FRANCIS ARINZE
Francis Cardinal Arinze, (born 1 November 1932) is an African prelate of the
Roman Catholic Church. He has been Prefect of the Congregation for Divine
Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments since 2002 and Cardinal Bishop of
Velletri-Segni (succeeding Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI) since
2005. Arinze was one of the principal advisors to Pope John Paul II, and was
considered papabile before the 2005 papal conclave, which elected Benedict XVI.
Arinze was born in Eziowelle, Anambra State, Nigeria, Africa. A convert from an
African traditional religion,[2] he was baptized on his ninth birthday (1
November 1941) by Father Michael Tansi, who was beatified by John Paul II in
1998. His parents themselves later converted to Catholicism. At age 15, he
entered All Hallows Seminary of Nnewi from which he graduated and earned a
degree in philosophy 1950. His father was initially opposed to him entering the
seminary, but after seeing how much Francis enjoyed it, he encouraged him.
Arinze stayed at All Hallows until 1953 to teach. In 1955, he went to Rome to
study theology at the Pontifical Urban University, where he ultimately earned a
doctorate in sacred theology summa cum laude. On 23 November 1958, at the chapel
of the university, Arinze was ordained to the priesthood by Grégoire-Pierre
Cardinal Agagianian, pro-prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation
of the Faith.
After ordination, Father Arinze remained in Rome, earning a master's in theology
in 1959 and doctorate in 1960. His doctoral thesis on "Ibo Sacrifice as an
Introduction to the Catechesis of Holy Mass" was the basis for his much used
reference work, "Sacrifice in Ibo Religion", published in 1970. From 1961 to
1962, Arinze was professor of liturgy, logic, and basic philosophy at Bigard
Memorial Seminary. From there, he was appointed regional secretary for Catholic
education for the eastern part of Nigeria. Eventually, Arinze was transferred to
London, where he attended the Institute of Education and graduated in 1964.
Francis Arinze became the youngest Roman Catholic bishop in the world when he
was ordained to the episcopate on 29 August 1965, at the age of 32. He was
appointed titular bishop of Fissiana, and named coadjutor to the Archbishop of
Onitsha, Nigeria. He attended the final session of the Second Vatican Council in
that same year along with the 45 year old Archbishop of Krakow, Poland, Karol
Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II. Following the death of the Archbishop of
Onitsha in February 1967, Arinze was appointed to the position a few months
later, on 26 June 1967. He was the first native African to head his diocese,
succeeding Archbishop Charles Heery, an Irish missionary.
The new Archbishop did not have much time to settle into his office before the
Nigeria-Biafra war broke out. The entire archdiocese was located in the
rebellious Biafran territory. As a result of the war, Archbishop Arinze had to
flee his see city of Onitsha and to live as a refugee, first in Adazi and then
Amichi, for the three years of the war, which lasted from 1967 to 1970.
Despite his own refugee status, Archbishop Arinze worked tirelessly for refugees,
displaced persons, the sick and the hungry, offering support to priests and
religious, and giving the faithful hope for the future. With the help of foreign
missionaries, he supervised what one international relief worker called one of "the
most effective and efficient distributions of relief materials" in history. He
also took care to keep the Church separate from the ongoing political conflict,
gaining the respect of all factions in the country.
Francis Arinze was still Archbishop of Onitsha when the Nigeria-Biafra war ended
in 1970. Onitsha was a part of Biafra, and the region and its people had
suffered greatly in the three-year war. The homes and businesses of the people
had been devastated, and the already poor region was sinking deeper into poverty.
The end of the war did not mean an end to the challenges facing the young
Archbishop.
The Nigerian government deported all foreign missionaries stationed in the
archdiocese, leaving only the native clergy and religious, who were few in
number. The government also confiscated the Catholic schools, most of which also
served as churches or parish halls.
