Pope Appoints Rejected Imo Bishop As Cardinal

By Ere-ebi Agedah

Catholic pontiff, Pope Francis, has named Nigerian Bishop, Most Rev. Peter Okpalaeke as Cardinal.

Okpalaeke, who is the Catholic Bishop of Diocese of Ekwulobia, in Anambra State, was rejected by some priests and Catholics in Ahiara Diocese before he was finally posted out of Imo State.

Pope Francis on Sunday announced Okpalaeke and 20 other Bishops across the world as Cardinals.

At the conclusion of the Regina Coeli on Sunday, Pope Francis said that on Saturday, 27 August, he will hold a Consistory for the creation of the new cardinals.

He also said that he will meet during the next two days on Monday and Tuesday, 29-30 August – with all the cardinals to reflect on the new Apostolic Constitution Praedicate evangelium.

“On Saturday, 27 August, I will hold a Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals. Let us pray that they will help me in my mission as Bishop of Rome for the good of all God’s people.”

The College of Cardinals currently consists of 208 Cardinals, of whom 117 are electors and 91 non-electors. As of 27 August, the number will grow to 229 Cardinals, of whom 131 will be electors.

Eight of the newly named Cardinals are from Europe, six from Asia, two from Africa, one from North America, and four from Central and Latin America.

Here are the names of all 21 new cardinals:

1. Archbishop Arthur Roche – Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
2. Archbishop Lazzaro You Heung sik – Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy
3. Archbishop Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, L.C. – President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate for Vatican City State
4. Archbishop Jean-Marc Aveline – Metropolitan Archbishop of Marseille (France)
5. Bishop Peter Okpaleke – Bishop of Ekwulobia (Nigeria)
6. Archbishop Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, O.F.M. – Metropolitan Archbishop of Manaus (Brazil)
7. Archbishop Filipe Neri António Sebastião di Rosário Ferrão – Archbishop of Goa and Damão (India)
8. Bishop Robert Walter McElroy – Bishop of San Diego (U.S.A)
9. Archbishop Virgilio Do Carmo Da Silva, S.D.B. – Archbishop of Dili (East Timor)
10. Bishop Oscar Cantoni – Bishop of Como (Italy)
11. Archbishop Anthony Poola – Archbishop di Hyderabad (India).
12. Archbishop Paulo Cezar Costa – Metropolitan Archbishop of Brasília (Brazil)
13. Bishop Richard Kuuia Baawobr, M. Africa – Bishop of Wa (Ghana)
14. Archbishop William Goh Seng Chye – Archbishop of Singapore (Singapore)
15. Archbishop Adalberto Martínez Flores – Metropolitan Archbishop of Asunción (Paraguay)
16. Archbishop Giorgio Marengo, I.M.C. – Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia)
17. Archbishop Jorge Enrique Jiménez Carvajal – Archbishop Emeritus of Cartagena (Colombia)
18. Archbishop Lucas Van Looy, S.D.B. – Archbishop Emeritus of Gent (Belgium)
19. Archbishop Arrigo Miglio – Archbishop Emeritus of Cagliari (Italy)
20. Fr. Gianfranco Ghirlanda, S.J. – Professor di Theology
21. Msgr. Fortunato Frezza – Canon of Saint Peter’s Basilica.