Gabriel Zubeir Wako (born 27 February 1941) is a Sudanese Cardinal of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Biography

Born in Mboro, Sudan, he was ordained to the priesthood on 21 July 1963. He was appointed as the

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

of Wau in 1974, and later as the Archbishop of Khartoum in 1981. Zubeir Wako was named the

Cardinal-Priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

of '' Sant'Atanasio a Via Tiburtina'' by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

in the papal consistory held on 21 October 2003. He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...

and the 2013 conclave that elected

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

. Cardinal Zubeir Wako escaped an assassination attempt by a member of the predominantly Muslim

Messiria tribe The Messiria (), known also under the name of Misseriya Arabs, are a branch of the Baggara ethnic grouping of Arab tribes.Adam, Biraima M. 2012. Baggara of Sudan: Culture and Environment, Amazon online Books''Baggara of Sudan: Culture and Enviro ...

when celebrating Sunday Mass on 10 October 2010. He retired as Archbishop of Khartoum on 10 December 2016 and was succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Didi Adgum Mangoria.

Views and theology

Family

Zubeir Wako made it a pastoral priority for his episcopacy to engage with families, and particularly with children. The cardinal noted that many children were left orphaned due to civil war in the country which leaves them vulnerable and in a poorer state. It was for that reason that the cardinal enabled for the archdiocese to intensify the "programmes for children in education and healthcare". However, the cardinal also identified problems that face the family that were particularly of a secular nature. Zubeir Wako noted that "practices such as polygamy, adultery and divorce" quickly emerged threatening traditional marriage and family teachings that the cardinal noted that the Church would continue to uphold.

Sources

External links

* 1941 births Living people South Sudanese cardinals 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Sudan 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Africa 21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Africa Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II Roman Catholic archbishops of Khartoum Roman Catholic bishops of Wau {{Sudan-bio-stub