Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday (today) in Rome, Italy, announced the appointment of Archbishop John Onaiyekan of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja as a Cardinal-elect.

Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, of the Oyo Diocese and Chairman, Social Communications Committee, Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, (CBCN) confirmed the appointment in an e-mail sent to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Badejo, who is currently attending a conference alongside other Bishops and lay faithful in Rome, said that the Pope would formally inaugurate the new Cardinals-elect on Nov. 24 in Rome.

He disclosed that five other Cardinals were appointed, including Archbishop James Michael Harvey, Prefect of the Pontifical Household; His Beatitude Bechara Boutros Rai, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites (Lebanon).

Others are His Beatitude Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankars (India); Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez, Archbishop of Bogotá (Colombia); and Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila (Philippines).

NAN reports that Cardinals have the task of helping the Pope who is Apostle Peter's successor carry out his mission.

NAN also recalls that it is from the College of Cardinals that a new Pope is usually elected after the death of the incumbent.

Cardinals below the age of 80 are eligible to vote and be voted for during the election of a new Pope.

NAN reports that before now, the Catholic Church in Nigeria had produced three Cardinals including, the late Dominic Cardinal Ekandem, Francis Cardinal Arinse and Anthony Cardinal Okogie.

Both Arinse and Okogie had resigned after they had attained 75 years, the age set for Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops to retire from their pastoral care, as head of their dioceses.

It would also be recalled that the two Cardinals were appointed by late Pope John Paul II.

While Arinze was appointed in April, 1985, Okogie, on his part was appointed in Oct. 2003. (NAN)

source
http://leadership.ng/nga/articles/38300/2012/10/24/pope_benedict_xvi_appoints_archbishop_onaiyekan_cardinalelect.html