John Onaiyekan

==Church leader==
In October 1980, [[Pope John Paul II]] named Onaiyekan to a five-year term on the [[International Theological Commission]]. In November, he joined the International Catholic/Methodist Dialogue Commission.<ref name=ac/>

Onaiyekan was appointed auxiliary bishop of [[Ilorin]] in [[Kwara State]], and titular bishop of [[Thunusuda]] on 10 September 1982.<ref>{{cite book | page = 173 | url = http://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-75-1983-I-ocr.pdf | date = 1983 | volume = LXXV | title = Acta Apostolicae Sedis | access-date = 6 April 2021 | archive-date = 11 October 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171011021313/http://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-75-1983-I-ocr.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref> He received his episcopal consecration on 6 January 1983 by Pope John Paul II. He was named Bishop of Ilorin on 20 October 1984.<ref>{{cite book | page = 88 | url = http://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-77-1985-ocr.pdf | date = 1985 | volume = LXXVII | title = Acta Apostolicae Sedis | access-date = 6 April 2021 | archive-date = 30 August 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210830214346/https://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-77-1985-ocr.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref> On 7 July 1990 he was appointed [[coadjutor bishop]] of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Abuja|Abuja]]. When that diocese became an [[Metropolitan see|Archdiocese]] on 26 March 1994, Onaiyekan became its first archbishop.<ref name=ac/>

Onaiyekan was elected Vice-President of the [[Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria]] (CBCN) in 1994 and President of that body in 2000.<ref name=ac/> 

During the administration of Nigerian President [[Olusegun Obasanjo]], and especially during his second term between 2004 and 2007, Onaiyekan spoke out against the regime for its failure to support democratic principles and its corruption. Speaking in a service in his cathedral in 2005 with the president in attendance, he called on Obasanjo to resist the temptation to stand for a third term, which the Nigerian constitution did not allow, and asked him to "resist the deadly temptation to want to remain in power perpetually by hook or by crook". His stance was credited with saving Nigeria from the imposition of a dictatorship.<ref name=consistory/> He was named [[Pax Christi International]]'s 2012 Peace Laureate.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.va/en/news/archbishop-onaiyekan-is-2012-pax-christi-peace-lau|title=Archbishop Onaiyekan is 2012 Pax Christi peace laureate|access-date=6 December 2016|publisher=Vatican News Service|archive-date=6 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106103311/http://www.news.va/en/news/archbishop-onaiyekan-is-2012-pax-christi-peace-lau|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 18 September 2012, [[Pope Benedict XVI]] named Onaiyekan one of the Synod Fathers for the October 2012 Ordinary General Assembly of the [[Synod of Bishops (Catholic)|Synod of Bishops]] on the New Evangelization.

He was created a [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinal]] by Pope Benedict XVI in a [[Papal consistory|consistory]] on 24 November 2012.<ref name=consistory>{{cite news|last1=Allen Jr.|first1=John L.|title=Vatican consistory creating six cardinals packs global punch|url=https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/vatican-consistory-creating-six-cardinals-packs-global-punch|access-date=5 January 2017|work=National Catholic Reporter|date=26 November 2012|archive-date=6 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106103153/https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/vatican-consistory-creating-six-cardinals-packs-global-punch|url-status=live}}</ref> As [[Cardinal-Priest]] he was assigned to the [[titular church]] of [[San Saturnino]].

On 31 January 2013, [[Pope Benedict XVI]] appointed Onaiyekan a member of the [[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]] (CDF) and a member of the Presidential Committee of the [[Pontifical Council for the Family]]. He can hold these positions until his 80th birthday.

He was one of the [[Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 2013|cardinal electors]] who participated in the [[Papal conclave, 2013|2013 papal conclave]] that elected [[Pope Francis]].<ref>{{cite news | url = https://zenit.org/articles/list-of-cardinal-electors/ | work = Zenit | access-date = 26 January 2019 | date = 12 March 2013 | title = List of Cardinal Electors | archive-date = 6 April 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190406032226/https://zenit.org/articles/list-of-cardinal-electors/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

Pope Francis appointed Onaiyekan the [[Apostolic Administrator]] of the [[diocese of Ahiara]] in Imo State in eastern Nigeria on 3 July 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2013/07/03/0440/00999.html |title=Rinunce e nomine |date=3 July 2013 |website=press.vatican.va |access-date=30 April 2015 |archive-date=11 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911081428/http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2013/07/03/0440/00999.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Pope Francis appointed him to a five-year renewable term as a member of the [[Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments]] in October 2016.

He won the election for the position of [[Christian Association of Nigeria]] (CAN) President on 19 June 2007 with 72 votes over Anglican Primate [[Peter Akinola]] who had 33 votes.<ref name=cbcn>{{cite news|title=Onaiyekan is new CAN president |url=http://www.cbcn.org/aspscripts/newslist.ASP?IDX=1#Onaiyekan%20is%20new%20CAN%20president-June%2019 |work=CBCN.org |publisher=[[Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria]] |date=19 June 2007 |access-date=16 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070720191629/http://www.cbcn.org/aspscripts/newslist.ASP?IDX=1#Onaiyekan |archive-date=20 July 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=champ>{{cite news |title=Okoh Emerges CAN Vice-President. He was succeeded by Pastor Ayo Orisajfor |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200707300191.html |work=[[Daily Champion]] |publisher=[[allAfrica.com|AllAfrica Global Media]] |date=30 July 2007 |access-date=13 September 2007 |archive-date=8 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708194255/http://allafrica.com/stories/200707300191.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010 he was succeeded by [[Ayo Oritsejafor]].

Pope Francis accepted his resignation as Archbishop of Abuja on 9 November 2019.<ref>{{cite press release | title = Resignations and Assignments, 09.11.2019 | publisher = Holy See Press Office | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/11/09/191109b.html | date = 9 November 2019 | access-date = 9 November 2019 | archive-date = 9 November 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191109124144/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/11/09/191109b.html | url-status = live }}</ref>