Why Africa Is Qualified But Might Not Produce Pope

Why Africa Is Qualified But Might Not Produce Pope
Saturday, February 23, 2013

Interviewed By Charles Ndi Chia

CameroonPostline.com -- John L. Allen Jr. is the prize-winning Senior Correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and the Senior Vatican Analyst for CNN. He's the author of seven best-selling books on the Vatican and Catholic affairs, and writes frequently on the Church for major national and international publications. He's also a popular speaker on Catholic affairs, both in the United States and abroad.
 

The London Tablet has called Allen "the most authoritative writer on Vatican affairs in the English language," and renowned papal biographer George Weigel has called him "the best Anglophone Vatican Reporter ever." Veteran religion writer Kenneth Woodward of Newsweek described Allen as "the Journalist other Reporters – and not a few Cardinals – look to for the inside story on how all the Pope's men direct the world's largest Church."
 

Allen's work is admired across ideological divides. Liberal commentator Fr. Andrew Greeley calls his writing "indispensable," while the late Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, a conservative, called Allen's reporting "possibly the best source of information on the Vatican published in the United States." His weekly internet column, "All Things Catholic," is widely read as a source of insight on the global Church.
 

Allen's latest book is The Global War on Christians: Anti-Christian Persecution around the World (Image, 2013). John divides his time between Rome and his home in Denver, Colorado. Allen grew up in Western Kansas, and holds a Master's degree in Religious Studies from the University of Kansas.

His publications include:
Cardinal Ratzinger: The Vatican's Enforcer of the Faith (Continuum, 2000)
Conclave: The Politics, Personalities and Process of the Next Papal Election (Doubleday, 2002)
All The Pope's Men: The Inside Story of How the Vatican Really Thinks (Doubleday, 2004)
The Rise of Benedict XVI: The Inside Story of How the Pope was Elected and What it Means for the Catholic Church (Doubleday, 2005)
 

Opus Dei: An Objective Look behind the Myth and Reality of the Most Controversial Force in the Catholic Church (Doubleday, 2005)
The Future Church: How Ten Trends are Revolutionizing the Catholic Church (Doubleday, 2009)
People of Hope: A Conversation between Archbishop Timothy Dolan and John L. Allen Jr. (Doubleday, November 2011)
 

What Everyone Needs to Know about the Catholic Church (Oxford University Press, 2013).
Allen has been profiled in various national and international publications.
He spoke exclusively to The Post on the possibility of an African becoming the next Pope of the Catholic Church when Cardinals go into conclave soon, to elect a new leader of some 1.2 billion Catholic Christians worldwide.
 

The Post: In your opinion, is Africa ripe and ready to take over leadership (at Pontiff level) of the Catholic Church? If yes, why and if no, why not?
 

John Allen: Sure, Africa is ready to lead the Church. The real question is whether the College of Cardinals, who are the ones doing the voting, are ready for an African. My own sense is that if they turn to someone from the emerging world, it's more likely to be a Latin American, a continent that has centuries of Catholic tradition. That said, after Benedict XVI has already shattered centuries of tradition by resigning, anything is possible.
 

Should Africa, just by dint of the sheer growth of the Catholic faithful, already start laying claim to the leadership of the world's 1.2 billion Catholic faithful or should the continent hold on for a little longer?
 

This is Africa's time to lead, whether or not the next Pope is an African. It's where the Church is growing the most rapidly, it's where the Church is most dynamic, and it's where the most creative energies in Catholicism are bubbling. It's time for Africa to stop being a junior partner in Catholicism Inc. and take its seat at the Board of Directors!
 

Do we have African Cardinals strong enough in learning, faith, commitment and charisma to lay claim to the Papacy?
 

Yes. Turkson of Ghana, Sarah of Guinea, and Onaiyekan of Nigeria are all legitimate contenders, with the languages, intellectual capacity, and personal qualities to be Pope.
 

Some pundits have mooted Cardinals Peter Appiah Turkson and Francis Arinze of Ghana and Nigeria respectively. What do you think of their credentials?
 

Arinze is already over 80 and won't be in the conclave, and since the current Pope is stepping down due to advanced age, I doubt Arinze will be a serious candidate. The others I mentioned above, however, could very well be in the running.
 

What of the very erudite and dynamic Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Archbishop of Abuja-Nigeria?
 

Onaiyekan is a strong possibility. He's a big personality who wouldn't be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the job, and he's got a global vision, due to his extensive travel and life experience. One disadvantage is that he has no experience of the Vatican, and many Cardinals believe that the next Pope will have to take control of the Vatican after two Pontificates that weren't very interested in internal governance. 
 

Would the world be better or worse for it, if an African was elected to replace Pope Benedict XVI? Would it have the effect of undermining the Catholic faith in particular and Christian religion in general and why?
 

How would it undermine Catholicism? The word Catholic means "universal" and the election of an African would underline the universality of the Church. From a media point of view, the election of an African would be an immediate sensation, giving the Church billions in free advertising! However, I doubt that's the sort of concern that will drive many votes in the conclave.
 

What chances does Latin America have, taking over the Papacy from Europe that Africa lacks, do you think?
 

I think they're pretty good. There are a number of strong Latin American candidates, such as Cardinal Odilo Scherer in Brazil and Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, an Argentine who works in the Vatican. However, bear in mind: the Cardinals don't vote for a passport, they vote for a man. They'll look to elect the best possible Pope, regardless of the guy's nationality.
 

Do you foresee a post-Benedict XVI-led Catholic Church submitting to the whims of so-called reformists to start ordaining female Priests and Bishops, lifting the lid on celibacy and even, giving in to contraception and homosexuality?

No. Papal transitions are about changes in tone, not substance. The next Pope may talk less about those things, but the teaching itself won't change.
 

What of the probability of a Vatican Council III?
 

Pretty slim. Among other things, there were 2,400 Bishops in the world at the time of Vatican II. Today, there are more than 5,000 … where would you even put all those guys?
What is your reading of Benedict XVI's resignation? What lessons can be learnt from this rare decision...as far as mentally saturated and dim-witted sit-tight African leaders are concerned?
 

Benedict's resignation is a great lesson for public figures of all sorts … politicians, athletes, celebrities, financial tycoons … who are tempted to cling to power and to the spotlight. Sometimes, the best way to enhance your legacy is to know when it's time to step off the stage.

First published in The Post print edition no 01910

 

Source: http://www.cameroonpostline.com/Content.aspx?ModuleID=3&ItemID=9663

 

 
Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.
William Shakespeare.