Anthony Olubunmi Okogie

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Okogie was born to a royal family of Uromi in Edo State. His parents were Prince Michael Okojie - who was himself a son of King Ogbidi Okojie of Uromi - and Lucy Adunni Okojie (née Afolabi).{{cite book |last1=Tomori |first1=Pascal |title=Anthony Olubunmi Okogie: The People's Bishop |date=1991 |publisher=Jeromelaiho & Associates |location=Nigeria |page=63 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nI2cAAAAMAAJ}} His father was Esan and his mother was Yoruba. Okogie was ordained priest on 11 December 1966. He holds a licentiate in sacred theology, and had planned to study in Rome, but was called to Nigeria where he was a curate at the Holy Cross Cathedral. He was drafted into the Nigerian army, and served there as a chaplain. After another period of service at Holy Cross Cathedral, he was an instructor at King's College.

In 1971, he was consecrated Titular Bishop of Mascula and Auxiliary of Oyo, and in 1973 named archbishop. As archbishop, Okogie was president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, and from 1994 to 2000 headed the Bishops' Conference of Nigeria.

Cardinal Okogie volunteered to die in place of a Muslim woman who had been condemned to death by stoning by an Islamic court for adultery.{{cite web |url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/februaryweb-only/2-25-13.0.html |title=Archbishop Proposes to Die in Place of Woman Sentenced to Stoning |author=Obed Minchakpu |publisher=Christianity Today |date=1 February 2002 |access-date=22 February 2013}}

He was proclaimed Cardinal by Pope John Paul II in the consistory of 21 October 2003, and holds the title of Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria del Monte Carmelo a Mostacciano (or in English Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel of Mostacciano). During his cardinalate, Okogie was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI.{{cite web |url=http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/conclave-xxi.htm#2005 |title=The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church: Conclaves of the 21st Century (2005) |publisher=Salvador Miranda |access-date=6 September 2013 |archive-date=24 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224052646/http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/conclave-xxi.htm#2005 |url-status=dead }} Cardinal Okogie was also one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis.{{cite AV media | title = Procession and entrance in Conclave | medium = Television production | language = it | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTtzyr5sBkc | access-date = 9 April 2013 | date = 12 March 2013 | publisher = Centro Televisivo Vaticano | location = Rome }}{{cite web |url=http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/electors-a-z.htm |title=Cardinal electors – Conclave of March 2013 – Arranged in alphabetical order |publisher=Salvador Miranda |access-date=18 February 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/conclave-xxi.htm#2013 |title=Conclave of March 2013 |publisher=Salvador Miranda |access-date=1 November 2013 |archive-date=24 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224052646/http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/conclave-xxi.htm#2013 |url-status=dead }} During the opening day of the 2013 conclave, Cardinal Okogie was notable in that he was the one cardinal who was in a wheelchair during most of the proceedings, standing up only when it came time for him to walk towards the gospels and make the cardinal electors' oath. During the procession and entry into conclave, Cardinal Okogie was the one cardinal from the Latin church who did not wear the mozzetta.

His resignation from the pastoral governance of the see of Lagos because of having reached the age limit of 75 years was accepted on 25 May 2012.

In 2007, he condemned the government approval of a condom factory.{{cite web |url=http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0700071.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070109183552/http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0700071.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 January 2007 |title=Nigerian cardinal condemns government approval of condom factory |author=Peter Ajayi Dada |publisher=Catholic News Service |date=4 January 2007 |access-date=22 February 2013}}

Cardinal Okogie has defended the Catholic Church's laws on celibacy for Catholic priests.{{cite web |url=http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/07/24/i-had-three-girlfriends-i-still-have-sexual-urge/comment-page-1/ |title=I had three girlfriends, I still have sexual urge |work=Vanguard |author=Chioma Gabriel, Sam Eyoboka |date=24 July 2009 |access-date=22 February 2013}}

Okogie has been critical of American culture, especially as it relates to priestly vocations. He said "those people there, in the US, they don’t value anything any more. And how do you want priests to come from a place like that?”

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• {{cite web| access-date = 26 November 2017| title= Okogie Card. Anthony Olubunmi |publisher= Holy See Press Office | url= https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_okogie_ao.html | url-status=live | archive-date= 4 September 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170904062051/http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_okogie_ao.html }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050419235803/http://www.catholic-pages.com/hierarchy/cardinals_bio.asp?ref=210 Biography], catholic-pages.com. Accessed 12 March 2024.

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{{s-bef|before=Francis Anani Kofi Lodonu}}

{{s-tul|title=Titular Bishop of Mascula|years=5 June 1971 – 13 April 1973}}

{{s-aft|after=Jan Bernard Szlaga}}

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{{s-bef|before=John Kwao Amuzu Aggey}}

{{s-ttl|title=Metropolitan Archbishop of Lagos|years=13 April 1973 – 25 May 2012}}

{{s-aft|after=Alfred Adewale Martins}}

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{{s-bef|before=Gabriel Gonsum Ganaka}}

{{s-ttl|title=President of the Nigerian Episcopal Conference|years=1988 – 1994}}

{{s-aft|after=Albert Kanene Obiefuna}}

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{{s-bef|before=John Baptist Wu Cheng-chung}}

{{s-ttl|title=Cardinal-Priest of Beata Vergine Maria del Monte Carmelo a Mostacciano|years=21 October 2003 –}}

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{{Cardinals of the Catholic Church|state=collapsed}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Okogie, Anthony Olubumni}}

Category:1936 births

Category:Living people

Category:Nigerian cardinals

Category:Nigerian Roman Catholics

Category:20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Nigeria

Category:21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Nigeria

Category:Roman Catholic archbishops of Lagos

Category:Christian Association of Nigeria Presidents

Category:Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II

Category:Yoruba Christian clergy

Category:Roman Catholic bishops of Oyo