. No Nigerian in line of succession
.At 92, highly regarded Cardinal Arinze no longer eligible
As Catholics, christendom and the world mourn the passage of Pope Francis,88, who died on Easter Monday. two African Cardinals are among the names being floated to succeed him .
Ghanaian born Cardinal Peter Turkson, perhaps the most mentioned name outside of Europe, is being floated as a possible contender to succeed Pope Francis
Hailing from Ghana, the 76-year-old is known for his relatively liberal views on homosexuality and environmental issues, and he reportedly played a key role in advising Pope Francis on both two topics, as well as on issues of social justice. He would be the first black African pope in history if chosen by his fellows in the conclave.
Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, a 79-year-old prelate who served as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 2014 until 2021, is also in line for succession. He has been reportedly outspoken in his criticism of gender ideology and denunciation of Islamic radicalism.
If elected, both men would be the first black, but not necessarily the first African popes. Historical records show that there have been three African popes in the Catholic Church.
In order, they were Pope Victor I, whose dates of tenure are uncertain but predicted by historians to be around 199AD. There was Pope Miltiades (311 AD to 314 AD) and Pope Gelasius I, who served as the Bishop of Rome from 492 to 496 AD.
Historically, the three Popes hailed from the African continent, specifically the modern-day Tunisia/Algeria, during the reign of the Roman Empire.
Pope Victor I was believed to have been a native African, ruling the church from 189-199. Pope Miltiades was also believed to have been a native African, he served as pope from 311-314, while Pope Gelasius I, 492-496, was also considered to have African origins.
These popes were believed to have ancestral ties to Northern African territories of modern day Tunisia and Algeria, which were then under Roman rule. While there’s speculation about their potential Black heritage, there’s no definitive evidence to confirm their true racial identity. While arrangements are being made for Pope Francis’ funeral, his possible replacement is already a hot topic all over the world. The leading contenders to get “the white smoke” are left-leaning Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Phillipines, who could seek to modernise the church, as well as arch-Conservative Cardinal Raymond Burke, an American who previously challenged the Church’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights and civil marriages.
The two African candidates on the list are for now considered as outsiders, but the conclave of bishops has sprung many surprises in the past.
In Nigeria, hopes for the country to produce the first black pope have been dashed through the years. Perhaps Nigeria’s most prominent Catholic cardinal in pole position for the succession has been the highly respected Cardinal Arinze(Francis).
Arinze was considered one of the leading cardinals for the position in 2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II. Then aged 73, he was eligible to participate in the conclave and was seen as a strong contender for the papacy. However, under the church’s current rules, Arinze, who is 92, no longer meets the eligibility criteria to take part in the election or be considered for the papacy.