By Innocent Duru with Agency Report
Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis, yesterday inducted the Bishop of Ekwulobia Diocese in Anambra State, Peter Eberechukwu Okpaleke, and 19 others from around the world as Cardinals.
The 59-year-old Okpaleke, becomes the second Cardinal from Anambra State after Francis Cardinal Arinze.
Pope Francis, 85, presided at the ceremony known as a consistory. He told the new cardinals to show concern for ordinary people despite the high rank that will bring them into contact with the powerful of the earth.
The ceremony marked the eighth time Francis has put his stamp on the Church’s future with a new intake of cardinals who will serve as his top advisors and administrators at the Vatican and around the globe.
Those under 80 – 16 among the 20 newcomers – can enter a conclave to elect a new pope from among themselves after he dies or resigns.
The new cardinals come from Britain, South Korea, Spain, France, Nigeria, Brazil, India, the United States, East Timor, Italy, Ghana, Singapore, Paraguay, and Colombia.
“A Cardinal loves the Church, always with that same spiritual fire, whether dealing with great questions or handling everyday problems, with the powerful of this world or those ordinary people who are great in God’s eyes,” Francis said.
Sitting before the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis asked them to remember “poor families, migrant and homeless persons.”
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He read his homily in a strong voice, often going off script, even to joke about a Rome priest who was so close to his parishioners that he knew not only all their names, but also the names of their dogs.
Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Anambra State governor Charles Soludo and his wife Nonye, Capital Oil CEO, Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, among other dignitaries graced the ceremony.
Peter Ebere Okpaleke was born on 1 March 1963 in Amesi in Anambra State, Nigeria. He attended local schools and in 1983 entered the Bigard Memorial Major Seminary in Ikot-Ekpene and Enugu, where he studied Philosophy and Theology from 1983 to 1992. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Awka on 22 August 1990.
In the 20 years following his ordination he filled a wide variety of pastoral and administrative positions, including university chaplain, parish priest, diocesan finance administrator, diocesan chancellor, and secretary and member of diocesan boards. He also studied canon law in Rome at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.
On 7 December 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Okpaleke Bishop of Ahiara, Nigeria. Okpaleke was consecrated a bishop on 21 May 2013. Because of objections to his appointment, his consecration was held outside the Diocese, in the Major Seminary of Ulakwo in the Archdiocese of Owerri.
Local clergy and parishioners objected to his appointment and prevented him from entering the cathedral in order to take possession of the diocese. A petition objecting to the fact that Okpaleke was not of the area’s Mbaise ethnic origin was sent to Pope Benedict after he appointed Okpaleke bishop. On 9 June 2017, Pope Francis gave clergy in the diocese 30 days to either write a letter promising obedience and accepting Okpaleke as their bishop or be suspended. Clergy sent letters of apology but continued to protest what they saw as racial discrimination.
On 19 February 2018, Pope Francis accepted Okpaleke’s resignation as Bishop of Ahiara.
On 5 March 2020, just over two years after accepting his resignation as Bishop of Ahiara, Pope Francis appointed Okpaleke the Bishop of the Diocese of Ekwulobia, a newly created diocese in Anambra State which formerly had its territory under the jurisdiction of Awka Diocese. Okpaleke was installed there on 29 April 2020.
Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 27 August 2022, assigning him to the rank of cardinal priest with the titular church of Ss. Martiri dell’Uganda a Poggio Ameno.