By Paul Udokang (Rabbi)
Today at Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos, the Church does not merely gather to celebrate a birthday; we gather to salute a living chapter of ecclesiastical history, a witness of apostolic courage, a shepherd of uncommon moral clarity, and a Prince of the Church whose life has become a homily preached across ninety remarkable years.
His Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, stands before us not simply as the immediate past Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, but as a father whose voice has formed consciences, whose courage has steadied the Church in difficult seasons, and whose ministry has reminded Nigeria that the Gospel is never meant to be kept safely inside the sacristy. At 90, with 60 years of priestly witness and 55 years of episcopal service, Cardinal Okogie has become what the Church prays her shepherds will become: a man consumed by God, available to the people, and unafraid of the truth.
Theologically, Cardinal Okogie’s life is a profound testimony to the mystery of vocation. In him, we see that priesthood is not career advancement, episcopacy is not decoration, and the cardinalate is not ecclesiastical ornamentation. Rather, they are deeper invitations into the cross of Christ. His long ministry teaches us that the priest is taken from among men, but set apart for God; the bishop is not a manager of ceremonies, but a guardian of faith; and the cardinal is not merely clothed in red, but marked by a readiness to defend the Church, even at great personal cost. Indeed, the red of the cardinal is not fashion. It is theology in colour. It says, “I am ready to witness, to suffer, and if necessary, to bleed for the truth.”
Pastorally, Cardinal Okogie has been a shepherd with both staff and spine. He has comforted the faithful, but he has also corrected society. He has blessed the people, but he has also disturbed the powerful. He has shown that a bishop must not only smell of the sheep, as Pope Francis would say, but must also know when wolves are approaching the flock. His ministry in Lagos was marked by formation, discipline, courage, compassion, and a deep sense that the Church must be close to the poor, attentive to the young, protective of the family, and truthful before the nation.
Credit: Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos.
He was never a silent shepherd. In fact, one suspects that if silence were ever imposed on him, even the microphone at the pulpit would protest. Cardinal Okogie has never belonged to that comfortable school of public religion where leaders bless everything, question nothing, and smile at every injustice. No. He spoke when speaking was costly. He questioned when questioning was dangerous. He reminded leaders that power is temporary, but judgment belongs to God. He reminded citizens that faith without conscience becomes decoration, and politics without morality becomes organized confusion.
And yet, beneath the firmness is a deeply pastoral heart. The Cardinal’s sharpness has never been cruelty; it has been the surgery of truth. Like a good father, he could scold, but only because he cared. Like a true shepherd, he could rebuke, but only because he refused to abandon the flock to error. In an age when many prefer popularity to principle, Cardinal Okogie has remained a witness that the Church does not exist to entertain society, but to evangelize it; not to echo public opinion, but to form it in the light of Christ.
Today’s celebration is therefore not only personal; it is ecclesial. The Church in Lagos sees in Cardinal Okogie a bridge between generations. He has seen the Church before the age of social media, and he has lived long enough to watch homilies become WhatsApp forwards before the final blessing is even concluded. He has served in an era when priests travelled with files and registers, and now in an era when even parish announcements compete with ring lights, livestreams, and parishioners checking bank alerts during Mass. Yet, through all these changes, his message has remained steady: Christ yesterday, Christ today, Christ forever.
There is also something beautifully humorous about Providence. A man born into nobility became a prince of the Church, yet his true royalty has never been in titles, but in service. His Eminence carries dignity, yes, but not the fragile dignity that fears jokes, children, market women, parish committees, or stubborn Lagos traffic. After all, any Archbishop who served Lagos for decades must have received a special anointing for patience. To shepherd Lagos is already a form of advanced theological training: one must understand grace, endurance, noise, fundraising, traffic, urgent parish requests, and the mysterious ability of committees to turn one small matter into seven meetings.
But Cardinal Okogie endured all this with strength. His motto, faith, charity, and fortitude, is not an inscription for a coat of arms alone; it is the summary of a life. Faith gave him vision; Charity kept him close to the people; Fortitude gave him the courage to speak when silence would have been easier. These virtues have made him not only an elder of the Church, but a moral institution in Nigeria.
The celebrant. Credit: Wagbémiga Mary-Peter Ònífáde.
At 90, His Eminence teaches us that longevity is grace, but meaningful longevity is mission fulfilled. Many grow old; few grow old as witnesses. Many hold office; few become reference points. Many speak; few leave words that continue to instruct after the applause has faded. Cardinal Okogie belongs to that rare company of shepherds whose lives become part of the memory of the Church.
Today, Holy Cross Cathedral is not just a venue; it is a symbol. Here, the Church gives thanks for a son of Lagos who became a father to Lagos; a priest of Christ who became a bishop of courage; a bishop who became a cardinal of conviction; and a cardinal who remains, even in retirement, a conscience, a teacher, and a blessing.
Your Eminence, on your 90th birthday, your 60th priestly anniversary, and your 55th episcopal anniversary, we thank God for your life. We thank God for your priesthood. We thank God for your courage. We thank God for your voice, even when that voice made some people adjust their seats uncomfortably. We thank God for your pastoral heart, your theological firmness, your national witness, and your fatherly presence.
May the Lord whom you have served so faithfully continue to renew your strength. May the Church you have loved continue to drink from the well of your wisdom. May the Archdiocese of Lagos continue to honour your legacy not only with applause, but with renewed fidelity to Christ, courageous evangelization, and deeper service to humanity. And may God grant you many more years of peace, joy, laughter, health, and holy satisfaction.
Ad multos annos, Your Eminence.
Long life to Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie: priest, bishop, cardinal, father, witness, and fearless Prince of the Church.
Editor’s Note: Featured photo is courtesy of Okpaleke Uchenna.
