Di next Pope fit be African?

If growth of di Catholic Church na di sole factor of wia di next Pope go come from, den e dey almost certain say di next one go be from Africa.

Africa get di fastest growing Catholic population for di world, increasing by 3.31% for di two-year period covering 2022 and 2023. Di Vatican most recent figures show say 20% of di world Catholics dey live on di continent.

By contrast Europe see di lowest growth of 0.2% for di same period. And between 1910 and 2010, e see di number of Catholics drop by more dan 63%, according to di US-based Pew Research Centre. Di region, once wey dey regarded as di heartland of Christianity, don become one of di world most secular.

And while di Catholic Church still dey influential for Latin America, e dey lose ground to Evangelical Christianity for many kontris dia. One 2022 study by Latinobarómetro across 18 kontris for di region find out say di number of pipop wey identify as Catholic drop from 70% in 2010 to 57% in 2020.

So wen di cardinals wey go vote for di next Pope – di cardinal-electors –meet for Vatican to choose Pope Francis successor, di kwesion now na weda part of dia decision wey dey go make suppose be wia di candidate come from?

Father Stan Chu Ilo, a Nigerian Catholic priest and associate professor at DePaul University, think so.

"I feel say e go make sense well-well to get African Pope," im tell me, im argue say di leadership of di Church suppose reflect di makeup of di global congregation.

Pope Francis don increase di proportion of cardinals from sub-Saharan Africa wey go vote for im successor from 9% wen dem elect am for 2013 to 12% for 2022. But Fr Chu Ilo say dat no necessarily mean say dem go vote for someone from Africa.

Im say di cardinals dey likely to pick someone wey already get a high profile: "someone wey already be influential voice."

"Di challenge na say you, you no get any senior African clergy wey dey hold any important position today for Vatican, and dat fit be problem.

"If you think about African cardinals wey fit be potential popes, wey dey prominent for global Catholicism today? Di answer na none."

Dis, say Fr Chu Ilo, na contrast to 2013 wen Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson be strong contender for di position, and 2005 wen Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze been be potential candidate for conclave wey bin lead to di election of Pope Benedict XVI .

"How e come to dis point for di continent of Africa and di Catholic Church na still something wey dey surprise many of us, sake of Pope Francis openness to Africa," Fr Chu Ilu tok.

'Connotation of tokenism'

Although don get at least three Popes from Africa, di last -Pope Gelasius I – die more dan 1,500 years ago. High time, many argue, for anoda.

But some African Catholics feel say pipo dey place too much emphasis on wia di next Pope fit come from. Like Father Paulinus Ikechukwu Odozor, one professor for Notre Dame University, wey also be Nigerian-born Catholic priest.

"I no dey among those wey think say just because you come from Africa, or becos you come from Europe, diafore you be prime candidate," im tell me.

"No matter wia you come from, as soon as you dey elected, evri body issues go become your issue. You get one concern, to build up di body of Christ, no matter wia di pipo dey, no matter how many dem be, and di tori behind who dem be."

Di most important thing, im tok na say, di Pope "must be di chief theologian of di church".

Im feel say "di Pope must be somebody wey know tradition well- well", and fit use dat in order to give pipo direction.

Fr Odozor im say e dey frustrate am wen pipo ask whether di next Pope suppose come from be from Africa "becos of di connotation of tokenism".

"E dey like say pipo dey say, 'Okay, so Africans dey grow in these numbers, so why una no fit give dem di Pope.'"

Im feel say, dem need to do more needs to ensure say matters wey dey affect di faithful in Africa those wey dey positions of power for Vatican take am seriously.

At times, im say, e be like say "sometimes some Africans no matter, or as if dia faith dey seen as a little bit below par, or counterfeit, and dem no suppose take dem seriously".

"Wen Africans feel say dia issues no dey for table as e suppose be, den pipo go begin to ask, well, maybe wey only fit push make dem hear us or see us if our own man dey dia."

Racism dey Church?

Like Fr Chu Ilo, im feel say despite increase for di number of cardinals from African continent, dem lack real power for Church.

"I no dey wash down di quality of di cardinals wey Pope Francis appoint," Im explain.

But im ask, "Wen you appoint dem, you dey give dem clout? Give these pipo you dey appoint authority, trust dem wit di work and allow dem do am."

Both Fr Chu Ilo and Fr Odozor point to one issue wey fit hinder di efforts wey Pope Francis don make di leadership of di church more representative.

"Di kwesion of racism still dey for di Church wey we neva even tok about," na say Fr Odozor tok.

"Dat fit undermine pesin, no matter how papal im be or wetin im do, im go dey seen simply as an African Pope."

By di end of 2022, Pope Francis bin don pick up almost two thirds of di cardinals wey go appoint im successor - just shy of di majority wey dey needed in order to elect a new pope. E mean say whoever dem chose, e get good chance say im go share Pope Francis emphasis on reaching out to di poor and disenfranchised.

Na approach Fr Chu Ilo call a "poor-first" outlook, wit focus on being "a "listening church", a more progressive church, a more humble church". Dat na something im want to see for anybody wey go lead di Church next.

Di element of surprise

But e get anoda key factor wey make am difficult to predict who go dey selected, Fr Chu Ilo tok.

"Catholics believe say God, di Holy Spirit, dey help to choose di leaders of di Church," im tell me.

Dat means surprise fit dey, just as for 2013 wen dem elect Pope Francis . "No be im be di pesin wey pipo bin dey predict," Fr Chu Ilo add.

I ask am say wetin im think matter more - weda di next Pope go share im predecessor vision for di Church, or say weda im go come from Africa?

"I go ansa like a good priest," e tell me as e laugh.

"I go pray make God give us a Pope wey go kotinu wit di outlook of Francis, and I go pray say such a pesin go come from Africa."