Pope Francis accepts Cardinal John Njue resignation as Nairobi Archbishop
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal John Njue from the pastoral governance of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nairobi.
The Holy See Press Office announced on Monday that the Pope has appointed Nairobi Auxiliary Bishop Rt. Rev. David Kamau as the Apostolic Administrator of Nairobi Archdiocese
Cardinal Njue, 76, was appointed Archbishop of Nairobi on October 6, 2007, taking over from Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a’Nzeki who retired in October 2007 after attaining the retirement age of 75 years.
Cardinal Njue tendered his resignation upon attaining the mandatory retirement age for Bishops which is 75 years.
According to the Canon Law, archdiocesan/diocesan Bishops, including Cardinals, are requested to submit their resignation to the Pope on reaching the age of 75 years.
Canon law, which are laws followed by the Catholic Church, state that Cardinals are eligible to vote for a new Pope until they turn 80 and can also take part in crucial decisions when called upon by the Pope.
Cardinal Njue was born in 1944 at Kiriari, Embu County and was ordained a priest by Pope Paul VI on January 6, 1973.
He holds a doctorate in philosophy from the Pontifical Urbaniana University and a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Lateran University.
According to Vatican News, in 1974 he was appointed philosophy professor and dean of students at St. Augustine Senior Seminary, Mabanga in Bungoma, of which he was also rector from 1978 to 1982.
In 1982, he was appointed to Chuka Parish as its first African parish priest. He then served as rector of St. Joseph’s Philosophicum Seminary in Nairobi until his appointment on 9 June 1986 as the first Bishop of Embu.
He was ordained bishop on September 20 of that year and then coadjutor Archbishop of Nyeri on January 23, 2002.
From 2005-2006, he was Apostolic Administrator of the Vicariate of Isiolo. He was also Apostolic Administrator of the diocese of Murang’a (2006-2009).
On 6 October 2007 he was appointed Archbishop of Nairobi.
He has been chairman of various commissions, such as the Episcopal commission for major seminaries in Kenya and the Kenya Episcopal Conference’s Justice and Peace Commission.
From 2006 to 2015 he was president of the Kenya Episcopal Conference.
He participated in the III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (October 2014) on The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization and in the XIV Ordinary General Assembly on The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World (October 2015).
He also participated in the conclave of March 2013, which elected Pope Francis.
Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Benedict XVI in the consistory of 24 November 2007, of the Title of Preziosissimo Sangue di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo (Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ).