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Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
Newly appointed Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Ayua Kaigama, has said he remains the Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Archdiocese of Jos pending the appointment of a successor by Pope Francis.
Kigama told Daily Sun that the clarification was necessary as he received numerous calls from persons seeking to know if he had relocated to Abuja as Archbishop.
Kaigama, past President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), said although he had taken canonical possession of the Archdiocese of Abuja following the announcement, he will relocate to Abuja after the installation Mass taking place on December 5.
“The Pope has accepted the resignation of His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan. That means at the attainment of 75 years, he has been granted permission to retire and to rest. And because I was named a co-adjutor in March this year, that means the moment that letter came out, automatically I take over. There is no further information from Rome or from the Vatican to appoint me. It was instantly done. So, there is no gap between the Cardinal’s retirement and his replacement; his replacement is automatic.
“But that does not mean that I have moved into Abuja and taken over. We have to work towards having a Mass; a celebration that will mark the formal commencement of my work in Abuja Archdiocese. A Mass where people can attend and they will know that I have officially taken over.”
