Will the Catholic Church Ever Have a Black Pope?
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Before the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, there was the papal “candidacy” of Francis Arinze. The Nigerian Cardinal had been billed as the man who could become the first black Pope, garnering loads of media attention during the run-up to the 2005 conclave when Ratzinger eventually emerged as Benedict XVI. Earlier this month Arinze, 76, retired from his top Vatican post, which for all intents and purposes ended any likelihood that he will ever be pontiff. –
Time reports The College of Cardinals — once dominated by Italians — has become a
much more diverse group. Still, Europeans continue to have a virtual
lock in overall numbers: exactly half of the current 116 Cardinal
electors (those under age 80) are from Europe, with Italy still
counting 20. Latin America has 20 Cardinal electors, the United States
and Canada a total of 16. Asia has 11 and Africa nine. Any Cardinal
(any baptized male Catholic, in theory) can emerge from a conclave as
Pope.