Cardinal Njue: I'll still carry on with pastoral duties

Retired Cardinal John Njue has promised to carry on with his pastoral work, saying although he is retired, he was not yet tired.

Njue Saturday said he will be be involved in the church's administrative agenda but will remain an active member.

"Even if am retired, I'm still around... I might have stepped aside from administrative duties but in terms of pastoral obligations am still be very much available," Njue said.

He spoke during his thanksgiving mass for his service as head of the Nairobi Archdiocese and the Catholic Church in Kenya.

Njue resigned after attaining the retirement age of 75.

The church canon requires that a bishop writes to the Pope after attaining the age of 75 to be allowed to resign.

Njue was replaced by David Kamau as the head of the Nairobi diocese.

Bishop Kamau has been serving in the archdiocese as the Auxiliary Bishop of Nairobi since December 1999.

Njue took over as the bishop of Nairobi diocese in November 2007 following the retirement of Ndingi Mwana Nzeki. 

On Saturday, various leaders who served with Njue described him as a workaholic and a highly devoted spiritual leader.

Njue is credited with the expansion of the Nairobi diocese during his tenure.

"His genius is that he was able to transform what had been laid down. With a plan in mind, he experienced an obstacle of finances in his plan to grow the diocese," Fr. Simon Nganga the Archdiocese procreator said.