The Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi has clarified reports regarding the participation of Cardinal John Njue in the election of the next pope.
In a statement on Tuesday, May 6, Archbishop Phillip Anyolo said that Cardinal Njue is eligible to participate in the forthcoming conclave scheduled to commence on Wednesday.
Anyolo further said that the Archbishop Emeritus of Nairobi was officially invited through the Apostolic Nunciature in Kenya, the Apostolic Nuncio, in concurrence with the Office of the Archbishop of Nairobi.
However, Reverend Anyolo said the cardinal will not be able to travel due to his health condition.
“I hereby confirm that although His Eminence is eligible to participate and was officially invited through the Apostolic Nunciature in Kenya, the Apostolic Nuncio, in concurrence with the Office of the Archbishop of Nairobi, duly communicated to the competent office of the Holy See that, owing to his current health condition, His Eminence John Cardinal Njue will be unable to travel to Rome and take part in the Conclave,” the statement reads in part.
Catholic Church asks faithfuls to pray for the Conclave and Cardinal Njue
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Nairobi at the same time urged the faithful to pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as the College of Cardinals undertakes the solemn task of electing the next pontiff.
Archbishop Anyolo also asked for continued prayers for Cardinal Njue’s health and well-being.
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Cardinal Njue has been unwell for some time, limiting his public appearances and participation in various events.
In January, the 79-year-old cardinal provided an update on his health, acknowledging that he was not as strong as he used to be.
Despite his health challenges, he expressed his ongoing commitment to looking after his flock, emphasising his duty to serve his congregation.
“As you can see, I am not very strong, but I committed to coming and celebrating this mass with you. There is a lot of work to be done in God’s vineyard, and you are the ones to do it. It is your time,” Njue said during mass at St.Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Church-Tena.
Njue, a prominent figure in Africa’s Catholic Church, was born in present day Embu County in 1946 and was ordained as a priest by Pope Paul VI on 6 January 1973.
Cardinal John Njue’s rise to the top
He holds a doctorate in philosophy from the Pontifical Urbaniana University and a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Lateran University.
In 1974 he was appointed philosophy professor and dean of students at St. Augustine Senior Seminary, Mabanga in Bungoma, of which he was also rector from 1978 to 1982.
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Cardinal Njue was in 1982 appointed to Chuka Parish as its first African parish priest.
He then served as rector of St. Joseph’s Philosophicum Seminary in Nairobi until his appointment on 9 June 1986 as the first Bishop of Embu.
In addition, the cleric was ordained bishop on 20 September of that year and then coadjutor Archbishop of Nyeri on 23 January 2002.
From 2005-2006, he was Apostolic Administrator of the Vicariate of Isiolo. He was also Apostolic Administrator of the diocese of Murang’a (2006-2009).
The Cardinal was appointed Archbishop of Nairobi from 2007 to 2021.
Pope Benedict XVI promoted him to Cardinal in 2007.
During his ministerial days, Njue has been chairman of various commissions, such as the Episcopal commission for major seminaries in Kenya and the Kenya Episcopal Conference’s Justice and Peace Commission.
From 2006 to 2015 he was president of the Kenya Episcopal Conference.
He participated in the III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (October 2014) on The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization.
Election of Pope
Also, he participated in the XIV Ordinary General Assembly on The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World (October 2015), and the conclave of March 2013, which elected Pope Francis.
The Catholic Church has 135 cardinal electors, who traditionally gather in the Vatican to elect the new pope in the conclave.
In addition to Cardinal Njue, the Archdiocese of Valencia has confirmed that Spain’s Cardinal Antonio Cañizares will also not travel to Rome for this year’s conclave due to health reasons, reducing the number of eligible cardinal electors to 133.
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