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The South African
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Next Pope could change everything [video]
Watch the full version of the ' Could the next Pope come from Africa?' article – in a minute. As the Catholic Church prepares to select a new leader following the death of Pope Francis, hopes are rising among African Catholics that the next pontiff could be the first Black pope in modern history. The growing prominence of African Catholicism – now accounting for approximately 20% of the global Catholic population – has sparked calls for representation at the highest level of the Church hierarchy. The African continent is currently the fastest-growing region for the Catholic Church, a trend that many believe should be reflected in the upcoming papal election. For the latest political news, bookmark The South African website's dedicated section for free-to-read content Among the prominent African cardinals drawing attention are Ghana's Cardinal Peter Turkson, Congo's Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, and Ivory Coast's Cardinal Ignace Bessi Dogbo. Cardinal Turkson, who has served in key Vatican roles and is known for his advocacy on social justice and environmental issues, has been considered a leading candidate in previous conclaves. Looking for quick updates? Watch News in a Minute videos on The South African's YouTube page for all the key stories you need to know! Catch all the latest videos on news, lifestyle, travel, sports and more – there's always something to watch! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky to stay connected and get your news on the go!
The South African
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Could the next Pope come from Africa?
As the Catholic Church prepares to select a new leader, hopes are that the next pontiff could be the first Black pope in modern history. Image: AFP As the Catholic Church prepares to select a new leader following the death of Pope Francis, hopes are rising among African Catholics that the next pontiff could be the first Black pope in modern history. The growing prominence of African Catholicism – now accounting for approximately 20% of the global Catholic population – has sparked calls for representation at the highest level of the Church hierarchy. The African continent is currently the fastest-growing region for the Catholic Church, a trend that many believe should be reflected in the upcoming papal election. Three prominent African cardinals Among the prominent African cardinals drawing attention are Ghana's Cardinal Peter Turkson, Congo's Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, and Ivory Coast's Cardinal Ignace Bessi Dogbo. Cardinal Turkson, who has served in key Vatican roles and is known for his advocacy on social justice and environmental issues, has been considered a leading candidate in previous conclaves. Cardinal Ambongo is widely respected for his efforts to promote peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while Cardinal Dogbo, who was made a cardinal in December 2024, represents a newer wave of African Church leadership gaining visibility on the global stage. 'This is a unique moment for the Church,' said Fr. Emmanuel Adebayo, a theologian based in Nigeria. 'The Catholic population in Africa is vibrant and growing. 'Elevating a Black pope would be both a reflection of demographic reality and a symbol of unity in diversity.' Despite the growing optimism, Vatican observers remain cautious. Some insiders point to the limited public scrutiny African cardinals have faced compared to their Western counterparts as a potential concern. Moreover, many African clergy hold conservative positions on social issues, particularly LGBTQ+ rights – stances that may contrast with the more progressive legacy of Pope Francis. Nevertheless, the prospect of an African pope is being viewed by many as a continuation of Francis's focus on the global South and the marginalised. Throughout his papacy, Francis championed inclusion, simplicity, and a shift away from Eurocentric traditions, all of which could lend momentum to calls for a historic choice in the upcoming conclave. As the College of Cardinals prepares to gather in the Sistine Chapel in the coming days, the world watches with anticipation. Whether or not the next pope will come from Africa, the growing calls for change underscore a Church in transition – wrestling with its past, responding to its present, and looking toward a more inclusive future. There are 135 cardinals under the age of 80 who are eligible to select Pope Francis's successor. Europe 53 Asia 23 Latin America 21 Africa 18 North America 16 Oceania 4 Do you believe the Catholic Church are ready for a black Pope? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Al Jazeera
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
How Pope Francis redefined the Church's ties with Africa
