Cardinal Francis Arinze has offered a candid explanation for why Nigeria, despite its large and vibrant Catholic population, has not yet produced a canonized saint. According to the cardinal, the absence of a Nigerian saint is not due to any reluctance on the part of Rome but reflects the pastoral priorities of the local Church in Nigeria.
Speaking on the process of beatification and canonization, Cardinal Arinze said the responsibility for promoting sainthood causes lies primarily with local dioceses. He noted that while the Nigerian Church has made significant investments in building churches, schools, seminaries, and convents, it has not placed the same urgency on advancing causes for beatification.
“I would say that the Church in Nigeria has to place beatification and canonization causes as a pastoral priority,” the cardinal said. “There is a tendency to think of building a church, build a school, build a seminary, build a convent, but there is not such a rush to start the cause of beatification.”
He stressed that the Vatican does not actively search for candidates for sainthood around the world, explaining that initiatives must come from the local Church. “Rome cannot go around the world to promote causes,” he said. “It is for the local Church, but it has not become a priority for the Church in Nigeria.”
Cardinal Arinze also warned against limiting sainthood efforts to clergy alone, noting that such an approach can distort the understanding of Christian holiness. “If only clerics are beatified, the impression is given that to be a good Christian you have to be a cleric,” he said, urging greater recognition of holiness among laypeople.
As an example of this broader vision, the cardinal pointed to the opening in 2023 of the cause for Vivian Ogu, a 14-year-old Nigerian-born Catholic girl who was killed in 2009 after refusing sexual violence. Her cause, he said, reflects the Church’s recognition that sanctity can be lived in everyday life, including by young people and the laity.
Finally, Cardinal Arinze emphasized that the path to beatification and canonization is ultimately spiritual, not administrative. “Causes are not promoted by logic. We pray. And also a miracle is demanded,” he said. “If there is not a miracle, the beatification will not be finalized. So we have to pray.”