Cardinal Njue resigned in a letter to Pope Francis.
The acceptance letter of Cardinal Njue’s resignation was sent to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) on Monday by the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, Archbishop Hubertus van Megen.
Archbishop Njue, who has been serving the Archdiocese of Nairobi since 2007, resigned after attaining the age of 75 in conformity with the Canon Law that requires Bishops, including Cardinals to step aside at 75.
Pope Francis has in the meantime appointed Nairobi Auxiliary Bishop David Kamau as the Apostolic Administrator of Nairobi Archdiocese.
Bishop Kamau has been serving in the archdiocese since December 1999 when he was appointed the Auxiliary Bishop of Nairobi.
Currently, there are three other Archbishops in Kenya; Archbishop Antony Muheria (Nyeri), Archbishop Martin Musonde (Mombasa) and Archbishop Philip Arnold Subira Anyolo (Kisumu).
Njue took over from the Late Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a’Nzeki who retired in October 2007 after attaining the retirement age of 75 years.
Later in a Consistory, on 24th November 2007, the Pontiff elevated Most Rev. John Njue as Cardinal, becoming a member of the Sacred College of Cardinals.
His Eminence John Cardinal Njue is the second Cardinal in the history of Kenya after Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga.
He served as the Chairman of the Seminary Episcopal Commission for Major Seminaries in Kenya from 1987 to 1991.
He became the chairman of the Kenyan Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) from 1997 to 2003. He also served as the Chairman for KCCB – Catholic Justice and Peace Commission and Chairman of Development and Social Services Department Kenya Catholic Secretariat (KCS).
He was appointed Co-adjutor Archbishop of Nyeri on 9th, March 2002.
He was appointed the Apostolic Administrator of the Vicariate of
Isiolo from 2005 – 2006 following the death of the Late Rt. Rev. Luigi
Locati in the year 2000.
