Francis Arinze

Styles of
**Francis Arinze**
Styles of; Francis Arinze
Reference style	His Eminence; The Most Reverend Eminence;
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Religious style	Cardinal
Informal style	Cardinal

His Eminence

Francis Arinze
His Eminence; Francis Arinze
Cardinal; Cardinal Bishop of Velletri–Segni; Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
See	Velletri-Segni
Appointed	1 October 2002
Term ended	9 December 2008
Predecessor	Jorge Arturo Augustin Medina Estévez
Successor	Antonio Cañizares Llovera
Other post	Cardinal-Bishop of Velletri-Segni
Previous posts	Coadjutor bishop of Onitsha (1965–1967); Titular bishop of Fissiana (1965–1967); Archbishop of Onitsha (1967–1985); President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (1979–1984); Pro-Prefect of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (1984–1985); Cardinal deacon of San Giovanni della Pigna (1985–1996); President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (1985–2002); Cardinal priest of San Giovanni della Pigna (1996–2005);
Orders
Ordination	23 November 1958; by Gregorio Pietro Agagianian
Consecration	29 August 1965; by Charles Heerey
Created cardinal	25 May 1985; by Pope John Paul II
Rank	Cardinal deacon (1985–1996); Cardinal priest (1996–2005); Cardinal bishop (since 2005);
Personal details
Born	1 November 1932; Onitsha, Colony of Nigeria, British Empire
Motto	Regnum Christi floreat (lit. 'May the Kingdom of Christ flourish')
Coat of arms

Francis Arinze (// ^ⓘ; born 1 November 1932) is a Nigerian prelate of the Catholic Church, who served as the Prefect of the Secretariat for Non-Christians from 1984 to 2002 and Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 2002 to 2008. He previously served as the Archbishop of Onitsha from 1967 to 1985 and as the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria from 1979 to 1984. Arinze is the current Cardinal Bishop of Velletri–Segni since 2005 and was one of the principal advisors to Pope John Paul II and was considered papabile at the 2005 Papal conclave. According to Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Arinze is the only surviving council father among the few who went from Nigeria to the Second Vatican Council.

Born in Eziowelle, Anambra State, Nigeria, Arinze was made a cardinal in 1985 and named Cardinal-bishop of Velletri-Segni in 2005.