Nigeria citizens, particularly the Catholics couldn’t hide their excitement on Saturday, August 27, 2022, when 20 new Cardinals including the country’s prelate, Most Rev. Peter Okpaleke canonically received the Red Hat from Pope Francis at a Consistory in Rome. Nigerians in their hundreds, and thousands of faithful from Asia, Africa, Europe and America stormed St. Peter’s Basilica to participate in the historic event. Among them were government delegations and relatives of the new cardinals. For Nigeria’s own latest Cardinal, His Eminence, Peter Cardinal Okpaleke, it is an exceptionally cheering news considering his bumpy journey at the outset of his episcopacy and subsequent sudden leap into the cardinalate. With this elevation, he becomes the only active cardinal in Nigeria and also the highest in rank among Nigerian Catholic clergy. His family members, State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma.Soludo in company of his wife, together with other government dignitaries, and lay faithful from Ekwulobia Diocese and across the nation were present in the Basilica.
However, others followed the solemn ceremony performed by His Holiness, Pope Francis on television and social media back in Nigeria. Cardinal Okpaleke is the fifth Nigerian Cardinal and currently, the only Nigerian elector in the College of Cardinals. But the new Prince of the Church didn’t have a smooth start in the episcopacy. Prior to his elevation into the episcopacy, he has had a steady, distinguished and admirable 30-year priestly vocation. But his appointment as Bishop of Ahiara in 2012 took a discordant turn. It was so serious that his Episcopal ordination occurred five months later, on May 2013, outside the diocese because of hostility towards his appointment. Bishop Okpaleke was hit by bizarre opposition, unheard of in the Catholic tradition. A fiery group of clergy and laity of the Diocese, obviously querying the Pontiff’s authority, rejected him out rightly. Their grouse? The prelate is not from Ahiara Diocese, and that priests of the Diocese feel under-represented in the Catholic Church hierarchy in the West African nation, not minding his Igbo ethnic background. They wrote a letter to Pope Benedict XVI objecting to Bishop Okpaleke because he is not of their native extraction. The former Governor of the State, Chief Rochas Okorocha, lay leaders, traditional rulers and the host of others waded into the issue but all to no avail. Not even the promptings of the Pope could make them change their minds.
Despite the Priests of the Diocese complying with the Pope’s directives on presenting letters of allegiance, the laity still stood their grounds disallowing him from assuming office. Rather they shut down the Cathedral and the Bishop’s court and kept demanding for a Bishop who has affinity or incardinated in the diocese. The chaotic situation persisted until the prelate resigned on February 19, 2018 in a bid to put an end to the sustained and embarrassing opposition to his Episcopal appointment. His letter of resignation reads, “The situation in Ahiara Diocese to the best of my knowledge has not improved. Most importantly, this has been threatening my spiritual life. I am convinced that my remaining the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese is no longer beneficial to the Church. “I do not think that my apostolate in a diocese, where some priests and lay faithful are ill-disposed to have me in their midst would be effective. “Exercising the ministry in a diocese where priests who are supposed to be my immediate and closest collaborators, brothers, friends and sons are at war with one another, with the laity and with me as their chief shepherd would be disastrous and a threat to salvation of souls – including my own soul.” He said his decision to resign was “the only option to facilitate re-evangelisation of the faithful of the diocese, especially the priests.”
This move brought fresh breath to the priestly life of Bishop Okpaleke. And within two years his vocation frog leaped from the episcopacy to the College of Cardinals. The Holy Father accepted his resignation and “relieved him of the pastoral care of the Diocese of Ahiara.” A year later, Pope Francis appointed him as the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ekwulobia, a new diocese created from his indigenous Diocese of Awka in Anambra State. Subsequent to his appointment on March 5, 2020, he was installed on April 29, 2020. Barely two years after, precisely, August 27, 2022, the Holy Pontiff elevated him to the status of a Cardinal. Bishop Okpaleke is one of the two West Africans in this group of Cardinals. He will be the fifth Nigerian bishop in the College of Cardinals, and he said that Nigerians have much to offer to the global synodal process with their varied experiences of Church throughout the country. Sixteen of the twenty Cardinals who received the red hat are electors including Peter Cardinal Okpaleke. They will exclusively have the right to vote in the conclave to elect His Holiness’ successor. The other four are over the age of 80 and so do not have a right to vote in a conclave. Likewise in Nigeria, Cardinal Okpaleke becomes the only active cardinal due to age and retirement of the others.