Thousands of miles from the Vatican, the death of Pope Francis is being mourned by millions of Catholics on the African continent. Francis, who was renowned for his liberal embrace of all groups of people and his vocal support for poor and marginalised communities, was a key figure on a continent sometimes referred to as the 'future of the Catholic Church', owing to the vast population of African Catholics: One in five Catholics is African. Throughout his papal leadership, Pope Francis solidified recently established Vatican conventions by visiting 10 African countries, reinforcing engagements made by his predecessors. Before the 1960s, popes hardly left the Vatican. Leaders across Africa, too, are mourning his death. Kenya's President William Ruto referred to the late pope as someone who 'exemplified servant leadership through his humility, his unwavering commitment to inclusivity and justice, and his deep compassion for the poor and the vulnerable'. Here's how the late Pope Francis prioritised Africa during his tenure: Pope Francis made five trips to Africa throughout his papacy, during which he visited 10 countries. He opted to visit nations that were in strife and were facing war or low-level conflict. He also focused on those struggling with economic and climatic challenges. The pontiff did not shy away from holding mass in ghettos or kissing the feet of warring leaders in hopes of bringing peace. Those visits modelled those of Pope John Paul II (1980-2005), who visited more than 25 African countries in his 25 years of service, transforming the way the Vatican engaged with the continent. Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013) visited three African countries over two visits. These are the countries Pope Francis visited and when: The pontiff's six-day visit to three African countries in November 2015 was replete with colourful welcomes and huge mass events. Then, in the CAR, the pope did the unprecedented: He ventured into a Muslim neighbourhood amid religious tensions in the country that had lasted for months. The PK5 neighbourhood in the capital, Bangui, had been off-limits to Christians before then, but as the pope made his way to a mosque there, crowds of Christians followed him in. People who had lost touch cried as they embraced each other. Pope Francis urged both sides to lay down their arms and called Africa 'the continent of hope' in his speeches. The visit would eventually lead to a peace agreement between the warring factions, although true peace would take another five years. The same year, in September, Pope Francis turned his attention to Southern Africa, particularly countries in the Indian Ocean. Amid ongoing conflict and a humanitarian crisis brought on by armed factions looking to control the country, the pope's visit to the DRC symbolically called for peace and reconciliation in the troubled central African nation. The DRC, which has the largest number of Catholics in Africa – an estimated 35 million people – was an important one for the pope, who'd had to postpone the trip because of ill health. Congolese showed up in the thousands to welcome him. In South Sudan, the pope called for continued peace between rivals President Salva Kiir and his deputy, Vice President Riek Machar. The country, Africa's youngest, has been rocky since it gained independence from Sudan in 2011. Immediately after, and until 2013, a civil war broke out between factions loyal to the two leaders, leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands and the displacement of millions of South Sudanese. Five years before he set foot in South Sudan, the pope had expressed an unusual level of humility: He'd lowered himself with great difficulty to kiss the two leaders' feet while they were on a spiritual retreat to the Vatican. He called on them to stick to signed peace agreements for the sake of the people. Since January, the country has once more been on the brink of conflict. In a letter in late March, at a time when the pope was already encountering more serious health problems, he wrote again to the two leaders, calling for peace and dialogue. Yes, Pope Francis enjoyed cordial relations with different African bishops and their associations. However, he also encountered criticism from some for his stance on same-sex unions. In December 2023, the pope authorised the blessing of same-sex couples, an unprecedented move in the Church. He ordained that such blessings may be carried out as long as they don't form part of the Church's regular rituals, and if they are not carried out at the same time as other civil unions. African bishop associations pushed back hard at this. Several countries on the continent are strongly against same-sex or other non-conforming gender categories due to religious and cultural beliefs. One such association was the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), which, in a statement, rejected the rule and described the union of same-sex or non-heterosexual people as 'unacceptable'. The group, under the lead of Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo of the DRC, said 'these acts…must not be approved under any circumstances.' Bishops in Asia also made similar calls for the Vatican to U-turn on the new ruling. Responding to the criticism, Pope Francis told the Italian newspaper La Stampa that his emphasis was on the blessing of the people involved, not necessarily the union. He said: 'We are all sinners: Why then draw up a list of sinners who can enter the Church?' In the case of criticism from Africa, Pope Francis acknowledged the concerns. 'For them, homosexuality is something 'bad' from a cultural point of view; they don't tolerate it,' he said.
