Though the Catholic church is mourning the death of Pope Francis, questions loom as to who will take the seat of leadership next. However, there is an opportunity for the Vatican to be headed by its first ever African pope. Let’s take a look at the contenders and how they qualify.
How Is The Pope Chosen?
Haven’t you ever wondered how the Pope is chosen? It’s not exactly a biblically accurate angel appearing from the sky and calling out their name (as I assumed at one point in time). Rather, a group of 135 Catholic cardinal electors, often chosen by the previous Pope, assemble in the Sistine Chapel to deliberate, as a jury would in a courtroom. However, in this process the cardinals swear an oath of secrecy and completely shut themselves off to the outside world for as long as it takes to vote on a new Vatican leader, per The Guardian. This is called the “conclave.”
Voting begins after a celebratory mass and ballots are taken every day in the morning and afternoon until a candidate wins by two-thirds of the majority, per CNN. Smoke seen from the Vatican’s rooftop is from the burning of the ballots after they’re cast and indicates how the voting is going. If the smoke is black, the pope hasn’t been chosen. If the smoke is white, the new pope has been selected.
Who Qualifies as a Pope?
From 1379 to 2013, every pope selected has been from the College of Cardinals, per CNN. The qualifying factors are historically a baptized male who is a bishop, cardinal, priest or deacon and must be of 35 years of age. Though, lay members have also been considered over the decades, per Al Jazeera. Some also say they may be expected to have completed courses on the Bible, theology and canon law.
Despite their basic qualifications, it’s also safe to say the next pope may have to fill the shoes of Francis who had a progressive approach on issues like social justice, inequality, climate change and also shifted the Church’s position on sexuality.
Who are The African Candidates?
Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana is a promising pick. The 76-year-old is the former head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and even served as an advisor to Pope Francis for progressive takes to social issues, per Newsweek.
On the other hand, Cardinal Robert Sarah, 79, is also another potential candidate but with a more conservative approach. The Guinean priest is a retired head of the Vatican’s liturgy office with ideals aligning more with that of the late John Paul II, per KGW8 News. He was also the youngest appointed bishop, being ordained at 34. However, he clashed with Pope Francis, having a firm stance against same-sex blessings, ordaining women as deacons and allowing married priests to lead churches. He also isn’t so much for the Church making social issues its focus rather than proclaiming the Gospel.
Another potential candidate is Archbishop of Kinasha Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He’s described to promote social justice and advocate for the poor and disenfranchised, per the College of Cardinals.
What Could This Mean?
If any of the African candidates are chosen to be the next pope, the Vatican would see their first African pope in history (There are theories that three popes from the past were born in Africa.)
Not to mention, it would bridge any gap between Black and white communities of the catholic church and the church would certainly benefit from the drawing in of more members. With the help of Pope Francis, Africa has become the fastest growing region for the Catholic church, increasing from 185 million members in 2013 to an estimated 230 million by the end of this year, per EWTN Vatican. With an African pope, we might see these numbers surpass that estimate as well as the cultural representation of more African priests, sisters and even saints.