Congrats! Pope appoints Onaiyekan Cardinal

 

His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, yesterday appointed the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. The elevation of the former President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) came amongst
five others namely: James Michael Harvey (America), Bechara Boutros Rahi (Lebanon),
Baselios Cleemis (India), Ruben Salazar Gomez (Columbia) and Luis Antonio Tagle (Philippines), making Onaiyekan the only African amongst the six newly appointed cardinals. With his elevation, the Kabba, Kogi-State born Onaiyakan becomes the fourth Nigerian Cardinal after the late Dominic Cardinal Ekandem, Francis Cardinal Arinze and Anthony Cardinal Okogie. He will be joining the College of Cardinals in November, 2012.

The Supreme Pontiff had yesterday, at the end of the weekly general audience, said in a surprise announcement that he would be appointing cardinals in a consistory on November 24, the second consistory to be held this year. The appointment of the former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) means that the 68-year-old prelate is now qualified under the Canon Law to be elected a pope and also join other cardinals, who are below the age of 80 in the election of a new pope.
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Big congrats to Cardinal Onaiyekan