African cardinal discusses possibility of black pope, birth control

(NECN/AP TV) – A prominent African cardinal says there is no reason why the next Pope shouldn’t be black, particularly following the election of President Barack Obama. Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson of Ghana is playing an important role in guiding a three-week meeting at the Vatican on the challenges of the Catholic Church in Africa. When Turkson was asked whether he thought the time was right for a black pope, especially in light of Obama’s election, he said an election in the United States depended on the voters, whereas an election for Pope depended on the will of God. Speculation about the possibility of a Pope from the developing world has swirled for years, as that’s where the Catholic Church is growing most. In Africa, between 1978 and 2007, the number of Catholics grew from 55 million to 146 million. By contrast, Catholic communities in Europe are in decline. In 1978, the Polish-born Pope John Paul II became the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. Cardinals followed in 2005 by electing German-born Pope Benedict XVI. Whether the European-heavy College of Cardinals will look outside Europe for Benedict’s successor is an open question. Benedict enjoys good health at 82, and there are no signs the job will become open soon. Turkson also discussed birth control and celibacy.