Why We Need a Pope From Africa

As in the case of St John Paul II and Pope Francis, the next pope to be elected won't be
the one people are hoping for it to be. It will be a surprise.

JimR-OCDS said:

As in the case of St John Paul II and Pope Francis, the next pope to be elected won't be
the one people are hoping for it to be. It will be a surprise.

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What are the people hoping for it to be? More conservative or more liberal?

Lady Bug said:

What are the people hoping for it to be? More conservative or more liberal?

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Well we see the news stations posting pictures of whom they see as the candidates for the papacy.

Both so-called traditionalists are calling for a pope that holds to tradition more and liberal
Catholics are calling for a pope to open the doors to the ideologies they embrace.

They've gotten it wrong in the past popes and probably have it wrong now.

Michie said:

The Catholic Church needs to look to the African continent to lead us through the present and coming challenges assailing our faith. Here's why.

Fr. Longenecker

As the cardinals gather in conclave, one of the questions on our minds is how the global Church can grow in unity. Francis’ pontificate aggravated deep differences between tradition and progress, between the developed world and the global south, and between continuity and innovation.

In addition to the turmoil in the Church, the complexities of the 21st century have thrown us into a whirlwind of unprecedented technological change, bringing about upheavals in our understanding of the human person and conflicts in politics, economics, education, and health care. In the midst of the maelstrom and the shifting sands, where does one find the rock on which to build?

Can the Catholic Church still offer that rock? I believe a pope from Africa can lead the way, and here’s why:

Continued below.

Why We Need a Pope From Africa

By Fr. Dwight Longenecker - The Catholic Church needs to look to the African continent to lead us through the present and coming challenges assailing our faith. Here’s why.

crisismagazine.com

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Michie said:

The Catholic Church needs to look to the African continent to lead us through the present and coming challenges assailing our faith. Here's why.

Fr. Longenecker

As the cardinals gather in conclave, one of the questions on our minds is how the global Church can grow in unity. Francis’ pontificate aggravated deep differences between tradition and progress, between the developed world and the global south, and between continuity and innovation.

In addition to the turmoil in the Church, the complexities of the 21st century have thrown us into a whirlwind of unprecedented technological change, bringing about upheavals in our understanding of the human person and conflicts in politics, economics, education, and health care. In the midst of the maelstrom and the shifting sands, where does one find the rock on which to build?

Can the Catholic Church still offer that rock? I believe a pope from Africa can lead the way, and here’s why:

Continued below.

Why We Need a Pope From Africa

By Fr. Dwight Longenecker - The Catholic Church needs to look to the African continent to lead us through the present and coming challenges assailing our faith. Here’s why.

crisismagazine.com

Click to expand...

Africa has its own problems, such as polygamy, and gay-bashing by certain bishops. Anyone who thinks the Church in Africa is the solution to the Church's problems is deluded. It wasn't in Abp Milingo's time, nor is it now.

Cardinal Sarah has made too many incorrect statements over his time as Cardinal.

We need to have a Pope that God sends, not one that fits our own desires.

Michie said:

A social media push for Cardinal Robert Sarah to become the next pope appears to be gaining momentum in the wake of the death of Pope Francis.

What are described as “neatly packaged sound bites” are circulating rapidly around conservative social media spheres of influence, reportsthe Daily Telegraph.

It describes how this appears to be having an impact, at least in terms of the betting markets, which have seen Cardinal Sarah’s odds change significantly from just a 2 per cent chance at becoming the next pope, to the British betting company William Hill quoting him at 14/1, making him the “seventh favourite” in betting terms.

An unattributed video interview with the cardinal warning of the dangers of migration to Europe also began to be widely circulated after the death of Pope Francis was announced on 21 April.

Continued below.
Social Media Push for Cardinal Sarah as Next Pope Gains Momentum

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In regards to betting markets, which it does mention, while Sarah has gone up, in terms of Africans he's still beaten by Turkson.

Pietro Parolin 29%
Luis Antonio Tangle 23%
Peter Turkson 11.7%
(it does not list on the page anyone lower than that, I think you need an account to see that--but at any rate Turkson is above Sarah)

Pietro Parolin 30.8%
Luis Antonio Tangle 30.8%
Peter Turkson 16.7%
Robert Sarah 14.3%

I'll leave the choice of the next Pope to the Conclave. I'm not much of a Vatican watcher, which may be due in part to my ex-Protestantism. I tend to focus on the local church. Even when I was Presbyterian I hardly cared what they called the "Assembly" was up to. By the time he died I think the old pastor had just about given up on them too.

There is more at stake than Africa. I'm aware that there are issues there. Our current priest is Nigerian and he's under no illusions as to the reality of Jihad in parts of Northern Nigeria, even if the world's biggest seminary is in Nigeria.

There is the China issue with the Communist state seeng the church as a threat; the Indian Hindu nationalists issue; and the unresolved crisis between Israel and Palestine (including the Arab states by extension). My old pastor and I were talking about it years ago and he made the hyperbolic comment "That's going to be a problem for the next 300 years!" It's over 30 years since he died and it's still a problem, so we're 10% of the way to his allegorical prediction.

There is climate change; dwindling resources on earth combined with an expanding population (there is a real limit to how many people the earth can maintain for those who think there should be no access to contraception); the growing nuclear stockpiles of India and increasingly fundamentalist Pakistan (who have fought three wars with tensions still simmering in Kashmir); the growth of Chinese influence and power; North Korea's bellicose nuclear armed rhetoric; Iran's desire to obtain nuclear weaponry; Protestant competition in Latin America; persecution of the church in Nicaragua; and the wild card antics of Donald Trump.

There is war between Russia and Ukraine and even if a peace treaty is eventually signed, neither side will be satisfied with it.

Along with their common origin in 9th century Kyiv, Russia has controlled much or all of Ukraine for the past 350 years. Russia values the fertile plains and rich, dark soil that has made Ukraine the "breadbasket of Europe." Putin also "wants to reestablish directly or indirectly, by annexation or by puppet regimes, a Russian Empire," said Hein Goemans, a professor of political science at the University of Rochester.

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It's going to take more than an appeal to a more youthful and enthusiastic church in Africa to guide the church through all these issues.

RileyG said:

Hopefully Fr. Robinson is received into the RCC one day! God bless him!

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I hope. He seems to not be becoming Catholic over petty reasons.

RileyG said:

He’s very traditional and I respect him.

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He spoke out on issues that were approved in Vatican II and was called out for it.

One was the celebrant saying the Mass facing the people.