Priesthood Peter Ebere Okpaleke born on 1 March 1963 in Amesi in
Anambra State, Nigeria. He attended local schools and in 1983 entered the Bigard Memorial Major Seminary in Ikot-Ekpene and Enugu, where he studied philosophy and theology from 1983 to 1992. He was ordained a priest of the
Diocese of Awka on 22 August 1992. Okpaleke was consecrated a bishop on 21 May 2013. Because of objections to his appointment, his consecration was held outside the Diocese, in the Major Seminary of Ulakwo in the
Archdiocese of Owerri. Local clergy and parishioners objected to his appointment and prevented him from entering the cathedral in order to take possession of the diocese. A petition objecting to the fact that Okpaleke was not of the area's Mbaise ethnic origin was sent to Pope Benedict after he appointed Okpaleke bishop. On 9 June 2017, Pope Francis gave clergy in the diocese 30 days to either write a letter promising obedience and accepting Okpaleke as their bishop or be suspended. Clergy sent letters of apology but continued to protest what they saw as racial discrimination. On 19 February 2018, Pope Francis accepted Okpaleke's resignation as Bishop of Ahiara. On 5 March 2020, just over two years after accepting his resignation as Bishop of Ahiara, Pope Francis appointed Okpaleke the Bishop of the
Diocese of Ekwulobia, a newly created diocese in
Anambra State which formerly had its territory under the jurisdiction of
Awka Diocese. Okpaleke was installed there on 29 April 2020. Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 27 August 2022, assigning him to the rank of
Cardinal-Priest of
Ss. Martiri dell’Uganda a Poggio Ameno. He participated as a
cardinal elector in the
2025 papal conclave that elected
Pope Leo XIV. ==See also==