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NIGERIANS-SARR Nov-24-2007 (480 words) xxxi
Nigerian church leaders praise new cardinal from West Africa
By Peter Ajayi Dada
Catholic News Service
LAGOS, Nigeria (CNS) -- Church leaders in Nigeria, West Africa's most-Catholic country, praised new Cardinal Theodore-Adrien Sarr of Dakar, Senegal, another West African country with just over a half-million Catholics.
The Nigerian leaders told Catholic News Service that Cardinal Sarr's elevation is the acceptance of further growth and development of the Catholic Church in Africa and the world in general.
The president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Felix Alaba Job of Ibadan, described the new cardinal as someone who "is cool (and) calculating, a loving and devoted priest."
"He is somebody that will contribute to better the relations existing between Christians and Muslims worldwide as he had done in his home country, Senegal over the years," the archbishop said.
"Remember that the majority of Senegalese are Muslims, but his opinion is always highly revered by the country's nationals," the archbishop said.
Catholics form about 5 percent of Senegal's population of 12.1 million. More than 19 million Catholics live in Nigeria.
Bishop Albert Fasina of Ijebu-Ode, Nigeria, said that with the appointment of Cardinal Sarr, Pope Benedict XVI is telling the world that "the heart of Christ is for all races."
"The appointment will deepen (Cardinal Sarr's) episcopal works more, as it will not limit his services to only his diocese, his country or Africa," Bishop Fasina told CNS. The pope is saying the cardinal must take what is good from Africa and "come and join it with that of the Vatican for the good of other parts of the universal church," he added.
Msgr. Matthew Kukah Hassan, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Kaduna, Nigeria, said that when he was in Senegal several months ago, a prominent Muslim politician told him, "In Senegal, nothing has happened until Archbishop Sarr of Dakar has spoken."
"By Sarr's appointment, the Vatican is sending out to the rest of the world the signals of the positive role that the church has played in a country," said Msgr. Kukah, who added that the average Senegalese citizen would say that the Catholic Church had played a profound role in his or her life.
"These are indications of how seriously the Vatican has continued to take Africa as an important continent in its evangelization drive," he said.
Father Patrick Alumuku, director of social communications for the Abuja Archdiocese, said he got to know Cardinal Sarr while working on the Africa desk at Vatican Radio.
"I know him to be one of the most noble prelates the church in Africa has," said Father Alumuku.
He described Cardinal Sarr as highly respected by Africa's French-speaking bishops and recalled that the new cardinal had worked for peace in Senegal and for reconciliation in West Africa.
"I do hope that he will add his voice to the pursuit of peace and stability that we need in West Africa," said Father Alumuku.
END
Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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