{"id":53977,"date":"2025-04-22T08:30:24","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T08:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/who-will-be-the-next-pope-two-african-cardinals-emerge-among-strong-contenders\/"},"modified":"2025-04-22T08:27:29","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T08:27:29","slug":"who-will-be-the-next-pope-two-african-cardinals-emerge-among-strong-contenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/who-will-be-the-next-pope-two-african-cardinals-emerge-among-strong-contenders\/","title":{"rendered":"Who will be the next pope? Two African cardinals emerge among strong contenders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cardinals Peter Turkson of Ghana and Robert Sarah of Guinea are both being closely watched. Turkson, 76, has long been an influential voice on social justice, climate change, and human rights. Though he has maintained the Church\u2019s traditional teachings on marriage and priesthood, he has shown a willingness to critique harsh anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Africa, arguing for more compassionate responses. <\/p>\n

\"Turkson's<\/figure>\n

His moderate stances, combined with decades of experience in Vatican diplomacy, position him as a potential bridge between the global south and Rome.<\/p>\n

Robert Sarah, 79, represents the more conservative wing of the Church. A vocal critic of modern gender discourse and a staunch traditionalist, Sarah has previously aligned with former Pope Benedict XVI on issues such as clerical celibacy. His election would signal a sharp turn away from Francis\u2019s progressive reforms.<\/p>\n

\"Sarah<\/figure>\n

If chosen, either cardinal would become the first Black pope in centuries\u2014a historic shift at a time when the Church\u2019s fastest-growing populations are in Africa and Asia.<\/p>\n

Historically, three African popes served in the early centuries of the Church: Pope Victor I (c. 189\u2013199), Pope Miltiades (311\u2013314), and Pope Gelasius I (492\u2013496). All were of North African origin and played significant roles in shaping early Christianity. Since then, no African has held the papacy, making the current moment particularly significant as the Church grapples with questions of representation and global relevance.<\/p>\n

Other frontrunners include Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, considered a \u201ccontinuity candidate\u201d who played a key role in the Vatican\u2019s diplomatic engagement with China and the Middle East. He is viewed as a pragmatic moderate, although his critics argue he compromises too much on doctrine for the sake of diplomacy.<\/p>\n

\"Seen<\/figure>\n

From Asia, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, once seen as a natural heir to Francis, now appears to have lost momentum. Still, his advocacy for the poor and pastoral openness on LGBTQ+ and divorced Catholics make him a figure to watch.<\/p>\n

\"If<\/figure>\n

Hungarian Cardinal P\u00e9ter Erd\u0151, 72, stands out as a leading conservative voice and could represent a break with Francis\u2019s direction. Known for his intellect and defence of doctrine, Erd\u0151 has also drawn criticism for aligning with Hungary\u2019s nationalist leadership on migration issues.<\/p>\n

\"P\u00e9ter<\/figure>\n

On the progressive side, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, of Italy, is closely associated with Francis\u2019s legacy. Known for his peace-building efforts in Ukraine and relatively liberal views on same-sex relationships, Zuppi could carry the torch for a more inclusive Church.<\/p>\n

\"69-year-old<\/figure>\n

Portugal\u2019s Jos\u00e9 Tolentino Cala\u00e7a de Mendon\u00e7a, at 59, is among the youngest candidates. Though close to Francis, his age and progressive views\u2014particularly his openness to modern cultural issues\u2014may prove too controversial for traditionalists.<\/p>\n

\"Jos\u00e9<\/figure>\n

Other names in contention include Malta\u2019s Mario Grech and Italian Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, known for his advocacy for Christians in the Holy Land and his personal sacrifice during the Israel-Gaza conflict.<\/p>\n

\"Mario<\/figure>\n
\"Pierbattista<\/figure>\n

The election will follow centuries-old Vatican traditions. The College of Cardinals, composed of those under 80 years old, will cast secret ballots inside the Sistine Chapel. For a candidate to win, he must secure a two-thirds majority. <\/p>\n

If no consensus is reached in a round, the ballots are burned and black smoke rises from the chapel\u2019s chimney\u2014signalling to the world that the conclave continues. White smoke, however, will announce the moment the Church has chosen its new leader.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the Catholic Church prepares for its next papal conclave, speculation is mounting over who might succeed Pope Francis. While predicting the outcome of the secretive election process remains notoriously difficult, a handful of cardinals are emerging as strong contenders\u2014among them, two African figures who could make history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000086180,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-53977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"featured_image":{"id":2000086180,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/mixcollage-22-apr-2025-08-24-am-5970.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/mixcollage-22-apr-2025-08-24-am-5970.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/mixcollage-22-apr-2025-08-24-am-5970.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/mixcollage-22-apr-2025-08-24-am-5970.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/mixcollage-22-apr-2025-08-24-am-5970.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/mixcollage-22-apr-2025-08-24-am-5970.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53977\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000086180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53977"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=53977"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=53977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}