First black pope?

Interesting...

Link to Article

African touted as Pope's successor
By Richard Owen
02oct03

THE man tipped to be the first black pope has set out his credentials as the Vatican continues to prepare the public for the death of Pope John Paul II.

Following comments from top Vatican official Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger that the Pope was in "very bad" health, the Pope's private secretary Georg Gaenswein said yesterday the 83-year-old pontiff could not walk or stand.
"He is a hero for the faithful," Mr Gaenswein said. "The fact he doesn't give up despite his illness makes him even more credible ... When he is no longer allowed to travel, then dear God will come for him."

Meanwhile, Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria has become the first possible successor to be publicly promoted.

In a book of interviews published this week called God's Invisible Hand, Cardinal Arinze presents himself as a man who has risen from humble origins in a Nigerian village to a senior position in the Vatican, and as a conservative capable of reaching other constituencies.

Edited to fix link.

theres also a lot of ethnicities who still havent had a pope. The Italians basically get it. JPII is the first non Italian pope in a while.

Might want to edit that, to make it easier for people to view. A black pope sounds good to me! He's old though, already 70. Isn't that a bit old to start being pope?

John Paul II was a leap in a way too, Italians have dominated the Vatican through out the ages, to my knowledge there has never been an Irish pope, there was one English one, and the French may have had one. Its been mostly Italian thats all I know.

John Paul II was a leap in a way too, Italians have dominated the Vatican through out the ages, to my knowledge there has never been an Irish pope, there was one English one, and the French may have had one. Its been mostly Italian thats all I know.

People complained that the current pope was too young when took office at 59. Besides that, I've read that they want the next papacy to be more transitional, so they'd choose an older man who wouldn't be around for so long.

;)

in the European press over a year ago that some Vatican pundits were talking about having an Italian as Pope, and particularly one that comes from a family that has been Catholic for a long time. I mention this because Cardinal Arinze is the son of a witch doctor, a fact that was specifically mentioned in the press.

I don't care who is elected Pope as long as it is not Cardinal Luis Cipriani of Lima, Peru. Cipriani is a member of Opus Dei.

Anyone But Ciprani
:shrug: I dont want anyone in Opus Dei. Not another Italian lol ;) I am kidding I dont care really as long as it aint opus dei, although it would be cool to see something unique like Cardinal Arinze, Pope John Paul II is and was unique as the first Polish pope and the first non Italian pope in a while. I hate Opus Dei.

I don't know if he's Opus Dei but he could be just as bad. I think he's Italian too so he could be favored.

fingers!

It would be fantasico!

who knows Cardinal Arinze. He believes he will be the next Pope. Time will tell

...John Paul II was the first Catholic pope! (People were pretty excited that he was the first Polish pope.)

available are EXTREMELY conservative. It does not matter if they are Latin American, African, European, etc. etc. The pre-requisite is conservatism.

I know McNabb didn't deserve the crap he got this week from Lardazz, but I don't think he's quite ready for this position.

Maybe after he wins a Super Bowl.