Is the world ready for a black pope?

Is the world ready for a black pope?

Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana had the question put to him recently and, first citing the encouraging examples of Barack Obama's election, and that of former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, replied: "Why not?... if God would wish to see a black man also as pope, thanks be to God!"

Turkson is the new darling of those who long to see a black man ascend to the head of the Catholic Church. Prior to Pope Benedict XVI's election, the charismatic Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria loomed large in the imaginations of some Vatican watchers. And yet we haven't had an African pope since the 5th century. With more than 160 million Catholics in Africa alone, the Catholic Church recognizes the importance of representation from the church in Africa. (Like Africa, the number of Catholics in Latin America is growing exponentially compared to the United States and Europe, and there has been similar speculation that a pope from Latin America is a possibility.)

Bishop John Ricard, who heads the Diocese of Pensacola and is a driving force with the National Black Catholic Congress, says of the prospect of a black pope: "It's entirely possible. We didn't think we'd get a Polish pope or a German pope either." Ricard also sees parallels in Obama's election, and notes the palpable sense of pride since the election within both Catholic and Protestant black churches in the United States. Any legitimate candidate for the papacy, Ricard argues, "Would have to understand that in the eyes of God, race and ethnicity are not really relevant."

The more apt parallel may lie in the political dynamic behind every papal conclave, when a new pope is elected. The College of Cardinals is heavily weighted with European and, particularly, Italian cardinals. That has been the case for centuries, and helps explain the millennium and a half that has passed since Gelasius I, who was of African origin, held the papacy. But the College of Cardinals has been changing, too. The first African Cardinal was appointed in 1960, and Africa and Latin America are both better represented in the college today.

Father Thomas Reese, a fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, and one of the more liberal-minded thinkers on theological issues in modern society, is not as bullish about the prospect of a black pope "They're not going to elect an African pope simply because there are a lot of Catholics in Africa... I'm not overly optimistic that there will be a black pope, though it's always possible. "

Reese does concede that, should it come to pass, the election of a black pope would be a transformative event. " It would be a tremendous boost to black Catholics, just as the election of Obama has been to American blacks. It would give them a real sense of 'This is our church, too.'" He also cautions that there could be some backlash from the white catholic community: "There would be some prejudice, but if you don't like the idea of a black pope, then in my view you don't belong in the Catholic Church."

Cardinal Turkson, speaking at the synod of Bishops for Africa taking place in Rome this month, emphasized that African clergy members are taking on higher profile roles within missionary churches and Catholic universities as well. Turkson is a dynamic leader. A scripture scholar who earned his doctorate from the highly respected Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, he is fluent in multiple languages and, at 61, is Africa's youngest Cardinal. Some of his more moderate positions, however, place him squarely to the left of Pope Benedict and the current church's conservative leanings. Regardless of who succeeds Pope Benedict - who at 82 appears to be in robust health, Turkson has a bright ecclesiastic career ahead of him.

The three black men who have headed the Catholic Church have all left important legacies. Pope Victor I, the first African pope during the second century, fought for and was instrumental in establishing the celebration of Easter on a Sunday. He was also the first to celebrate mass in Rome in Latin, rather than Greek.

Pope St. Miltiades, who served for a brief three years during the fourth century, was nevertheless witness to a turning point in history. The Roman Emperor Constantine, his army flying the flag of the cross, routed the army of the tyrant Maxentius. During Miltiades pontificate, the Edict of Milan was passed, ushering in a new era of religious toleration within the empire.

Pope Gelasius was an influential writer who helped to advance the notion of papal supremacy within the church, but also to delineate the powers of church and state.

When the next black man gets to leave his mark on the papacy is still merely conjecture. If it were to happen, says Bishop Ricard, "It would be a great sign; one that speaks to the universality of the church."