Cardinal Francis Arinze is the most senior African cardinal at the Vatican. He is president of the Pontifical council for inter-religious Dialogue.

He was appointed by Pope John Paul II as Cardinal Deacon of St John (Della Pigna); transferred to order of Cardinal Priest.
He is Africa's most highly regarded candidate to succeed the ailing Catholic Pontiff, Pope John Paul II. Vatican sources reveal that Arinze, 68, who is head of the inter-denominational council on relations with non-Catholic, has a good chance of becoming the second black Pope is indisposed.

Arinze has managed to hold very impressive balance between being a prince of the church and being an African.