Francis Arinze

Francis Arinze (born 1 November 1932) is a Nigerian cardinal of the Catholic Church.

He followed a brother in converting to Catholicism and he was baptized on 1 November 1941, his ninth birthday, by Father Michael Tansi, who was beatified by John Paul II in 1998.

His parents later converted to Catholicism as well.

At age 15, he entered All Hallows Seminary, Onitsha, and graduated with a philosophy degree in 1950.

His father initially opposed his entering the seminary, but encouraged him when he saw how he enjoyed it.

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 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 Cardinal Gregorio Pietro Agagianian, pro-prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith.

After ordination, Arinze remained in Rome, earning a master's in theology in 1959 and doctorate in 1960.

From 1961 to 1962, Arinze was professor of liturgy, logic, and basic philosophy at Bigard Memorial Seminary in Enugu.

He was then appointed regional secretary for Catholic education for the eastern part of Nigeria.

He was then transferred to London, where he attended the Institute of Education and graduated in 1964.

On 6 July 1965, Pope Paul VI appointed him titular bishop of Fissiana and coadjutor to Charles Heerey, archbishop of Onitsha, Nigeria.

Arinze became the youngest Roman Catholic bishop in the world when Heerey consecrated him on 29 August 1965, at the age of 32.

He attended the final session of the Second Vatican Council in 1965.

Heerey died on 6 February 1967, and Pope Paul appointed Arinze to succeed him as archbishop on 26 June 1967.

He was the first native African to head this archdiocese.

The Nigeria-Biafra War broke out just days after Arinze was named archbishop.

The entire archdiocese was located in the secessionist Biafran territory.

His doctoral thesis on "Ibo Sacrifice as an Introduction to the Catechesis of Holy Mass" was the basis for his reference work, "Sacrifice in Ibo Religion", published in 1970.

He was president of the Nigerian Bishops Conference from 1979 to 1984.

Arinze fled to Adazi and then Amichi until the war ended in 1980.

Arinze spent these years aiding refugees and with the help of foreign missionarieso supervised what one international relief worker called one of "the most effective and efficient distributions of relief materials" in history.

He kept the Church independent of the warring factions.

At the end of the war, 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 ability to work with Muslims, Pope John Paul II on 8 April 1984 appointed Arinze pro-president of the Secretariat for Non-Christians, later renamed the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Arinze continued as the ordinary of his archdiocese.

He has been a cardinal since 1985 and the Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni since 2005.

In 1985, he was awarded the chieftaincy title of the Ochudouwa of Eziowelle.

On 9 March 1985, Arinze resigned from his post in Onitsha.

Pope John Paul II named Arinze Cardinal-Deacon of San Giovanni della Pigna in the consistory held on 25 May 1985.

Two days after he became a cardinal, Arinze was appointed president of the Secretariat for Non-Christians, which was renamed the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in 1988.

He served in various related capacities including as the president of the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops.

After ten years he exercised his option to be raised to the rank of cardinal-priest, which Pope John Paul approved on 29 January 1996.

He also received honours in this capacity: On 24 October 1999 he received a gold medallion from the International Council of Christians and Jews for his outstanding achievements in inter-faith relations.

He traveled extensively and became a popular speaker in the United States.

He was Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 2002 to 2008 and before that led the Secretariat for Non-Christians (later renamed the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue) from 1984 to 2002.

Arinze was one of the principal advisors to Pope John Paul II and was considered papabile at the papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.

Arinze was born in the tiny village of Eziowelle, Anambra, Nigeria, to a family of peasant farmers who practiced a local indigenous religion.