The Next Pope Could Be Black, As Ghanaian and Nigerian Cardinals Are Possible Replacements
After the shocking announcement of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation this morning, the search for and speculation of a new Pope has taken a bunch of turns, with two African Cardinals as leading candidates to be the next Pontiff.
Many experts are saying the frontrunner could very well be Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, who would be the first black Pope if chosen.
Three popes have come from Africa in the past, but they were all considered to be white or Arab in appearance.
The three African popes were Pope Victor I from 189 to 199, Pope Miltiades from 311 until 314, and Pope Galasius, pope from 492 until 496.
“If God would wish to see a black man also as pope, thanks be to God,” said Cardinal Turkson on the prospect of being the pope.
Turkson was born in Wassaw Nsuta, Western Ghana, and studied at St Teresa’s Seminary in the village of Amisano and Pedu, eventually getting a Bachelor’s degree in theology at St. Anthony-on-Hudson Seminary in Rensselaer, New York.
Pope John Paul II made Turkson Archbishop of Cape Coast in October 1992, and he became the first Ghanaian cardinal in 2003.
Turkson is not the only black candidate for the position, as Nigeria’s Cardinal Francis Arinze is also considered a strong candidate.
A new Pope will be announced before the end of March.
James Gilbert | Elite.