AFRICA/KENYA - “There is no honour without burden. If the Lord asks us, through the Pope, to shoulder this responsibility I am certain that this is not our work, it is the Lord who works in us, we are his tools” says Cardinal elect John Njue, Archbishop of Nairobi

Roma (Agenzia Fides)- “These sort of things are totally unexpected. Especially in my case, I have just been moved to Nairobi as Archbishop” Cardinal elect John Njue, Archbishop of Nairobi and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Kenya told Fides. The Archbishop is in Rome for the ad limina visit with the other Bishops of Kenya and he will be created Cardinal during the Consistory this weekend, 24 and 25 November with 22 other new Cardinals. “This has come as a real surprise. It is an honour for me, but above all for the Church in Kenya and in Africa”.
“This is an important call and commitment: to be close to the Holy Father, to walk beside him and do the tasks he assigns us. The is no honour without burden. If the Lord asks us, through the Pope, to shoulder this responsibility I am certain that this is not our work, it is the Lord who works in us, we are his tools” the Cardinal elect concluded.
Another African Cardinal will receive his red hat on Saturday 24 November, Cardinal elect Théodore Adrien Sarr, Archbishop of Dakar, in Senegal and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Senegal, Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde.
Cardinal Njue is the second Cardinal of Kenya; the first was the late Cardinal Maurice Michael Otunga, Archbishop emeritus of Nairobi and emeritus Military Ordinary for Kenya, created Cardinal by Pope Paul VI on 5 March 1973, with the title Church of S. Gregorio Barbarigo alle Tre Fontane. Cardinal Otunga died in September 2003.
The first African Cardinal was Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa, (1912-1997), Archbishop of Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, created Cardinal in 1960. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 23/11/2007 righe 20 parole 300)