Amid growing expectations for the first Pope of African descent, His Grace, Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja has asked those thinking towards that direction to perish the thought.
NATIONAL POST recalls that Pope Francis passed on Monday morning and the process for the election of his replacement will soon commence.
There have been hopes that his successor could emerge from one of the African cardinals.
However, Archbishop Kaigama had this to say: "We are not praying for an African pope.
“We are praying for a good and Holy Pope who will shepherd the people. He can be an African, American, European or Asian."
Popular Catholic Priest, Fr Oluoma, who posted the Archbishop’s comment on his Facebook page, added: Una don hear ba. All those agitating and clamouring for an African to be the next pope, you miss the point completely. Popes are not chosen on racial sentiments.
“Even if an African becomes the next pope, it will not give Africans any advantage over the others and vice versa.
“We will get a new Pope according to God's will. You may not like him, and you don't have to, as long as he upholds the traditions and teachings of the church guided by sacred Tradition and the scripture.
“When it comes to electing a pope, there is nothing like emilokan.
“Toast to all who Nigeria's Peter Cardinal Okpaleke and other 17 Africans are among the 135 cardinals eligible to elect the next new Pope.”
The Cardinal electors of African origin are John Njue (Kenya), Dieudonne Nzapalainga (Central African Republic), Peter Okpaleke (Nigeria), Nakellentuba Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso), Protase Rugambwa (Tanzania), Robert Sarah (Guinea), Berhaneyesus Souraphiel (Ethiopia).
Others are Desire Tsarahazana (Madagascar), Peter Turkson (Ghana), Jean-Paul Vesco (Algeria), Cristobal Romero (Morocco), Stephen Mulla (South-Sudan), Fridolin Besungu (DR Congo), Ignace Dogbo (Ivory Coast), Stephen Brislin (South Africa), Arlindo Furtado (Cape Verde), Antoine Kambanda (Rwanda) and Jean-Pierre Kutwa (Ivory Coast).