Impressed by Arinze's many accomplishments as the leader of an archdiocese with
few resources, and his ability to work side by side with Muslims in a country
that is 50 percent Muslim, in 1979, Pope John Paul II appointed Arinze pro-president
of the Vatican's Secretariat for Non-Christian Believers, later renamed the
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Archbishop Arinze continued as
the ordinary his archdiocese, and was the unanimous choice of his brother
bishops for President of the Nigerian Bishops Conference in 1984.
A year later, the people of Onitsha organized a pilgrimage to Rome when they
learned that Archbishop Arinze would be named a Cardinal at the Consistory of 25
May 1985. At the age of 53, Francis Cardinal Arinze was among the youngest
members of the College of Cardinals.
On 8 April 1985, Arinze resigned from his post in Onitsha, and the Pope named
him a Cardinal Deacon, with the title of S. Giovanni della Pigna, little more
than a month later in the consistory held on 25 May 1985; he was raised to the
rank of Cardinal Priest in 1996. Two days following his elevation to Cardinal
Deacon, Arinze was appointed President of Interreligious Dialogue, holding the
office until 1 October 2002, when he was named Prefect of the Congregation for
Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. All major Vatican officials
automatically lose their positions during a sede vacante, and so, the cardinal
lost his position on 2 April 2005 due to the death of the Pope.
The Cardinal actively catechises via Familyland TV to the Americas, the
Philippines, Africa, and Europe. He has produced over 1,700 television programs
with the Apostolate for Family Consecration. The programs cover almost all of
Pope John Paul II's encyclicals and apostolic letters, Vatican II, and many
other topics. He is also the author of several books along with a complete "Consecration
and Truth Catechetical Program" for children and adults.
Styles of
Francis Arinze
Reference style His Eminence
Spoken style Your Eminence
Informal style Cardinal
See Velletri (suburbicarian see)
Arinze was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal
conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI. He returned to his post as Prefect of
the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments when
confirmed by Benedict XVI on 21 April 2005. Four days later, on 25 April 2005,
he was advanced to Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni, which had been vacated by
the ascension of Cardinal Ratzinger to the papacy.
Arinze will be eligible to participate and vote in any future conclaves before
his 80th birthday on 1 November 2012.
Francis Cardinal Arinze, (born 1 November 1932) is an African prelate of the
Roman Catholic Church. He has been Prefect of the Congregation for Divine
Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments since 2002 and Cardinal Bishop of
Velletri-Segni (succeeding Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI) since
2005. Arinze was one of the principal advisors to Pope John Paul II, and was
considered papabile before the 2005 papal conclave, which elected Benedict XVI.
Arinze was born in Eziowelle, Anambra State, Nigeria, Africa. A convert from an
African traditional religion,[2] he was baptized on his ninth birthday (1
November 1941) by Father Michael Tansi, who was beatified by John Paul II in
1998. His parents themselves later converted to Catholicism. At age 15, he
entered All Hallows Seminary of Nnewi from which he graduated and earned a
degree in philosophy 1950. His father was initially opposed to him entering the
seminary, but after seeing how much Francis enjoyed it, he encouraged him.
Arinze stayed at All Hallows until 1953 to teach. In 1955, he went to Rome to
study theology at the Pontifical Urban University, where he ultimately earned a
doctorate in sacred theology summa cum laude. On 23 November 1958, at the chapel
of the university, Arinze was ordained to the priesthood by Grégoire-Pierre
Cardinal Agagianian, pro-prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation
of the Faith.
After ordination, Father Arinze remained in Rome, earning a master's in theology
in 1959 and doctorate in 1960. His doctoral thesis on "Ibo Sacrifice as an
Introduction to the Catechesis of Holy Mass" was the basis for his much used
reference work, "Sacrifice in Ibo Religion", published in 1970. From 1961 to
1962, Arinze was professor of liturgy, logic, and basic philosophy at Bigard
Memorial Seminary. From there, he was appointed regional secretary for Catholic
education for the eastern part of Nigeria. Eventually, Arinze was transferred to
London, where he attended the Institute of Education and graduated in 1964.
