John Onaiyekan | |
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| Cardinal,Archbishop emeritus of Abuja | |
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| Church | |
| Archdiocese | Abuja |
| Appointed |
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| Retired | 9 November 2019 |
| Predecessor | Dominic Ekandem |
| Successor | Ignatius Ayau Kaigama |
| Other post | Cardinal priest ofSan Saturnino (2012–present) |
| Previous posts |
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| Orders | |
| Ordination | 3 August 1969 by Auguste Delisle |
| Consecration | 6 January 1983 by Pope John Paul II,Eduardo Martínez Somalo,Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy |
| Created cardinal | 24 November 2012 byPope Benedict XVI |
| Rank | Cardinal Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan (1944-01-29)29 January 1944 (age 81) |
| Motto | Fiat voluntas tua (Latin for 'Thy Will Be Done') |
| Coat of arms |  |
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John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan[pronunciation?] (born 29 January 1944) is aNigerianprelate of theCatholic Church. He was archbishop of theLatin Church archdiocese ofAbuja from 1994 to 2019 and was made acardinal in 2012. He has served as president of theChristian Association of Nigeria, president of theCatholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, President of TheSymposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), and bishop ofIlorin.
Onaiyekan was born in the town ofKabba, in what is nowKogi State, to Bartholomew and Joann Onaiyekan. He attended St. Mary's Catholic School in Kabba from 1949 until 1956, Mount St. Michael's Secondary School inAliade,Benue State, from 1957 until 1962, andSs. Peter & Paul Major Seminary inBodija,Ibadan, from 1963 until 1965. He completed his religious studies in Rome in 1969 and was ordained as a priest on 3 August of that year by Bishop Auguste Delisle of Lokoja Diocese.[2]Ahmadu Bello,Premier of Nigeria'sNorthern Region, had offered him a scholarship to study abroad.[3]
Onaiyekan taught atSt. Kizito's College,Isanlu, in 1969. He became rector ofSt. Clement Junior Seminary inLokoja in 1971. He completed hisLicentiate ofSacred Scripture at thePontifical Biblical Institute in 1973 and earned his doctorate in 1976.[2] He became Vice Rector of Ss. Peter & Paul in 1977.[2]
In October 1980,Pope John Paul II named Onaiyekan to a five-year term on theInternational Theological Commission. In November, he joined the International Catholic/Methodist Dialogue Commission.[2]
Onaiyekan was appointed auxiliary bishop ofIlorin inKwara State, and titular bishop ofThunusuda on 10 September 1982.[4] He received his episcopal consecration on 6 January 1983 by Pope John Paul II. He was named Bishop of Ilorin on 20 October 1984.[5] On 7 July 1990 he was appointedcoadjutor bishop ofAbuja. When that diocese became anArchdiocese on 26 March 1994, Onaiyekan became its first archbishop.[2]
Onaiyekan was elected vice-president of theCatholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in 1994 and president of that body in 2000.[2]
During the administration of Nigerian presidentOlusegun Obasanjo, and especially during his second term between 2004 and 2007, Onaiyekan spoke out against the regime for its failure to support democratic principles and its corruption. Speaking in a service in his cathedral in 2005 with the president in attendance, he called on Obasanjo to resist the temptation to stand for a third term, which the Nigerian constitution did not allow, and asked him to "resist the deadly temptation to want to remain in power perpetually by hook or by crook". His stance was credited with saving Nigeria from the imposition of a dictatorship.[6] He was namedPax Christi International's 2012 Peace Laureate.[7]
In 2009 the archbishop entered into a widely televisied debate with church-criticsChristopher Hitchens andStephen Fry on whether the catholic Church is a force for the good.[8]
On 18 September 2012,Pope Benedict XVI named Onaiyekan one of the Synod Fathers for the October 2012 Ordinary General Assembly of theSynod of Bishops on the New Evangelization.
He was created acardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in aconsistory on 24 November 2012.[6] AsCardinal-Priest he was assigned to thetitular church ofSan Saturnino.
On 31 January 2013,Pope Benedict XVI appointed Onaiyekan a member of theCongregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) and a member of the Presidential Committee of thePontifical Council for the Family. He can hold these positions until his 80th birthday.
He was one of thecardinal electors who participated in the2013 papal conclave that electedPope Francis.[9]
Pope Francis appointed Onaiyekan theApostolic Administrator of thediocese of Ahiara in Imo State in eastern Nigeria on 3 July 2013.[10]
Pope Francis appointed him to a five-year renewable term as a member of theCongregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in October 2016.
He won the election for the position ofChristian Association of Nigeria (CAN) President on 19 June 2007 with 72 votes over Anglican PrimatePeter Akinola who had 33 votes.[11][12] In 2010 he was succeeded byAyo Oritsejafor.
Pope Francis accepted his resignation as Archbishop of Abuja on 9 November 2019.[13]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Concordio Maria Sarte | — TITULAR — Titular Bishop of Thunusuda 10 September 1982 – 20 October 1984 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Bishop of Ilorin 20 October 1984 – 7 July 1990 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Archbishop of Abuja 26 March 1994 – 9 November 2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Cardinal-Priest ofSan Saturnino 24 November 2012 – | Incumbent |
| Religious titles | ||
| Preceded by | President of the Christian Association of Nigeria 19 June 2007 – 5 July 2010 | Succeeded by |
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