Diocese, John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan
The Catholic Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, yesterday elevated the
Archbishop of the Abuja Diocese, John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, along with
five others to the position of cardinal, barely two months after the
retirement of the Archbishop of the Lagos Diocese, Anthony Cardinal
Okogie.
He becomes the fourth Nigerian to attain that position after Dominic
Cardinal Ekanem, who died in 1995, Francis Cardinal Arinze and Okogie.
Benedict, 85, announced the appointment of the new cardinals during his
weekly general audience and said they would be formally elevated at a
consistory on November 24.
With the new cardinals, there will be 120 cardinals under the age of 80
and thus eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Europe
still has the most number of cardinals, totalling 62.
Also, with the new additions, the College of Cardinals is more
multinational in outlook, comprising 21 from Latin America, 14 from
North America, 11 from Africa, 11 representing Asia and one from
Oceania.
Onaiyekan, 68, and the five other new cardinals from the United States,
India, Lebanon and the Philippines will be consecrated by the Pope.
President Goodluck Jonathan and Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, in
swift reactions to Onaiyekan’s elevation, said his new status was a
testimony to his commitment to duty.
A statement by the Director of Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of
Abuja, Rev. Fr. Thomas Asen, said notwithstanding his elevation,
Onaiyekan would remain in Abuja to run the affairs of the archdiocese.
The new cardinal was a nominee for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize
alongside the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar III, for
the roles they played in maintaining peace and equilibrium in the face
of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North. He co-chairs the Nigeria
Inter Religious Council (NIREC) with the sultan.
Reacting to his elevation, Onaiyekan described his appointment as “a great honour to Africa”.
“I see the elevation as a great honour to Africa, Nigeria, my country
and (Nigeria's capital) Abuja. It is an encouragement for me to continue
the good works that I have been doing for humanity,” he told AFP by
phone from Rome.
He has won widespread respect for his efforts to ease religious
tensions in Nigeria by using the pulpit to speak against mis-governance
and build bridges between Islam and Christianity.
Onaiyekan, who holds a doctorate in biblical theology, was ordained a
Catholic priest in 1969 and appointed by the late Pope John Paul II a
permanent member of the Synod of Bishops in Rome.
The cardinals are the Pope's closest aides in the Vatican, where they
run its key departments, and around the world, where they head dioceses
to administer the 1.2 billion members of the Roman Catholic Church.
The other cardinals named yesterday included Beatitude Bechara Boutros
Rai, 72, the patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church in Lebanon and
Archbishop James Michael Harvey, an American who is based in the
Vatican.
Harvey, 63, whose title is Prefect of the Pontifical Household, looks
after world leaders visiting the Vatican and arranges the Pope's
audiences. A native of Milwaukee, Harvey, who was the direct superior of
the Pope’s former butler, Paolo Gabriele, has worked in the Vatican for
more than two decades.
Another new cardinal, Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, 53, the major
Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara rite in India, is on the frontline of
inter-religious dialogue with Hinduism faithful.
The other two come from predominantly Catholic countries - Archbishop
Ruben Salazar Gomez, 70, of Bogota, Colombia, and Archbishop Luis
Antonio Tagle, 55, of Manila in the Philippines, which is the largest
Catholic country in Asia.
Benedict has now named 67, or more than half, of the cardinals who will
elect his successor from among their own ranks. Fifty-three others were
named by Pope John Paul, but Italians are still by far the largest
group of cardinal electors with 28 members.
Congratulating Onaiyekan on his elevation, a statement by President
spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, said Jonathan believed that the elevation
clearly showed the cardinal as diligent, dedicated and committed to his
calling.
“The exemplary diligence, dedication and commitment with which he has
gone about his labours in the Lord’s vineyard since his ordination in
1969 has been recognised and appreciated,” he said.
According to him, with his elevation, Nigeria “now has three members of
the most eminent and distinguished College of Catholic Cardinals. This
as an indication by the Vatican of its continuing recognition of the
immense contributions of the church in Nigeria to the worldwide Catholic
movement.”
The president prayed that God Almighty would grant Onaiyekan continued
good health, strength, wisdom and divine guidance required to discharge
his new responsibilities.
Obi, in a congratulatory letter to Onaiyekan, said it was both a divine favour and recognition of personal merit.
“No one can contest that in your capacity as a pastor, you have shown
great devotion to your calling. And as a religious leader, you have
displayed sensitivity to the mood and makeup of our society in the
handling of religious issues.
“The appointment once more puts Nigeria in the global spotlight but for
salutary reasons. Your selection makes a strong statement that we can
offer the best to the world in every endeavour,” he said.
