Pope Francis’ Successor Should Be “full of fire for kingdom of Christ, spreading the gospel": Nigeria’s Cardinal Arinze

“The biggest challenge for the Church is to convince people to accept Christ and live according to his teaching and example,” he said. “Easy to say, difficult to do. But that is what the Church is for. The Church is to evangelize.” 

Arinze attended the final session of the Second Vatican Council as the youngest bishop in the world at the time and later served more than two decades in the Roman Curia. He took part in the conclave that elected Benedict XVI in 2005.  

“The Church is founded by Christ for the salvation of humanity,” he said. “The Church’s work is to share the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ so that people may know Jesus Christ as their Savior … and live according to that way which he showed us, which is the Gospel.” 

Advice for cardinals in the conclave 

As cardinals from around the world gather in Rome, many for their first conclave, Arinze offered them words of guidance. 

“Realize that we are in God’s hands,” he said. “And that the Church is not made by me or by the pope but by Christ. If the Church had not been founded by Christ, it would have fallen to pieces long ago. But because Christ founded the Church, it will stand.” 

The cardinal reflected on Jesus’ words “I will be with you always until the end of time,” adding: “Even Judas Iscariot could not pull down the Church.” 

“Even if you get a pope who is not a good pope, or a bishop who is not a good bishop, or a priest who is not a good priest, they cannot pull down the Church,” he said. “But they can do damage. They can hurt. They can injure. So every one of us has to, in fear and trembling, ask himself: ‘What is God calling me to do in the Church, for the Church, and with the Church?’” 

At 92, Arinze will not be inside the Sistine Chapel when the conclave begins, but he along with other cardinals over the age of 80 are taking part in the general congregation discussions about the Church and the world ahead of the conclave. 

“No pope is a photocopy of another pope,” Arinze said. “Pope John Paul II is not the same as Pope Benedict. Pope Benedict is not the same as Pope Francis. But each of them is a pope, just as St. Peter was not the same as St. Paul, and they were not the same as John in the Gospel; they were all different, but all apostles of Christ.” 

“Pope Francis — people will appreciate his love for the poor, for the forgotten, for the migrant, for those far away, those at the peripheries, whether they are geographical peripheries, far away, or they are society’s peripheries,” he said. “You notice that Holy Father Pope Francis privileges the weak, not so much the strong or the powerful. Every pope has his style.” 

Wisdom from 92 years 

When asked to share some wisdom with younger Catholics from his 92 years of life, the cardinal emphasized the importance of God’s providence for each one of us. 

“God is the director general of history,” he said. “He is also the providence for each individual … God knows best. We think that we are directing everything, but God is there, who looks into the details.” 

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He quoted the words of St. Teresa of Calcutta: “May God help us not to spoil his work.” 

“If we would be faithful to God … God will do great things for us,” he said. “He did for the Blessed Virgin Mary, who confessed: ‘The Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.’ With many things God does, we think we are the clever ones who did them. We just beg God that we do that little part which he expects of us, so that his work will succeed.”  

“If every one of us will remain open to God’s action and know that God takes the initiative, his grace leads us to start, to continue, and to bring to a happy finish the action in his kingdom.” 

A clip of CNA’s interview with Arinze can be viewed below.