Africa-Press – Mauritius. His Eminence Cardinal Onaiyekan from Nigeria, paid a courtesy call, this morning, on the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis. He was accompanied by Cardinal Maurice E. Piat, and Bishop Raymond Ahoua, President of the Pan-African Association of Catholic Exegetes (APECA).
Cardinal Onaiyekan is in Mauritius in the context of the 20th Congress of the APECA which is being held from 05 to 10 September 2022 at the Foyer de l’Unité in Souillac. This Congress welcomes 50 participants from Africa, Europe, the Indian Ocean and Mauritius. The programme comprises around 30 conferences over five days and meetings in Mauritian parishes.
In a statement after the meeting, Cardinal Onaiyekan said that discussions with the Prime Minister focused mainly on the issues of climate change and its impacts and the measures that need to be taken to save the Planet. He also dwelt on the Congress of the APECA and recalled that the theme chosen is: “Bible and Ecology: Contribution of African Bible Scholars to Environmental Issues in Africa”. He added that the complexity of the ecological crisis requires an integrated and interdisciplinary approach to deal with it and requires partnerships and cooperation across all sectors of society, governments, NGOs and religious bodies.
He further lauded the calibre of leadership that Mauritius has and commended the country for its spirit of peace and unity where major religions live in harmony and respect one another. He firmly believes that it is possible for everyone to live in peace by respecting the freedom of the other.
John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, born 29 January 1944, is a Nigerian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Abuja from 1994 to 2019 and was made a Cardinal in 2012. He has served as President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, and Bishop of Ilorin.
He was co-nominated for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize with the Sultan of Sokoto. He is the recipient of the 2012 Pax Christi Prize for his work of peace and dialogue with Islam. Cardinal John Onaiyekan also participated in the March 2013 conclave, which elected Pope Francis.
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