Wilfrid Napier

Wilfrid Fox Napier, OFM (born 1941) is a South African prelate, a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Durban, South Africa.infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Wilfrid Fox Napier
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
See=Durban

Biography

Napier was born on March 8, 1941 in Swartberg, South Africa and ordained a priest in 1970. He first became a bishop in 1980 when he was appointed bishop of Kokstad. In 1992, he succeeded Denis Hurley as archbishop of Durban, a position he still holds. He chose as his episcopal motto the franciscan phrase "pax et bonum" which translated means "Peace and goodwill".

Cardinal Napier is a member of the Episcopal Board of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy. Napier was proclaimed a Cardinal Priest of the Church in 2001 and was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI, formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

In January, 2005, Cardinal Napier made controversial statements arguing that government programmes to distribute condoms were ineffectual in stemming the spread of HIV. Instead, he proposed programmes based around abstinence. [ [http://www.medilinkz.org/news/news2.asp?NewsID=9386 S. Africa Health Minister To Discuss AIDS Programs With Religious Leaders, Including Bishops Opposed to Condom Use:Health and Medicine News - Medilinks Africa ] ]

References

External links

* [http://iafrica.com/news/sa/984386.htm An article] discussing Cardinal Napier's sentiments about the Papal conclave, before the fact
* [http://www.catholic-pages.com/hierarchy/cardinals_bio.asp?ref=178 Wilfrid Napier bio]