Recall that Nigeria has had four Cardinals before the appointment of His Eminence, Peter Ebere Cardinal Okpaleke, namely: Dominic Cardinal Ekandem of blessed memory, Francis Cardinal Arinze, Anthony Cardinal Okogie and John Cardinal Onaiyekan respectively. Following the recent creation of the 20 Cardinals, Pope Francis has brought the total number of electors to 132, from 69 countries. That number, however, will gradually decrease over the coming year as electors reach the age of 80 and lose the right to vote. By September 17, 2023, it will have been reduced to 120. Pope Francis has created 83 of the present 132 electors, which amounts to 63 percent of them. The Vatican statistics show that 53 of the 132 electors are from Europe, 38 are from the Americas (north and south), 21 from Asia, Africa 17 and three from Oceania. The Saturday’s ceremony means that College of Cardinals now has a total of 226 members from 90 countries, 94 of whom cannot vote in a conclave. Speaking recently with the media, Peter Cardinal Okpaleke recalled the circumstances leading to his investiture as the new prince of the Nigerian Catholic Church, saying all things work for the good of those who love God. In an interview with Vatican City News, Cardinal Okpaleke spoke about how he received the news of his appointment and how his pastoral experiences contribute to inspiring him in his new role.
“We know that all things work for good for those who love God,” the Bishop of Ekwulobia said, stating that he considered his own unworthiness and shortcomings. “By the grace of God, it has pleased the Holy Spirit working in the Church.” According to His Eminence, in spite of the difficult moments and the antagonism that trailed his appointment as Bishop, God granted him peace as he had never experienced before. He said, “Jesus talks of this type of peace in John 14:27. Now, I know what Jesus meant; that he gives us peace; not the kind of peace that the world gives.” “Ours is a providential God who, in spite of seeming confusion and randomness, directs history to his purpose and invites all to open themselves up and contribute their own God-given energies, insights, and talents to the Divine project of making the face of the Earth to reflect more clearly the Kingdom of God.”
The College of Cardinals is a body of senior priests who support the pope in overseeing the affairs of the Church, and they also vote during papal elections. Ecstatic and jubilant Nigerians have continued to hail the recent elevation of Cardinal Okpaleke to cardinalate. At Pope Francis’ announcement of the elevation, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed happiness over the appointment. In a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari commended the Pope for finding a capable Nigerian in the person of Bishop Okpaleke to be one of the two nominees from the African continent. The statement is titled ‘President Buhari welcomes appointment of Bishop Okpaleke as 5th cardinal from Nigeria.’ According to Shehu, President Buhari also “congratulated the Nigerian Christian Community on this choice, describing the Cardinal as ably qualified, and that having him in that position will benefit the country.” The statement partly read, “The President also commended the commitment of the Catholic Church to the unity, peace, and progress of the Nigerian state. He also highlighted the effort of the Church in combating the COVID-19 pandemic as well as its support and commitment in favour of the poor and most vulnerable members of the society.”
Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Anambra State Governor, who was at St Peters’ Square, Vatican, Rome, in Company of his wife, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, as a Special Guest and leader of Ndi Anambra delegation, described the elevation as a befitting reward for the Bishop who over the years, has shown exemplary conduct in the service of God through great personal sacrifices and outstanding contributions to ecumenical services in the Church. On behalf of the Government and good people of Anambra State, Governor Soludo prayed that God would grant Cardinal Okpaleke more strength, sound health and wisdom to excel in his new assignment in the vineyard of God. Senator Uche Ekwunife, Anambra Central Senatorial District candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, who also graced the epoch making event said Cardinal Okpaleke’s elevation to the rank of Cardinal is an expression of God’s grace and demonstration of his love and purpose. She noted that Cardinal Okpaleke is a man of great humility and noted that history will be kind to him. The federal lawmaker added that the appointment of the Bishop of Ekwulobia Diocese as a Prince of the Church is in recognition of his decades of exceptional services to the Church and humanity. “I commend His Holiness Pope Francis for finding Cardinal Okpaleke worthy of his new position.
The appointment is deserving and unsurprising because he is fulfilling his destiny. I urge the newly appointed Cardinal to remain consistent in proclaiming the gospel,” the senator noted. While appreciating Ndi Anambra for turning out en masse to witness the event in Rome, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation on behalf of her family and the good people of Anambra Central Senatorial District prayed for God’s wisdom and divine health upon the new Cardinal. Nigerians, home and abroad have continued to felicitate with Nigeria’s 5th Cardinal. It is a welcome development. Nigerians, home and abroad are filled with joy and happiness. They have continued to felicitate with Nigeria’s 5th Cardinal. In fact, his humility, tolerance and mutual respect have paid off. The velocity with which he rose to the cardinalate is most unprecedented, and very exceptional.
