Maurice Michael Otunga

Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga (born January 31, 1923 in Chebukwa , Kenya , † September 6, 2003 in Nairobi ) was Archbishop of Nairobi .

Life

Maurice Michael Otunga, son of a tribal chief, converted to Catholicism in 1935 . He studied at the seminary of Kampala and in Rome the subjects Catholic theology and philosophy and received on 3 October 1950, the sacrament of Holy Orders . After further studies he became professor of theology at the seminary of Kakamega in 1953 . From 1956 he worked in the diocesan administration.

On November 17, 1956, Pope Pius XII appointed him . as titular bishop of Tacapae and auxiliary bishop in Kisumu . The episcopal ordination donated him on February 25, 1957 James Robert Knox , Apostolic Delegate in British East Africa ; Co- consecrators were John Joseph McCarthy (en) CSSp , Archbishop of Nairobi , and Frederick Hall , Bishop of Kisumu .

In 1960 Maurice Michael Otunga became Bishop of Kisii . He took part in the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965 and became military bishop in Kenya in 1964 . In 1969 Pope Paul VI appointed him . the Titular Archbishop of Polymartium and Koadjutorerzbischof with right of succession for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi, whose leadership Maurice Michael Otunga took over in the 1971st In 1973 Pope Paul VI took it. as a cardinal priest with the titular church of San Gregorio Barbarigo all Tre Fontane into the college of cardinals . Otunga headed the Kenyan Bishops 'Conference for many years and was a member of the Permanent Commission of the Council of African and Malagasy Bishops' Conferences, SECEAM . In 1994, for reasons of age, he resigned the management of the Archdiocese of Nairobi and moved to a retirement home, where he worked as a pastor .

Maurice Michael Otunga died on September 6, 2003 in Nairobi. He went down in history as the first cardinal of Kenya. In 2009 the beatification process was initiated for him.

literature

• Margaret A. Ogola, Margaret Roche: Cardinal Otunga. A gift of grace. Nairobi 1999.

Web links

• Otunga, Maurice. In: Salvador Miranda : The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. ( Florida International University website), accessed August 5, 2016.
• Entry on Maurice Michael Otunga on catholic-hierarchy.org ; accessed on August 5, 2016.

predecessor	Office	successor
Bishopric newly established	Bishop of Kisii 1960–1969	Tiberius Charles Mugendi
Bishopric newly established	Military Bishop of Kenya 1964–1997	Alfred Kipkoech Arap Rotich
John Joseph McCarthy (en) CSSp	Archbishop of Nairobi Coadjutor Archbishop 1969–1971 Metropolitan Archbishop 1971–1997	Raphael S. Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki
John Joseph McCarthy CSSp	Chairman of the Kenyan Bishops' Conference (English) 1970–1976	John Njenga