Meet the African Cardinals with Potential to Become the Next Pope

With the process of electing a new Catholic pope beginning today, Wednesday, May 7th, following the death of Pope Francis I on April 21st, attention has turned to potential successors from around the world. The next pontiff will be the 267th in the Church’s history.

The decision will be made by 133 cardinal electors under the age of 80, who convened this afternoon in a conclave to cast secret ballots.

Among the leading contenders are three African cardinals whose profiles have garnered significant attention:

1. Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson (Ghana)

At 76, Turkson is based in the Vatican and was the first Ghanaian cardinal, appointed in 2003. He is widely mentioned as a potential first Black pope.

Turkson, who is multilingual, served as head of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development from 2016 to 2021. He has acted as a papal envoy and mediator in various conflicts, including in South Sudan.

While he opposes the criminalization of gay relationships in some African countries, he maintains conservative views on Catholic sexual morality and does not consider homosexuality a human rights issue.

2. Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (Democratic Republic of Congo)

Ambongo, 65, was appointed Archbishop of Kinshasa by Pope Francis and currently serves as president of the African bishops' conference. In a 2023 interview, he stated, “Africa is the future of the Church, it’s obvious.”

A vocal conservative, he led a successful push in 2024 for an African exemption against allowing blessings for same-sex marriages — a move that was permitted by Francis in other regions.

3. Robert Sarah (Guinea)

Sarah, 79, is known for his staunch traditionalist stance. He has been a vocal critic of many of Francis’s progressive reforms, advocating for a return to traditional liturgy and doctrine.

In 2015, he condemned what he called “Western ideologies on homosexuality and abortion and Islamic fanaticism,” a stance that many analysts believe could hinder his chances of securing a two-thirds majority at the conclave.

Other Potential Contenders

If the leadership of the Catholic Church shifts to Africa, it could be through these three prominent figures. However, they are not the only ones in contention. Cardinals from other regions are also being considered, including:

Europe:

Pietro Parolin (70), the Vatican’s Secretary of State under Francis.

Matteo Maria Zuppi (70), Archbishop of Bologna.

Claudio Gugerotti (69), a multilingual diplomat from Verona.

Mario Grech (68), Bishop Emeritus of Gozo, Malta.

Asia:

Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle (67), a Filipino cardinal known for his pastoral approach.

Charles Maung Bo (76), Archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar.

Americas:

Timothy Dolan (75), Archbishop of New York.

Robert Francis Prevost (Chicago).

Marc Ouellet and Michael Czerny, both from Canada.

The conclave is expected to continue until a two-thirds majority is achieved, ushering in the next leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.