Long time Zulu Mission supporters who remember receiving Cardinal Napier’s friendly letters, filled with news about the poorer members of the community he sought to uplift, will be glad to know that the Cardinal may have retired as Archbishop of Durban, but he is still very much involved in the work of the Church!

At the age of 84, he serves as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Eshowe, and is a frequent contributor to The Southern Cross newspaper.

In April, along with Cardinal Brislin, Napier attended the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome. He and Francis enjoyed a good relationship for many years, after having both been made cardinals at the same time in 2001 by Pope John Paul II.

Key position in the Council for the Economy

When he was elected Pope, Francis appointed Napier to one of the key positions of the Council for the Economy, which was tasked with putting in place systems that measured up to the best practices in financial management in the world, with particular reference to accountability and transparency.

During his recent visit to Rome, Cardinal Napier was interviewed by Colm Flynn of EWTN News, during which he spoke about the ongoing challenges facing our country and its people. Click to view the video of the interview below.