The Catholic faith never changes. But the language and mode of manifesting this one faith can change according to peoples, times and places.

At age 15 he entered All Hallows Seminary of Onitsha from which he graduated and earned a philosophy degree in 1950. Arinze was one of the principal advisors to Pope John Paul II and was considered papabile before the 2005 papal conclave which elected Benedict XVI. Cardinal Arinze became even more visible to the public as a member of the Committee of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.

He is Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments having served as prefect from 2002 to 2008. Arinze was one of the principal advisors to Pope John Paul II and was considered papabile before the 2005 papal conclave which elected Benedict XVI.