Newly appointed Archbishop of Dakar to replace Cardinal Sarr

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Théodore-Adrien Sarr from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Dakar in Senegal on account of age. This is in accordance with canon 401 § 1 of the code of Canon Law. The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Benjamin Ndiaye, hitherto Bishop of Kaolack in Senegal as the new Archbishop of Dakar.

Cardinal Théodore-Adrien Sarr was appointed Archbishop  of Dakar on 2 June 2000 by Pope John Paul II, from the Diocese of Kaolack. At the time, he succeeded the late Cardinal Hyacinthe Thiandoum, the first Senegalese Bishop and first Cardinal of the country.

Cardinal Sarr was created Cardinal in the consistory of 24 November 2007 by Pope emeritus, Benedict XVI.  In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI named Cardinal Sarr as a member of the Congregation for Divine worship and the discipline of the Sacraments. Later, in 2009 Cardinal Sarr was appointed as one of the President-delegates of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Africa (Second synod for Africa) that Pope Benedict XVI called in October 2009.

The newly appointed Archbishop of Dakar, Benjamin Ndiaye, represented his episcopal region to the extraordinary synod on family that was held in Rome, October, this year.  He attended the synod in his capacity as President of the Territorial Episcopal Conference of Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau.

He became Bishop of Kaolack on  30 June 2001. At the time of his appointment, then Fr. Benjamin Ndiaye was the Vicar General of the Diocese of Dakar.

Archbishop Benjamin Ndiaye was born in 1948 in  Senegal and was ordained priest in 1977.

(Fr. Paul Samasumo)

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