AsiaOne
23-04-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Africans root for first Black pope in modern history, World News
ABIDJAN — Africans are hoping one of their own could become the first Black pope in modern history and build on Francis's legacy of championing the developing world, though the chances of that happening appear slim. A continent where religion permeates most aspects of private and public life, Africa is where the Roman Catholic Church is growing fastest, according to Vatican figures published last month. African Catholics attending services honouring Francis after his death on Monday (April 20) said a Black pope was long overdue. "To have a Black pope would revive the Christian faith in Africa and change people's views of Africa, by showing that an African can hold this office," said Charles Yapi, a Catholic priest in Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan. Scholars researching the early Church have cited evidence that some first millennium popes were born in North Africa or were of African descent, though details are scant. One or more may have been Black. Some African contenders' names have been circulating, but Vatican insiders are sceptical that any of them have a realistic chance of becoming pope, partly because none have been subjected to the same level of public scrutiny as most Western cardinals. That is a potential concern for an institution that has been shaken by devastating scandals in recent decades. In any case, forecasting who will become pope is notoriously tricky. [[nid:717096]] Among African clerics tipped as potential popes are Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, 76, Democratic Republic of Congo's Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65, the archbishop of Kinshasa, and Ivory Coast's Cardinal Ignace Bessi Dogbo, 63. Africa boasted about 20 per cent of the world's Catholics in 2023 and added 9 million worshippers the previous year. Choosing Turkson as pope would be a fitting recognition of that growth and also inspire African prelates, said Archbishop John Bonaventure Kwofie in Accra, who has known Turkson since the 1970s and was ordained by him as a bishop. "Although it's something I cannot bet on, as the cardinals who will make the selection will be led by the Holy Spirit, it will be good to have him as the next pope as this will motivate all bishops on the continent," Kwofie told Reuters. However, some clerics said that a pope's values mattered more than his home country or race. "We pray that the Holy Spirit will give the Church a good pastor, one who will guide the Church towards the true God," said Congolese priest Josue-Misael Mobatila Kwilu after attending a service for Francis in Kinshasa. "Having a pope from Africa or another continent is not up to us." Conservative views The elevation of an African cardinal to the papal throne would be widely interpreted as a continuation of Francis's track record of standing up for the poor and oppressed, migrants and civilians fleeing war. Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi recalled Francis's words during a 2023 visit to Congo: "Take your hands off the Democratic Republic of Congo. Take your hands off Africa! Stop suffocating Africa: it is not a mine to be exploited nor a land to be plundered." These words were "forever engraved in the collective memory of the Congolese people", Tshisekedi said on Monday. [[nid:717101]] However, an African pope would not necessarily embrace Francis's more socially progressive positions, such as approving the blessing of same-sex couples on a case-by-case basis, which has irked Africa's overwhelmingly conservative faithful. An African pope would be clear that same-sex relationships are "not part of our culture" and "would not allow himself to be influenced to accept it", said Yapi, the Ivorian priest. The issue could cut both ways as many of the cardinals who will elect the next pope in a conclave may be wary of picking someone whose views deviate sharply from those of Francis. Turkson, who has been discussed as a possible pope for over a decade, rose from humble beginnings as the fourth of 10 children in a mining town. He combines a long pastoral background in Ghana with hands-on experience leading several Vatican offices, including the Church body that promotes social justice, human rights and world peace. He also shares Francis's interest in issues like climate change and inequality. In a 2013 interview with CNN, Turkson linked clerical abuse to homosexuality, saying the Church in Africa was unlikely to be hit by the scandals seen elsewhere — a view that drew widespread criticism. More recently he has softened his tone, telling the BBC in 2023 that it was "time to begin education" on homosexuality and suggesting it was "not completely alien to Ghanaian society". Congo's Ambongo, a prominent voice for peace in a nation ravaged by wars and insurgencies, was made a cardinal by Francis in 2019. The pope appointed him in 2020 to the Council of Cardinals, a cabinet of papal advisers Francis convened on a regular basis. However, Ambongo opposed Francis's 2023 approval of blessings for gay couples, saying doing so would expose the Church to scandals. Ivory Coast's Dogbo, the archbishop of Abidjan, was made a cardinal in December 2024 and his visibility has increased as a result. "Having cardinals from every part of the world truly translates the universality of the Church," he told Reuters at the time. [[nid:717073]]
