After an African-American president, an African pope?

[Blue_Tires]

If you start seeing pictures of the man at the right or hearing his name now and then, here’s why.

On the international Godbeat, it’s never too early to start speculating about who will become the next pope. The current head of the world’s largest church, Pope Benedict, is admirably fit at 82, but facts like that never discourage avid Vatican watchers. “Vaticanistas” look beyond the present pope to find who else stands out in the Roman Catholic hierarchy. Who’s on his way up? Who’s taking on important jobs? Who’s out there publishing books or giving lectures or visiting other cardinals or doing anything else that looks like — perish the thought! – a subtle campaign in an unofficial race whose candidates never throw their birettas into the ring.

It looks like Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson of Ghana is now firmly in this group known as the papabili, or possible popes, thanks to an important job he’s doing this month. He’s the relator, or secretary general, of the Synod for Africa, a major meeting of African bishops in Rome to discuss the Church’s future on that continent. Previous cardinals who served in such posts include the future popes John Paul II and Benedict. Like another African cardinal once tipped for the job, Nigeria’s Francis Arinze (now 77 and retired), he counts among his plus points an on-the-job familiarity with Islam. John Allen, the veteran vaticanista for the U.S.-based National Catholic Reporter, headlined his story on Turkson “Say hello to Africa’s next great hope to be pope.”

Coming after the first non-Italian pope in centuries, it was unlikely that the 2005 conclave would take another daring leap and choose a non-European. The next papal election, whenever it comes, could be different. The received wisdom after the last one was that the Latin Americans had the best chance.

http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/10/05/after-an-african-american-president-an-african-pope/

[NOLALady]

1. He would be the fourth from Africa.

Pope Saint Victor 1 feast day is July 28th.

Pope Saint Gelasius 1 feast day is November 21st.

Pope Saint Militiades feast day is December 10th

[Kind of Blue]

3. Fantastic call, NOLAlady!

[Number23]

2. Fabulous story. Thanks for posting!

[Kind of Blue]

4. This makes me a bit anxious.

:rofl: Grew up in Catholic schools and always found the African priests to be the most severe in their passion for the church. But I'm totally for it because they were particularly learned about other religions, especially Islam and comfortable with it. In my African family, religion runs the gamut, only been Christian (formerly Muslim) for under 100 years and I can bet that many African Catholic priests have been exposed to beliefs from paganism to Christianity, unlike some popes (Benedict) who couldn't help but insult Muslims, Anglicans and Lutherans :rofl: