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Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier, O.F.M.,
Archbishop of Durban, South Africa, Apostolic Administrator
sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of Umzimkulu,
was born on 8 March 1941 in Swartberg, South Africa.
He was ordained for the Franciscans on 25 July 1970
following philosophical and theological studies
at the Catholic University of Louvain.
After learning Xhosa, he worked in the parish of
Lusikisiki and did pastoral work in Tabankulu. In
1978 he was named Apostolic Administrator of Kokstad
and appointed Bishop of the same see on 29 November
1980, receiving episcopal ordination on 28 February
1981. During the turbulent changes that marked the
South African political scene, he was deeply involved
in mediation and negotiation work along with other
national and provincial Church leaders. He served
as President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops'
Conference from 1987 to 1994.
On 29 May 1992 he was promoted to Archbishop of
Durban and on 1 August 1994 was named Apostolic
Administrator sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis
of Umzimkulu. Since November 1999, he is President
of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference
(SACBC).
Curial membership:
-Evangelization of Peoples, Institutes of Consecrated
Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (congregations)
-Special Council for Africa of the General Secretariat
of the Synod of Bishops
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