Introduction: Between Divine Will and Human Calculation
The Catholic Church insists that its popes are chosen not by political manoeuvring but by divine inspiration. The conclave, conducted in sacred silence behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, is said to be a space where the Holy Spirit alone guides the outcome. Yet the 2013 election, following the historic resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, who passed away in December 2022, exposed troubling cracks in that ideal.
When Ghana’s Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson emerged as a leading contender, many believed it was time for the Church to reflect its global demographic and moral realities. Instead, the white smoke that signalled Habemus Papam rose for Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who later became known as Pope Francis. That moment, echoed more recently with the election of Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, forces us to confront a painful question, Is the conclave truly guided by divine discernment, or does it mirror human bias dressed in ritual?
The Case of Turkson and Bergoglio: 2013’s First Hesitation
In 2013, Cardinal Turkson stood as a credible symbol of the future Church, African, multilingual, theologically seasoned, and internationally respected. His leadership of the Vatican’s Justice and Peace Council, his influence on ethical economic thought, and his pastoral work in Ghana positioned him as both a spiritual shepherd and a global statesman.
By comparison, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina, though widely respected for his humility, had not held any curial office and was relatively unknown outside Latin America. His appeal lay in his simplicity, not his administrative experience.
Yet, Turkson was quietly dismissed as too “ambitious,” “bold,” or “unconventional”, terms often used to neutralize voices from outside Eurocentric traditions. Bergoglio’s election was interpreted as a safe middle ground, a reformer, but still a white, Western-formed Jesuit with theological leanings that made him palatable to conservative cardinals.
Turkson vs. Prevost: A Second Omission in Robes
Fast forward to 2025. The election of Pope Leo XIV (Robert Prevost) revives the same dilemma. Prevost, an American Augustinian friar with limited diocesan leadership experience outside of Peru and recent curial promotion, now wears the white cassock. While his intellect and pastoral heart are noted, his resume by comparison is modest.
Turkson, by contrast, has served through three pontificates, been a trusted adviser on global ethics, shaped key Vatican documents, and represented the Church at climate and economic summits. His academic training spans theology, scripture, philosophy, and economics, and he speaks more than six languages fluently.
If this level of preparation, service, and cultural depth still does not qualify an African for the papacy, what does? And if not now, when?
Black Smoke, White Smoke: When Symbols Speak Louder Than Intentions
The symbolism of papal elections is among the most powerful in religious history. The world waits with bated breath as black smoke rises from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signifying no pope yet. Hours or days later, white smoke emerges, and joy erupts, a pope has been chosen.
But beneath this ritual lies a haunting metaphor, when the leading candidate is Black, the smoke is black; when the chosen pope is white, the smoke turns white.
If black smoke means “not yet,” and white smoke means “God has spoken,” then what does it mean that no African has ever been the one accepted by that divine signal? More to the point, why is the smoke not ‘’red and blue’’ or ‘’red and green’’? Has the Church unintentionally reinforced a racial hierarchy through its most sacred imagery? The question lingers, is the Holy Spirit genuinely choosing, or is He filtered through the optics of fear, familiarity, and institutional comfort?
Apostle Paul and the Weight of Preparation
Some may argue that divine selection supersedes academic or ecclesiastical qualifications. But Scripture offers a counterpoint. Apostle Paul, though not among the original Twelve, authored more New Testament books than any other figure. God chose him not only for his spiritual zeal, but for his Roman citizenship, Jewish legal training, and Greek fluency traits that allowed him to evangelize across cultural boundaries.
Likewise, Peter Turkson’s blend of African pastoral insight, Roman theological grounding, and global fluency mirrors this divine model of readiness. If God values preparation and context in His instruments, why should the Vatican treat such traits as liabilities when found in African leaders?
The Jehovah’s Witnesses Parallel: A Broader Religious Pattern
The Catholic Church is not alone. Jehovah’s Witnesses, headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, operate under a Governing Body that interprets doctrine and directs global followers. In their history, no Black African has ever been appointed to that body despite massive African growth in membership.
This silent exclusion mirrors Catholicism’s own struggle. The very institutions that preach universality while retaining leadership among a narrow, racially homogeneous elite. Whether Catholic or Jehovah’s Witness, the message is the same, ‘’you may follow, but you may not lead’’.
Conclusion: A Church at the Crossroads of Faith and Fear
The repeated sidelining of Cardinal Turkson, first under Pope Benedict’s shadow, then under Francis, and now under Leo XIV, cannot be dismissed as mere circumstance. Though we can argue that God chooses and chooses not, yet it reflects a deeper tension within the Church, between the theology it proclaims and the power it protects.
The white smoke may rise, but for many African Catholics, it carries the scent of unspoken exclusion. Until the Church confronts the quiet racism embedded in its structures, however unintentional, it cannot fully embody the Catholicity it claims.
The next time the chimney smokes, may it not simply be a signal of consensus, but a bold declaration that the Body of Christ includes all its parts, without bias, without fear, and without mirrors to distort the Spirit’s voice.
By: Kennedy Opoku
NDC-Dome-Kwabenya Global 2A Communication Officer, Political Activist, and Vice President of Solids for JDM
