The death of Pope Francis, who is set for burial on Saturday, yesterday triggered fresh conversation on an African becoming the head of the Catholic Church globally.

The Archbishop of the Abuja Archdiocese of Nigeria, Ignatius Kaigama, in his contribution, stated that African Cardinals have the same chance of becoming the pope just like anyone from any other part of the world.

In an interview with BBC monitored by THISDAY, the Archbishop of the Abuja Diocese in Nigeria, Kaigama, stated that although qualified Africans for the position stood no less chance, the kind of Pope needed at the moment, is one that will be a bit of everything.

“Historically, we were told there were Popes and they were black, but that was maybe in the early centuries of the church, but in modern times there hasn’t been any black Pope. Who says the black person cannot be a Pope?

“An African can be a Pope. We have Cardinals who are Africans, they have the same chance as anybody from America, anybody from Europe, so it is possible that an African will be Pope. But what we are praying for is not for an African Pope, a black Pope, an American Pope, an Asian Pope.

“No, we are praying for a good and holy Pope who can be black, Asian, or American, European, it is possible,” the cleric maintained.

Africans are hoping one of their own could become the first Black pope in modern history and build on Francis’s legacy of championing the developing world, though the chances of that happening appear slim, a Reuters report said.

A continent where religion permeates most aspects of private and public life, Africa is where the Roman Catholic Church is growing fastest, according to Vatican figures published last month.

“To have a Black pope would revive the Christian faith in Africa and change people’s views of Africa, by showing that an African can hold this office,” said Charles Yapi, a Catholic priest in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital Abidjan.

Among African clerics tipped as potential popes are Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, 76, Democratic Republic of Congo’s Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65, the archbishop of Kinshasa, and Ivory Coast’s Cardinal Ignace Bessi Dogbo, 63.

Africa boasted about 20 per cent of the world’s Catholics in 2023 and added 9 million worshippers the previous year, a Reuters report said.

However, an African pope would not necessarily embrace Francis’s more ‘socially progressive’ positions, such as approving the blessing of same-sex couples on a case-by-case basis, which has irked Africa’s overwhelmingly conservative faithful.

An African pope would be clear that same-sex relationships are “not part of our culture” and “would not allow himself to be influenced to accept it”, said Yapi, the Ivorian priest.

The issue could cut both ways as many of the cardinals who will elect the next pope in a conclave may be wary of picking someone whose views deviate sharply from those of Francis.

Francis, 88, died on Monday after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest, ending an often turbulent reign in which he repeatedly clashed with traditionalists and championed the poor and marginalised.

The pontiff spent five weeks in hospital earlier this year suffering from double pneumonia and had appeared to be slowly recovering, but the Vatican on Tuesday recounted his last moments, saying death came quickly and he had not suffered.

He started to feel unwell at around 5:30 a.m. (0330 GMT) on Monday and was promptly attended to by his team. More than an hour later he made a gesture of farewell to his ever-present nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, and slipped into a coma, the Vatican’s official media channel said. His time of death was given as 7:35 a.m.

As part of the funeral rites, his body will be taken into the adjacent St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m in a procession that will be led by cardinals. He will lie in state there until Friday evening at 7:00 p.m.

His funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. the following day in St. Peter’s Square, in front of the 16th century basilica. It will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista, the 91-year-old Dean of the College of Cardinals.

While Europe still has the largest share of cardinal electors, with about 39 per cent, it is down from 52 per cent in 2013, when Francis became pope. The second largest group of electors is from Asia and Oceania, with about 20 per cent. (Adapted from a THISDAY report)