Author: Jimmy Akin
Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live." View all posts by Jimmy Akin
I am definitely praying and rooting for Cardinal Arinze. I have seen him often on EWTN and I think he would make a great leader for the Church.
I like Mark Steyn’s comment on the chances of the “first black pope.”
Steyn writes:
“We live in a present-tense culture where novelty is its own virtue: the Guardian, for example, has already been touting the Nigerian Francis Arinze as “candidate for first black pope”. This would be news to Pope St Victor, an African and pontiff from 189 to 199. Among his legacies: the celebration of Easter on a Sunday.”
That second article seems oh so scripted:
“I doubt that the white man will allow a black man to become pope,” said Chinyere Osigwe, a 40-year-old Nigerian
Gimme a break.
Who knew the Spirit was a white man?
I keep telling you people…
It’s going to be Bill Clinton. As soon as JPII fell ill he stopped lobbying for the UN Secretary General job and is secretly lobbying for the Papacy. And those rooting for a Black Pope won’t be disappointed because they can claim that the pope is from Harlem. Oh and remember how he was called the Man from Hope and JPII was called Witness to Hope? Well, Clinton will be the “Pope from Hope”.
What? That’s not funny?
I guess that explains why the AP is taking polls about what the new pope should do.
If it’s Bill Clinton, he’ll do whatever the polls say.
I would like to see Cardinal Schonborn of Austria or Cardinal Arinze. I doubt, however, that either of them will win. I think the more likely names are people like Tettamanzi, Lopez Trujillo, Scola, Hummes, or even Ratzinger, if the Cardinals decide they want a shorter reign.
There is a scenario I could see where Cdl. Arinze would get selected as a kind of compromise candidate between the European wing of cardinals and the Latin/South American bloc.
This would be news to Pope St Victor, an African and pontiff from 189 to 199. Among his legacies: the celebration of Easter on a Sunday.”
Weren’t Pope St. Miltiades and Pope St. Gelasius I from Africa as well?
I’d like to see a pope chosen from the rank of cardinals belonging eastern liturgical communities. Like Lubomyr Husar of Ukraine. Or (even though I know little about him) Ignace Daoud of Syria. The odds are small, but I think it would help bring the Orthodox back (and God willing Muslims) into the Catholic fold.
Barring that, though, I’d be perfectly content with Cardinal Arinze.
Umm, I have no idea how many, if any, early popes were black, but it is not clear that being African in the ancient world automatically meant being black. I can give you about 8 reasons why Arinze would make a great pope, but where he would rank in the number of “black popes” (a title associated with Jesuits, btw!) I have no idea. And neither, I think, does anybody else. PS: Y’all do know who the “red pope” is, right, folks?
There is a silly man called Steven Waldman who states His Eminence Cardinal Arinze, if elected Pontiff would be the first African Pope. He also stated that the African Catholic Church is new. Why is it that so many white americans have such an uneducated ignorant view of history? If I knew nothing of Catholic history I would not speak on the subject. North Africa to West South was 100% Catholic prior to the invasion by the Turkish filth. To address another so many North Africans look Arab, why? Well after 550 years of rap etc the face of the people will change in a geographical location. The Kingdom of Ethiopia has been Catholic before america was even though of. So my point being is, for over fifteen hundred years the Church has had all manner of races in the Church. If the USA Catholics left the Church it would be no bother, they don’t make nor break anything is this vast old world.