Francis Arinze an haife shi 1 ga watan Nuwamba 1932, ɗan Najeriya ne  Cardinal na Cocin Roman Katolika. Ya kasance Shugaban Majalisar don Bautar Allah da Horar da Saurarori daga 2002 zuwa 2008. Ya kasance Bishop na Cardinal na Velletri-Segni tun 2005. Arinze na ɗaya daga cikin manyan mashawarta ga Paparoma John Paul na II kuma an ɗauke shi papabile kafin babban taron papal na 2005, wanda ya zaɓi Paparoma Benedict XVI. An haifi Arinze a Eziowelle, Anambra, Najeriya. Wanda ya tuba daga addinin gargajiya na Afirka,  ya yi masa baftisma a ranar haihuwarsa ta tara (1 ga watan Nuwamba 1941) ta Uba Michael Tansi, wanda John Paul II ya buge a 1998. Iyayensa daga baya sun koma addinin Katolika. A shekaru 15, sai ya shiga All Hallows Seminary da Onitsha daga wanda ya sauke karatu da kuma aikata wani falsafa digiri a 1950. Mahaifinsa da farko yana adawa da shiga makarantar hauza, amma bayan ganin yadda Francis ya ji daɗin hakan, ya ƙarfafa shi. Arinze ya zauna a All Hallows har zuwa 1953 don koyarwa.