Quote:
Originally Posted by FF2®
They say Turkson (Ghana) is the favorite, but I have a feeling Sandri (Argentina) or Ravisi (Italy) could sneak in.
|
=Just a quick historic note. The Catholic Church has already had three African popes.
Pope Victor I (189-199 ), Pope St. Miltiades (311-314), and Pope St. Gelasius I (492-496) were all from Africa, and while their exact ancestry is unknown, there is some evidence to suggest that they were not of Roman decent (aka they were black or at least dark skinned). Of course, no accurate images exist, and race was not defined the same way, so we cannot be certain.
At the very least, their reigns show the influence Africa had on the early church--interestingly much more than Northern Europe had. Africa has an old relationship with Rome, and it'll be interesting to see if that relationship is strengthened this coming conclave.