About Francis Arinze
Francis Arinze is a Nigerian prelate of the Catholic Church, who served as the Prefect of the Secretariat for Non-Christians from 1984 to 2002 and Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 2002 to 2008. He previously served as the Archbishop of Onitsha from 1967 to 1985 and as the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria from 1979 to 1984. Arinze is the current Cardinal Bishop of Velletri–Segni since 2005 and was one of the principal advisors to Pope John Paul II and was considered papabile at the 2005 Papal conclave. According to Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Arinze is the only surviving council father among the few who went from Nigeria to the Second Vatican Council. He became the first native African to head a diocese. On 23 November 1958, Arinze was ordained by Gregorio Pietro Agagianian, who later became a cardinal. Two days after he became a cardinal, Arinze was appointed president of the Secretariat for Non-Christians, which was renamed the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in 1988.
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