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Africans root for first Black pope in modern history
By Loucoumane Coulibaly, Emmanuel Bruce and Benoit Nyemba ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Africans are hoping one of their own could become the first Black pope in modern history and build on Francis's legacy of championing the developing world, though the chances of that happening appear slim. A continent where religion permeates most aspects of private and public life, Africa is where the Roman Catholic Church is growing fastest, according to Vatican figures published last month. African Catholics attending services honouring Francis after his death on Monday said a Black pope was long overdue. "To have a Black pope would revive the Christian faith in Africa and change people's views of Africa, by showing that an African can hold this office," said Charles Yapi, a Catholic priest in Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan. Scholars researching the early Church have cited evidence that some first millennium popes were born in North Africa or were of African descent, though details are scant. One or more may have been Black. Some African contenders' names have been circulating, but Vatican insiders are sceptical that any of them have a realistic chance of becoming pope, partly because none have been subjected to the same level of public scrutiny as most Western cardinals. That is a potential concern for an institution that has been shaken by devastating scandals in recent decades. In any case, forecasting who will become pope is notoriously tricky. Among African clerics tipped as potential popes are Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, 76, Democratic Republic of Congo's Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65, the archbishop of Kinshasa, and Ivory Coast's Cardinal Ignace Bessi Dogbo, 63. Africa boasted about 20% of the world's Catholics in 2023 and added 9 million worshippers the previous year. Choosing Turkson as pope would be a fitting recognition of that growth and also inspire African prelates, said Archbishop John Bonaventure Kwofie in Accra, who has known Turkson since the 1970s and was ordained by him as a bishop. "Although it's something I cannot bet on, as the cardinals who will make the selection will be led by the Holy Spirit, it will be good to have him as the next pope as this will motivate all bishops on the continent," Kwofie told Reuters. However, some clerics said that a pope's values mattered more than his home country or race. "We pray that the Holy Spirit will give the Church a good pastor, one who will guide the Church towards the true God," said Congolese priest Josue-Misael Mobatila Kwilu after attending a service for Francis in Kinshasa. "Having a pope from Africa or another continent is not up to us." CONSERVATIVE VIEWS The elevation of an African cardinal to the papal throne would be widely interpreted as a continuation of Francis's track record of standing up for the poor and oppressed, migrants and civilians fleeing war. Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi recalled Francis's words during a 2023 visit to Congo: "Take your hands off the Democratic Republic of Congo. Take your hands off Africa! Stop suffocating Africa: it is not a mine to be exploited nor a land to be plundered." These words were "forever engraved in the collective memory of the Congolese people", Tshisekedi said on Monday. However, an African pope would not necessarily embrace Francis's more socially progressive positions, such as approving the blessing of same-sex couples on a case-by-case basis, which has irked Africa's overwhelmingly conservative faithful. An African pope would be clear that same-sex relationships are "not part of our culture" and "would not allow himself to be influenced to accept it", said Yapi, the Ivorian priest. The issue could cut both ways as many of the cardinals who will elect the next pope in a conclave may be wary of picking someone whose views deviate sharply from those of Francis. Turkson, who has been discussed as a possible pope for over a decade, rose from humble beginnings as the fourth of 10 children in a mining town. He combines a long pastoral background in Ghana with hands-on experience leading several Vatican offices, including the Church body that promotes social justice, human rights and world peace. He also shares Francis's interest in issues like climate change and inequality. In a 2013 interview with CNN, Turkson linked clerical abuse to homosexuality, saying the Church in Africa was unlikely to be hit by the scandals seen elsewhere - a view that drew widespread criticism. More recently he has softened his tone, telling the BBC in 2023 that it was "time to begin education" on homosexuality and suggesting it was "not completely alien to Ghanaian society". Congo's Ambongo, a prominent voice for peace in a nation ravaged by wars and insurgencies, was made a cardinal by Francis in 2019. The pope appointed him in 2020 to the Council of Cardinals, a cabinet of papal advisers Francis convened on a regular basis. However, Ambongo opposed Francis's 2023 approval of blessings for gay couples, saying doing so would expose the Church to scandals. Ivory Coast's Dogbo, the archbishop of Abidjan, was made a cardinal in December 2024 and his visibility has increased as a result. "Having cardinals from every part of the world truly translates the universality of the Church," he told Reuters at the time.
