Cardinal Francis Arinze flees Nigerian hometown due to insecurity (Kidnappers)

National Daily (Nigerian Newspaper)
Cardinal Arinze flees hometown for fear of kidnappers

• Travels back to Vatican

By AHAOMA KANU

THE fear of kidnappers has now become the beginning of wisdom for anybody of substance that comes from the South East of Nigeria. With the high prevalence rate of the crime, which is fast becoming a very lucrative business venture, not abating, many indigenes of Anambra and Abia, the two states that have witnessed increased cases of kidnapping lately, in the Diaspora who had wanted to come home for the Christmas holidays are fast rethinking the idea of even coming home in a very long time.

The kidnapping anarchy that has befallen Anambra has recently made one of its illustrious sons, Cardinal Francis Arinze, who has distinguished himself in the service of God in the Vatican, to quickly cut short his holiday and return to Rome. Arinze, who is currently Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, having served as prefect from 2002 to 2008, is also 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.

The Cardinal chose to return to his hometown of Ezi-Owerri in Idemmili Local Government Council of Anambra State to have a deserved rest among his kinsmen but no sooner had he unpacked did the unknown men of the kidnapping world struck and kidnapped three people while he was still around.

Arinze, who intended to stay till December ending, was forced to hastily pack his baggage and cut short his stay to rush back to base.

National Daily gathered that while he was at the Alkanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu waiting for the Arik plane that would take him to Lagos from where he would take off to the Holy Land, His Eminence, the Cardinal was worried that the plane was late in coming since he feared that the “boys” might strike while he was waiting. He eventually left the shores with a promise not to visit in a long time. So even the Lord's chosen are beginning to fear the sons of the night.

Francis Arinze was born on 1 November 1932, in Eziowelle, Anambra State. A convert from an African traditional religion, 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 Onitsha from which he graduated and earned a degree in philosophy 1950. His father was initially opposed to his 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 Agagianian, pro-prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith and future cardinal.

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 secessionist 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 majority Christian (the fearful refusal of mainly Muslims in the north not allow religion and ethnicity to feature in the recent census in Nigeria is viewed by analyst as an acknowledgement of the Christian numerical superiority)and with a strong and not-to-be-ignored Muslim population, 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, 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 the Pontifical Council for 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.

Arinze was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected 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. On 9 December 2008 Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Arinze as Prefect of the Congregation of Divine Worship. His successor, who took office that same day, is Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera.

Cardinal Arinze will be eligible to participate and vote in any future conclaves before his 80th birthday on 1 November 2012.