Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana said in 2010 that neither he nor the Catholic Church was ready for him to become pope. Fifteen years later, after the death of Pope Francis, his name is circulating in the Vatican along with the names of other potential African candidates.
The Argentine pope died on Monday at the age of 88 and will be buried on Saturday. The conclave to elect a new pope is expected to take place in early May, but the date has not yet been announced.
Pope Victor I, who led the Church from 189 to 199, was from North Africa.
On the Black Continent, Catholicism continues to flourish and the population to grow while Europe becomes increasingly secular. The question of whether the Church is ready for the first black pope is once again on the table.
"There was a sense that the pope, if he was to be a global authority, had to come from a global Church," Catholic historian Miles Pattenden of Oxford University told AFP.
Turkson, who comes from a modest family of ten children, was the first priest from Ghana to become a cardinal in 2003.
He helped prevent violence in his West African country in 2008 after disputed presidential elections, and he also held high positions in the Roman Curia.
He recently defended the rights of members of the LGBT+ community in his country, saying that they "cannot be criminalized because they have not committed a crime."
However, traditionalists from Africa such as Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, who is also mentioned as a potential new pope, compare homosexuality and abortion and "Islamic fanaticism" to Nazi ideology.
Another possible candidate, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, also opposed blessing same-sex unions.
Despite some openness, Pope Francis has carefully balanced moderate rhetoric with the implementation of concrete reforms in the Church. This, according to Cristina Traina, a professor of religious studies at Fordham University, could leave the door open for African candidates who have been criticized for their conservative worldviews.
There is no guarantee that the next pope will adhere to Francis' more liberal views.
'Discrimination'
Francis has reduced European leadership in the Catholic Church during his pontificate. His commitment to ensuring that the church hierarchy reflects 'the situation on the ground' has led to African cardinals now making up 12 percent of the cardinal electors, compared to eight percent during the previous conclave.
"It would be almost impossible to imagine the world accepting an African pope without there having been a prior transition with Pope Francis, an Argentine," Traina said.
Africa, home to 20 percent of the world's 1,4 billion Catholics, is nevertheless underrepresented in the conclave.
According to a Congolese priest who asked to remain anonymous, great progress has been made, but there is a reason why there has not been an African pope for 1500 years.
"Discrimination, even if not obvious among our European brothers, remains a reality that we often don't talk about."
An African pope could bring a fresh perspective when it comes to certain issues within the Church. Francis' message of social justice resonated in the poorest countries and in Africa affected by climate change.
Faced with a shortage of priests, some in Africa have expressed support for a revision of celibacy, Traina points out.
Cardinal Ambongo, who has collaborated with Francis, also considers ways in which the Church should respond to the issue of polygamy, especially for those who wish to convert to Catholicism.
"We have always wanted an African pope," said Father Paul Maji, a priest in the Nigerian capital Abuja, although he claims the pope's origins are not too important to him.
"We should not think it is our turn," said Professor Sylvain Badibanga, dean of the theology faculty at the Catholic University of Congo, adding: "It is God's turn."
Cardinal Turkson, who was speculated about even before the 2013 conclave when Francis was elected, came to a similar conclusion and said that he would then become the first black pope "if it is God's will."
Photo: EPA/VATICAN MEDIA HANDOUT
