Anthony Olubunmi Okogie Explained

Type:cardinal
Honorific-Prefix:His Eminence
Anthony Olubunmi Okogie
Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos
Church:Catholic (Roman Rite)
Archdiocese:Lagos
Province:Lagos
Metropolis:Lagos
See:Lagos
Appointed:13 April 1973
Term End:25 May 2012
Predecessor:John Kwao Amuzu Aggey
Successor:Alfred Adewale Martins
Other Post:Cardinal-Priest of Beat Vergine Maria del Monte Carmelo a Mostacciano
Ordination:11 December 1966
Ordained By:John Kwao Amuzu Aggey
Consecration:29 August 1971
Consecrated By:Owen McCoy
Cardinal:21 October 2003
Birth Name:Anthony Olubunmi Okogie
Birth Date:16 June 1936
Birth Place:Lagos, Nigeria
Nationality:Nigerian
Religion:Catholic
Parents:Prince Michael Okojie
Lucy Adunni Okojie (née Afolabi)
Coat Of Arms:Coat of arms of Anthony Olubunmi Okogie.svg
Retired:25 May 2012
Created Cardinal By:Pope John Paul II
Cardinal Name:Anthony Olubumni Okogie
Dipstyle:His Eminence
Offstyle:Your Eminence
See:Lagos

Anthony Olubunmi Okogie (born 16 June 1936[1]) is a Nigerian Cardinal Priest and Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos in the Roman Catholic Church.[2]

Biography

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Okogie was born to a royal family of Uromi in Edo State. His parents were Prince Michael Okojie - who was himself a son of King Ogbidi Okojie of Uromi - and Lucy Adunni Okojie (née Afolabi).[3] His father was Esan and his mother was Yoruba. Okogie was ordained priest on 11 December 1966. He holds a licentiate in sacred theology, and had planned to study in Rome, but was called to Nigeria where he was a curate at the Holy Cross Cathedral. He was drafted into the Nigerian army, and served there as a chaplain. After another period of service at Holy Cross Cathedral, he was an instructor at King's College.

In 1971, he was consecrated Titular Bishop of Mascula and Auxiliary of Oyo, and in 1973 named archbishop. As archbishop, Okogie was president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, and from 1994 to 2000 headed the Bishops' Conference of Nigeria.

Cardinal Okogie volunteered to die in place of a Muslim woman who had been condemned to death by stoning by an Islamic court for adultery.[4]

He was proclaimed Cardinal by Pope John Paul II in the consistory of 21 October 2003, and holds the title of Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria del Monte Carmelo a Mostacciano (or in English Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel of Mostacciano). During his cardinalate, Okogie was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI.[5] Cardinal Okogie was also one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis.[6] [7] [8] During the opening day of the 2013 conclave, Cardinal Okogie was notable in that he was the one cardinal who was in a wheelchair during most of the proceedings, standing up only when it came time for him to walk towards the gospels and make the cardinal electors' oath.[6] During the procession and entry into conclave, Cardinal Okogie was the one cardinal from the Latin church who did not wear the mozzetta.[6]

His resignation from the pastoral governance of the see of Lagos because of having reached the age limit of 75 years was accepted on 25 May 2012.

Views

Condoms

In 2007, he condemned the government approval of a condom factory.[9]

Celibacy

Cardinal Okogie has defended the Catholic Church's laws on celibacy for Catholic priests.[10]

American culture

Okogie has been critical of American culture, especially as it relates to priestly vocations. He said "those people there, in the US, they don’t value anything any more. And how do you want priests to come from a place like that?”

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2016-12-31 . Lifetime achievers Anthony Cardinal Okogie: Friend of the helpless . 2022-03-17 . Vanguard News . en-US.
  2. Web site: OKOGIE Card. Anthony Olubunmi . 2023-01-29 . press.vatican.va.
  3. Book: Tomori . Pascal . Anthony Olubunmi Okogie: The People's Bishop . 1991 . Jeromelaiho & Associates . Nigeria . 63 .
  4. Web site: Archbishop Proposes to Die in Place of Woman Sentenced to Stoning . Obed Minchakpu . Christianity Today . 1 February 2002 . 22 February 2013.
  5. Web site: The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church: Conclaves of the 21st Century (2005) . Salvador Miranda . 6 September 2013 . 24 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171224052646/http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/conclave-xxi.htm#2005 . dead .
  6. Procession and entrance in Conclave . Television production . it . 9 April 2013 . 12 March 2013 . Centro Televisivo Vaticano . Rome .
  7. Web site: Cardinal electors – Conclave of March 2013 – Arranged in alphabetical order . Salvador Miranda . 18 February 2013.
  8. Web site: Conclave of March 2013 . Salvador Miranda . 1 November 2013 . 24 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171224052646/http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/conclave-xxi.htm#2013 . dead .
  9. Web site: Nigerian cardinal condemns government approval of condom factory . https://web.archive.org/web/20070109183552/http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0700071.htm . dead . 9 January 2007 . Peter Ajayi Dada . Catholic News Service . 4 January 2007 . 22 February 2013.
  10. Web site: I had three girlfriends, I still have sexual urge . Vanguard . Chioma Gabriel, Sam Eyoboka . 24 July 2009 . 22 February 2013.