29 August 1965, at the age of 32. He attended the final session of the Second Vatican Council in 1965. Heerey died on 6 February 1967, and Pope Paul appointed Arinze to succeed him as archbishop on 26 June 1967. He was the first native African to head this archdiocese. The Nigeria-Biafra War broke out just days after Arinze was named archbishop. The entire archdiocese was located in the secessionist Biafran territory. Arinze fled to Adazi and then Amichi until the war ended in 1980. Arinze spent these years aiding refugees and with the help of foreign missionarieso supervised what one international relief worker called one of "the most effective and efficient distributions of relief materials" in history. He kept the Church independent of the warring factions. At the end of the war, the Nigerian government deported all foreign missionaries stationed in the archdiocese, leaving only the native clergy and religious, who were few in number. The government also confiscated the Catholic schools, most of which also served as churches or parish halls. He was president of the Nigerian Bishops Conference from 1979 to 1984. Impressed by Arinze's ability to work with Muslims, Pope John Paul II on 8 April 1984 appointed Arinze pro-president of the Secretariat for Non-Christians, later renamed the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Arinze continued as the ordinary of his archdiocese. In 1985, he was awarded the chieftain's title of the Ochudouwa of Eziowelle. On 9 March 1985, Arinze resigned from his post in Onitsha. Cardinal Pope John Paul named Arinze Cardinal-Deacon of San Giovanni della Pigna in the consistory held on 25 May 1985. After ten years he exercised his option to be raised to the rank of cardinal-priest, which Pope John Paul approved on 29 January 1996. Two days after he became a cardinal, Arinze was appointed president of the Secretariat for Non-Christians, which was renamed the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in 1988. He served in various related capacities including the president of the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops. He also received honours in this capacity: On 24 October 1999 he received a gold medallion from the International Council of Christians and Jews for his outstanding achievements in inter-faith relations. He traveled extensively and became a popular speaker in the United States. Arinze was a member of the Committee of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. In that