Francis Arinze and God's Invisible Hand.

ROME, JAN. 13, 2004 (Zenit.org).- A new book touches on Francis Arinze's spiritual journey, including his childhood baptism up to his days as a cardinal prefect of a Vatican dicastery.

"God's Invisible Hand," summarizing a series of interviews, recounts the spiritual journey of Cardinal Arinze, the 71-year-old prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

In the book the Nigerian recounts how he came to see the invisible hand of God as the guide of history and of his own life, a concept that has become central to his spirituality and decision-making.

Speaking with Vatican correspondent Gerard O'Connell, the cardinal reveals many previously untold details of his personal journey. The book has been published in Kenya by Paulines Africa.

From Francis Arinze's school years in Nigeria, through his university days in Rome and his studies in London, the reader gets a glimpse of his life as priest and bishop.

The book reveals what it meant to be the youngest bishop in the world when participating in the final session of the Second Vatican Council. The work also records his years as a "fugitive bishop" in Biafra during the Nigerian civil war of 1967-1970.

The volume refers to his postwar effort to reconstruct in Church in the Archdiocese of Onitsha, following the expulsion of missionaries from the country, and covers the period he spent as president of the Nigerian episcopal conference, which culminated with John Paul II's first visit to the country in 1982.

Blessed Michael Cyprian Iwene Tansi, a priest and the first blessed of west Africa, baptized Francis Arinze at age 9. He played a key role in the latter's life, inspiring him in his priestly vocation. The book refers to their spiritual relation and reveals how the cardinal opened the way for his "mentor's" beatification.

The second part of the book focuses on key moments in the prelate's life, such as his appointment by John Paul II as president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (1984-2002).

It also offers the cardinal's personal reflections when accompanying the Pope on his trips to Morocco, Egypt and South Africa, on his work in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and on his conversation with Mother Teresa of Calcutta shortly before her death.

In the 400-page volume, 16 of which comprise photographs, the reader will also find the testimony of the moment when Cardinal Arinze presided at the funeral of the seven Trappist monks of Algeria who were decapitated by Muslim fundamentalists.

In October 2002, John Paul II appointed Cardinal Arinze as head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. In the final interview, recorded in December 2002, the cardinal reflects on his 18 years of experience in heading the Church's dialogue with other religions as president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and explains how he perceives his new mission.

Theologically he's essentially in the John Paul II mold, right down the line - though he openly admitted that he's not the intellectual that the Holy Father was.

Thank you for sharing that amusing incident with the car.

For those who may have missed it, Cardinal Arinze appeared recently as a guest of Raymond Arroyo on EWTN. Like JPII, he is straightforward with his responses. Here are some excerpts, compliments of Lifesite.net.

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Arroyo questioned the Vatican Cardinal saying: “Last year, you were asked at a press conference whether a politician, a Catholic politician who supports abortion publicly should be permitted to the Communion rail, should be permitted to receive Communion publicly. What is your response to that?”

Cardinal Arinze responded, “The answer is clear. If a person says I am in favour of killing unborn babies whether they be four thousand or five thousand, I have been in favour of killing them. I will be in favour of killing them tomorrow and next week and next year. So, unborn babies, too bad for you. I am in favour that you should be killed, then the person turn around and say I want to receive Holy Communion. Do you need any Cardinal from the Vatican to answer that?

Laughing, Arroyo responded, “It should be pretty transparent.” To which the Cardinal concluded, “Simple, ask the children for First Communion, they'll give you the answer.”

Similarly, Cardinal Arinze ruled out Communion for homosexual activists.

Arroyo noted that while some US bishops have refused Communion to Rainbow Sash activists, others such as Archbishop Harry Flynn of Minneapolis - St. Paul have not. Flynn, after meeting with Cardinal Arinze in Rome recently, suggested that the Cardinal was open to allowing communion for Rainbow Sash activists.

Arroyo first confirmed the meeting with Archbishop Flynn took place. “Did such a conversation take place between you and this archbishop?,” asked Arroyo, to which Cardinal Arinze responded, “Yes.”

Arroyo followed with “And were you open to allowing this group to receive Communion as he inferred in some of the newspapers.”

The Vatican Cardinal responded, “No, no. You see, let's get it clear. These rainbow sash people, are they really saying we are homosexuals, we intend to remain so and we want to receive Holy Communion. The question arises; take the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It says it is not condemning a person for having homosexual tendency. We don't condemn anybody for that. But a person stands condemned for acting on it.”

On homosexuality the Cardinal was clear. “The Catholic Church has never accepted homosexuality as normal. You read the scripture. It's very clear. What exactly are we examining? Are we going to change Divine Law, how God made us?”

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