By Reuben Olita, Vatican
Kenyan vote will be elusive when the College of Cardinals convenes at the Vatican in the next two to three weeks to elect the new Pope to replace Pope Francis, who died early on Easter Monday from double pneumonia.
Cardinal John Njue, who became the second Kenyan to be elevated to cardinal by the late Pope Benedict XVI in 2007, after Cardinal Maurice Otunga, is now 81 years old, thus ineligible to vote.
The maximum age pegged on a Cardinal to vote when the Pope either dies or is incapacitated is 80 years, thus locking out the Kenyan Cardinal from the conclave of electing new Pope.
The hope for an inaugural Pope since 698AC lies on Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, a Vatican official aged 76.
Turkson was one of the Pope’s closest advisors on issues such as climate change and drew much attention by attending many conferences on behalf of the Pope.
Francis merged Turkson’s department in 2016 with three other offices, leading to what some saw as a power struggle between him and another cardinal.
Turkson resigned from that role in 2021 and was appointed to head two pontifical academies on sciences and social sciences.
In 2023 he told the BBC he prayed “against” the possibility that he would be elected Pope, but some of his detractors said that given his media appearances, it appeared he was campaigning for the job.
Another black pope touted is Cardinal Robert Sarah from Guinea. He has been a vocal advocate for the defence of traditional Catholic teaching on questions of sexual morality and the right to life and in denouncing Islamic radicalism.
Sarah has been described as largely sympathetic to liturgical practices prior to the Second Vatican Council but also proposed that partisans of different liturgies learn from each other and seek a middle ground.
The Catholic Church states there were three other Black popes in Catholic history: Pope Victor I, who headed the church from 189-199. Pope Miltiades (311-314) and Pope Gelasius 1, (492-496).
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippine is often called the “Asian Francis” because if elected, he would be the first pontiff from Asia.
Cardinal Juan Jose Omella, Archbishop of Barcelona, is a man after Pope Francis’ own heart. Unassuming and good-natured, he lives a humble life despite his lofty title, dedicating his church career to pastoral care, promoting social justice, and embodying a compassionate and inclusive vision of catholicism.
Jean-Marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille, French, aged 66, is known in some domestic catholic circles as John XXIV, in a nod to his resemblance to Pope John XXIII, the round-faced reforming pope of the early 1960s.
Pope Francis once quipped that his successor might take the name of John XXIV.
If he got the top job, Aveline would become the first French pope since the 14th century, a turbulent period in which the papacy moved to Avignon.
He would also be the youngest pope since John Paul II. He understands but does not speak Italian – potentially a major drawback for a job that also carries the title Bishop of Rome and requires a lot of familiarity with Roman power games and intrigues.
Cardinal Peter Erdo, Hungarian, aged 72, if elected, would inevitably be seen as a compromise candidate – someone from the conservative camp who has nonetheless built bridges with Francis’ progressive world.
Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, Maltese, aged 68 was appointed by Pope Francis to be secretary general of the Synod of Bishops – a heavyweight position within the Vatican. He became a torchbearer of Francis’ reforms within the Church for years, moving sharply with the times.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Italian, Vatican diplomat, aged 70, served as Pope Francis’ secretary of state since 2013, the year Francis was elected.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, Filipino, aged 67 who prefers to called by his nickname,
“Chito” seems to have all the boxes ticked to qualify him to be a pope.
He has had decades of pastoral experience since his ordination to the priesthood in 1982. He then gained administrative experience, first as bishop of Imus and then as archbishop of Manila.
Pope Benedict made him a cardinal in 2012.
Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark, N.J., American, aged 72.
It’s unlikely the world’s cardinals would pick the first ever U.S. Pope, but if they were up for that, Tobin would seem the likeliest possibility.
Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, aged 69, is an Italian prelate of the who has been Archbishop of Bologna since 12th December 2015. He was previously an auxiliary bishop of Rome from 2012 to 2015.
