Vatican City (Fides Service)- On December 16 in St Peter’s basilica Pope John Paul II presided the funeral mass for Cardinal Paulos Tzadua, Emeritus Archbishop of Addis Ababa. The Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Dean of the College of Cardinals. During his homily the Pope said this about Cardinal Tzadua: “a zealous Priest and Bishop he devoted his life to Christ and the Church. Significant was his motto: ‘For Jesus Christ’. Imitating the Lord he became a servant of his brothers and sisters putting at their service the high qualities with which he was endowed, as well as his vast knowledge acquired in study especially in the juridical field. But besides his pastoral fatigue, he gave his very self, bearing witness everywhere to unswerving apostolic spirit. We like to recall him as a generous and active Shepherd of that venerable portion of the Church which is in Africa for which he was an eloquent spokesman at the Synod of Bishops, which he attended as President of the Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia and later as Archbishop of Addis Ababa and Cardinal.”
Cardinal Tzadua was born on 25 August 1921 in the village of Addifini, in the Eparchy of Asmara (Eritrea). He was ordained a priest on 12 March 1944. On 24 February 1977 Paul VI appointed him Archbishop Addis Ababa. He was created Cardinal by John Paul II Paolo II on May 25, 1985. He was Delegate President of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Africa (1994). He was Archbishop of Addis Ababa until 11 September 1998.
(Fides Service 16/12/2003, lines 25 words 308)