The Head of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province and Archbishop of Owerri Archdiocese, Archbishop Anthony Obinna is among the elite Catholic Church clerics likely to be made Cardinal by Pope Francis.
Pope Francis is set to make the most important decisions of his young Papacy in the next few weeks by naming new Cardinals. According to an international report credited to (Reuters) the Cardinals known as the “Princes of the church” will help him set its future course and one day elect his successor from their number.
Archbishop Obinna is favoured to benefit and be made a Cardinal taking into consideration his profile and designation as an Archbishop. The Pope is expected to appoint the Cardinals before the end of January so that preparations for the ceremonial “consistory” can be made.
Though no official statement has been made on names to be chosen but the maverick shepherd of Owerri Archdiocese is tipped to benefit from the exercise. Taking into consideration that Archbishop Obinna heads one of the big dioceses, a criteria for qualification, the rank of the cleric may rise in the coming exercise.
In view of the fact that Owerri Archdiocese has one of the largest parishes in the Catholic Christendom with greater number of priests scattered across the globe, the chances of Obinna joining the cardinal league is bright.
Authoritative Catholic Church sources indicate that Archbishop Obinna is said to be favoured to be made a Cardinal since his diocese, the Owerri Archdiocese is the heart of the church in Igboland after Onitsha Archdiocese, which produced Cardinal Arinze.
Further evidence that Archbishop Obinna is good at meriting the Cardinal post arose from the fact that Pope Francis in his usual attitude of springing surprises and bending the rule may elevate the pastor of Owerri Archdiocese.
There are currently 14 vacancies in the College of Cardinals for “Cardinal Electors”: those who would be allowed to enter a conclave to elect a pope.
Church rules in theory limit the number of “Cardinal Electors” to 120. But Francis can decide to bend or even abolish the rule.
In any case, 10 Cardinals who are now Electors will turn 80 during 2014, so Francis could appoint as many as 24 new Cardinal electors and still have their number back to 120 by the end of the year.
Apart from potentially shifting the liberal-conservative balance of the College, and elevating men whose personal abilities he values, Francis could also alter its geographical distribution.
In the conclave that elected Francis last March, 60 cardinals were from Europe, even though the Church on the continent has been hardest hit by falling membership. Italy alone had 28.
By comparison, there were only 19 Cardinals from all of Latin America, a region with the largest Catholic populations, and 11 and 10 respectively from Africa and Asia, where the Church is growing fast.
Francis, previously Archbishop of Buenos Aires, is the first Latin American pope in history and the first non-European in 1,600 years.
Apart from naming new Cardinal Electors under 80, Francis is also expected to give the honorific title to a number of elderly churchmen in gratitude for decades of service. They are usually theologians or academics, and would not be eligible to enter a conclave.
