Cardinal Arinze: A treasure of the Church

I have not only closely watched many Catholic prelates, both in Nigeria and across the world, over the years; I have also studied some of them. One Cardinal who has always stood out to me is Francis Cardinal Arinze. His life, priestly ministry, intellectual clarity, humility and service to the universal Church represent a remarkable legacy that Nigerians, and particularly Nigerian Catholics, should cherish.

In 1983, I remember my first class in Latin. Msgr. Jeremiah Ikegbusi strolled into the classroom, wrote “Latina Lingua” on the board and, by way of introduction, told us that Latin was essentially pronounced like Igbo, though there were differences. Have you listened to Cardinal Arinze celebrate Mass in Latin? I often watch his lips and listen carefully to his words to get the correct pronunciation of Latin words. I have come to realise that priests who speak Italian often pronounce Latin beautifully. Have you listened to Fr. Gabriel Okeke? They make Latin tempting to the tongue and particularly pleasing to the ear.

In 1984, Pope John Paul II called him to Rome to serve in the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. On 25 May 1985, he was created a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II, receiving the title of Cardinal-Deacon of San Giovanni della Pigna. In 1996, he became a Cardinal-Priest, and in 2005 he was elevated to the rank of Cardinal-Bishop of Velletri-Segni.

Velletri-Segni is one of the seven ancient suburbicarian sees surrounding Rome – Ostia (we read about Ostia and its port in “New Approach to Latin”), Albano, Frascati, Palestrina, Porto-Santa Rufina, Sabina-Poggio Mirteto and Velletri-Segni – traditionally associated with Cardinal-Bishops, whose number…