Cardinal Francis Arinze, Pope’s envoy to FABC plenary
(June 13, 2009) Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday appointed Nigerian cardinal, Francis
Arinze as his special envoy to the 9th Plenary Assembly of the Federation
of the Asian Bishops’ Conferences, FABC, scheduled from August 11th to
16th in the Philippine capital, Manila. Some 120 delegates from Asian
bishops' conferences are expected to attend the six-day meeting on the theme, "Living
the Eucharist in Asia." Plenary Assemblies, the highest governing body of the Federation
are held once every four years. This year's assembly was planned originally for January
this year in Bangalore, India but later postponed and transferred to Manila. The
Manila assembly follows the last Plenary on the role of Family in Asia in Daejeon,
Korea, 2004. Cardinal Arinze, who is now retired, formerly headed the Vatican Congregation
for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and the Pontifical Council
for Inter-religious Dialogue.