Cardinal Peter Ebere Okpalaeke, Bishop of Ekwulobia Diocese in Anambra State, Nigeria has been elevation to the cardinalate by Pope Francis.
Cardinal Okpalaeke on Saturday, was among twenty clerics who received the red hat at a Consistory in the Vatican City in Rome.
The installation of a Nigerian Prelate Bishop Peter Ebere Okpalaeke as Cardinal on Saturday August 27th, as CADEK-Europe Priests and Seminarians organized a dinner for the Nigerian contingent at the Urbanian University Refectory on Friday.
The elevation of Bishop Okpalaeke in God’s vineyard, especially his installation into the revered College of Cardinals by the Roman pontiff, Pope Francis.
The Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. This advanced category of ordained spiritual leaders of the church are responsible for orderly transition of the Popes.
Recall that Nigeria has had four Cardinals before the appointment of His Eminence, Peter Ebere Cardinal Okpalaeke, namely: Dominic Cardinal Ekandem of blessed memory, Francis Cardinal Arinze, Anthony Cardinal Okojie and John Cardinal Onaiyekan respectively
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Cardinals are created in consistories by the pope, and one of their foremost duties is the election of a new pope; invariably from among themselves, although not a formal requirement when the Holy See is vacant (sede vacante), following the death or resignation of the reigning pontiff.
In what seemed like a twist of fate, the Bishop of Ekwulobia Diocese in Anambra State, Bishop Okpalaeke who was in March 2020 rejected by Ahiara Diocese in Imo State, was eventually named as a Cardinal by Pope Francis on 29th May, 2022. He becomes the second Cardinal from Anambra State after Cardinal Francis Arinze.
Bishop Okpalaeke will by this elevation join the gathering of ecclesiastical persons for the purpose of administering justice or transacting business, particularly meetings of the Sacred College of Cardinals with the pope as president.
Bishop Okpaleke was born on March 1, 1963 at Amesi in Aguata local government area of Anambra State.
He attended Uga Boys’ Secondary School, Uga (1976-1981), St. John Bosco Seminary Isuaniocha (1982-1983), Bigard Memorial Seminary, now St. Joseph’s Major Seminary Ikot-Ekpene (1983-1987), Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu (1988-1992), Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA), Port Harcourt (1995-1997).
He also attended Pontificia Universita Della Santa Croce, Rome, Italy, (1999-2002) where he obtained a doctorate degree in Canon Law in First Class Honours. He also has a diploma in Ecclesiastical Administration.
Okpaleke was ordained a priest on August 22, 1992 after which he served as Assistant Secretary to the Bishop (1992-1995) and subsequently the Awka Diocesan Financial Administrator (1997-1999) and the Diocesan Chancellor (2002-2011).
He later became the chaplain of St. Joseph the Worker Chaplaincy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka (1998-1999), and was at a time the administrator of St. Anthony’s Parish Nanka from March 2002 – October 2002 and the parish priest of Ss. John and Paul Umubele Awka from October 2011 to May 1, 2013.
Okpaleke was appointed the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese by his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on December 7, 2012. The episcopal ordination took place on May 21, 2013 at Seat of Wisdom Seminary Owerri because of the opposition, spearheaded by some members of the clergy of Ahiara Diocese, Bishop Peter Okpaleke did not take canonical possession of the Diocese of Ahiara and did not exercise episcopal ministry in Ahiara.
On February 19, 2018, Pope Francis accepted Bishop Peter’s resignation as the Bishop of Ahiara and on March 5, 2020, the Pope announced the creation of Ekwulobia Diocese and the appointment of Bishop Peter Okpaleke as her first bishop.