Francis Arinze became the youngest Roman Catholic bishop in the world when he
was ordained to the episcopate on 29 August 1965, at the age of 32. He was
appointed titular bishop of Fissiana, and named coadjutor to the Archbishop of
Onitsha, Nigeria. He attended the final session of the Second Vatican Council in
that same year along with the 45 year old Archbishop of Krakow, Poland, Karol
Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II. Following the death of the Archbishop of
Onitsha in February 1967, Arinze was appointed to the position a few months
later, on 26 June 1967. He was the first native African to head his diocese,
succeeding Archbishop Charles Heery, an Irish missionary.
The new Archbishop did not have much time to settle into his office before the
Nigeria-Biafra war broke out. The entire archdiocese was located in the
rebellious Biafran territory. As a result of the war, Archbishop Arinze had to
flee his see city of Onitsha and to live as a refugee, first in Adazi and then
Amichi, for the three years of the war, which lasted from 1967 to 1970.
Despite his own refugee status, Archbishop Arinze worked tirelessly for refugees,
displaced persons, the sick and the hungry, offering support to priests and
religious, and giving the faithful hope for the future. With the help of foreign
missionaries, he supervised what one international relief worker called one of "the
most effective and efficient distributions of relief materials" in history. He
also took care to keep the Church separate from the ongoing political conflict,
gaining the respect of all factions in the country.
Francis Arinze was still Archbishop of Onitsha when the Nigeria-Biafra war ended
in 1970. Onitsha was a part of Biafra, and the region and its people had
suffered greatly in the three-year war. The homes and businesses of the people
had been devastated, and the already poor region was sinking deeper into poverty.
The end of the war did not mean an end to the challenges facing the young
Archbishop.
The Nigerian government deported all foreign missionaries stationed in the
archdiocese, leaving only the native clergy and religious, who were few in
number. The government also confiscated the Catholic schools, most of which also
served as churches or parish halls.
Impressed by Arinze's many accomplishments as the leader of an archdiocese with
few resources, and his ability to work side by side with Muslims in a country
that is 50 percent Muslim, in 1979, Pope John Paul II appointed Arinze pro-president
of the Vatican's Secretariat for Non-Christian Believers, later renamed the
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Archbishop Arinze continued as
the ordinary his archdiocese, and was the unanimous choice of his brother
bishops for President of the Nigerian Bishops Conference in 1984.
A year later, the people of Onitsha organized a pilgrimage to Rome when they
learned that Archbishop Arinze would be named a Cardinal at the Consistory of 25
May 1985. At the age of 53, Francis Cardinal Arinze was among the youngest
members of the College of Cardinals.
On 8 April 1985, Arinze resigned from his post in Onitsha, and the Pope named
him a Cardinal Deacon, with the title of S. Giovanni della Pigna, little more
than a month later in the consistory held on 25 May 1985; he was raised to the
rank of Cardinal Priest in 1996. Two days following his elevation to Cardinal
Deacon, Arinze was appointed President of Interreligious Dialogue, holding the
office until 1 October 2002, when he was named Prefect of the Congregation for
Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. All major Vatican officials
automatically lose their positions during a sede vacante, and so, the cardinal
lost his position on 2 April 2005 due to the death of the Pope.
The Cardinal actively catechises via Familyland TV to the Americas, the
Philippines, Africa, and Europe. He has produced over 1,700 television programs
with the Apostolate for Family Consecration. The programs cover almost all of
Pope John Paul II's encyclicals and apostolic letters, Vatican II, and many
other topics. He is also the author of several books along with a complete "Consecration
and Truth Catechetical Program" for children and adults.
Styles of
Francis Arinze
Reference style His Eminence
Spoken style Your Eminence
Informal style Cardinal
See Velletri (suburbicarian see)
Arinze was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal
conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI. He returned to his post as Prefect of
the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments when
confirmed by Benedict XVI on 21 April 2005. Four days later, on 25 April 2005,
he was advanced to Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni, which had been vacated by
the ascension of Cardinal Ratzinger to the papacy.
Arinze will be eligible to participate and vote in any future conclaves before
his 80th birthday on 1 November 2012.