Friday, June 22, 2007

You heard it here first (latest official Anglican, Roman Catholic, and ecumenical news)

From Ecumenical News International:

Catholic archbishop wins 'tense' Nigerian election

Abuja (ENI). Roman Catholic Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Abuja has been elected to succeed Anglican leader Peter Akinola as president of the Christian Associationof Nigeria. Onaiyekan defeated Akinola by 72 votes to 33 in a 19 June vote that had "some tense moments", Nigeria's Business Day newspaper reported.It added that the association's 5-6 July general assembly is expected to ratifythe election made by CAN's 105-member national executive council.
[325 words,ENI-07-0482]

A great day for me to be working on an essay on African feminist ecclesiologies, eh?

7 comments:

johnieb said...

"Tense moments?"

Were hanging chads involved?

June Butler said...

So, is this a truly a good thing? What kinda fella is Archbishop Onaiyekan? He has to be a kinder, gentler guy than AB Pete, right?

johnieb said...

Heaven forfend otherwise, Mimi, and I won't inflict my absence of French upon y'all any longer; think of it as a distant longing.

pj said...

Sigh. Jane, I hate to do this to you, but consider yourself tagged.

Sorry.

Ken said...

Akinola is really out? Can the 2nd Coming be far behind? Hadda love the guy, though. Half the population (yes I exaggerate) of Nigeria was dying of AIDS, but it was heterosexually acquired AIDS, so that took it off this guy's radar? Did AB Akinola ever comment on the sexism and promiscuity in Nigeria that made it a nightmare state, or was he content to be Sen. McCarthy with a list of 200 homosexuals set to bring down the perfection of Nigeria?

Jane R said...

Out as head of the Christian Association of Nigeria - an ecumenical event, not a specifically Anglican one, though I expect anything that happens to Abp. Akinola is an Anglican event. For more from an African news source, see here.

Jane R said...

More from another local news source (interesting re: Abp. Akinola's seeming tantrum) here.

And for some of Abp. Onaiyekan's first moves as head of the CAN, see here.

You can get a tiny glimpse of the complex Nigerian political and religious scene here.

The Catholic Church hierarchy in Nigeria, particularly this abp., is encouraging involvement in the political process and transparency (corruption is a big problem). See article here on elections.