The African continent is one of two continents in the world which has not yet had any of its members elected as the leader of the Catholic Church; the Pope.
As the cardinal electors of the Catholic Church prepare to enter the Sistine Chapel to commence the conclave for the election of the new Pope, many have opined that it is time for an African to lead the Catholic Church.
These opinions are informed by the massive growth in the Catholic Church on the African continent, which now contributes about 25 percent of the Church’s total population globally.
Currently, out of 252 cardinals, only 135 are eligible to participate in the election of the next Pope — i.e., cast ballots and be voted for in the upcoming conclave, which will take place on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
Out of the 135 eligible candidates, 53 are from Europe; 23 from Asia; 21 from Latin America; 18 from Africa; 16 from North America; and 4 from Oceania.
Among the 18 African cardinal electors, the names of about five of them have come up as serious contenders to be the successor of the late Pope Francis.
Here are brief profiles of the top five African contenders:
Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson (Ghana):
Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson is the Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
He previously served as the Archbishop of Cape Coast, from 1992 to 2009.
Cardinal Appiah Turkson, who is currently 76 years old, was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2003.
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, following a cerebral stroke which led to a coma and irreversible heart failure.
He is Ghana’s first cardinal and has held several key positions at the Vatican, including being the first Prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, former President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and the Treasurer of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).
He also served on several Vatican bodies, including the Methodist-Catholic Dialogue (since 1997), the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (since 2002), and the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Goods of the Church (since 2002).
Cardinal Robert Sarah (Guinea):
Cardinal Robert Sarah is currently the Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
Cardinal Sarah served as Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from November 23, 2014, to February 20, 2021.
He previously served as Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples under Pope John Paul II and was made a cardinal in 2010.
Cardinal Robert Sarah, who is currently 79 years old, was made a cardinal in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI.
Cardinal Philippe Nakellentuba Ouédraogo (Burkina Faso):
Cardinal Philippe Nakellentuba Ouédraogo is the Emeritus Archbishop of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Cardinal Nakellentuba Ouédraogo, who is currently 79 years old, was made a cardinal in 2014 by the late Pope Francis.
He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Kaya, in his home country, Burkina Faso, on July 4, 1973.
After serving for five years as vicar of the cathedral parish, he studied at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome from 1979 to 1983, earning a doctorate in canon law.
Cardinal Nakellentuba Ouédraogo is the head of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar.
Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga (Central African Republic):
Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga is currently the Archbishop of Bangui in the Central African Republic.
He is the first cardinal of the Central African Republic and was elevated to the position by Pope Francis in 2016.
Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga has been the Archbishop of Bangui since 2012, where he served as Apostolic Administrator from 2009 to 2012.
He has been President of the Central African Episcopal Conference since 2013. He is a member of the Spiritans.
He was born in 1967 and is currently 58 years old.
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (Congo):
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu is currently the Archbishop of Kinshasa, Congo.
He is currently 67 years old and was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2019.
Cardinal Ambongo Besungu, who is a friar by vocation, was previously Bishop of Bokungu-Ikela from 2004 to 2016.
He also served as the Apostolic Administrator of Kole from 2008 to 2015.
BAI/AE
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