TIME FOR BLACK POPE: A CASE FOR CARDINAL PETER TURKSON

BY COLLINS OPUROZOR

The Catholic Church stands at a defining crossroads. As divisions, secularism, and crises challenge the unity of the faithful worldwide, there is a profound need for leadership that embodies the universality of Christ’s message — that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). In this context, the election of a Black pope, particularly Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, would not only honor the Church’s roots but also visibly testify to its living global mission.

From the earliest centuries, Africa has been the cradle of Christian thought and holiness. Saints like Augustine of Hippo, Monica, Athanasius, Benedict the Moor, and Josephine Bakhita bore the light of Christ in times of great darkness, standing firm as “the light of the world” and “a city set on a hill”. They remind us that the Gospel transcends geography and race, binding humanity together under the banner of divine love. If Black saints have already shaped the Church’s heart, how fitting it would be for a Black man to now guide her future.

Cardinal Peter Turkson’s life itself mirrors the resilience and grace found in these saints. Born in 1948 in Wassaw Nsuta, Ghana, into a poor but devout family, he rose through hard work, brilliant intellect, and deep faith. Educated in seminaries across Africa and later in Rome, Turkson’s journey is a modern echo of the Church’s universal call: “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession” (Psalm 2:8). His story belongs not just to Ghana, but to the whole Church.

Leadership in Cardinal Turkson has always meant service, humility, and prophetic courage. As President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and later Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, he championed issues too often neglected: the plight of migrants, the dignity of labor, care for creation, and peace among nations. His work deeply resonates with Pope Francis’s vision in Laudato Si’, and even more with Christ’s teaching that “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”.

Spiritually, Turkson radiates the ancient African Christian wisdom of patience, prayer, and communal harmony. He embodies the virtues described in the Letter to the Colossians: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”. At a time when the Church faces storms from within and without, such spiritual depth and broad-mindedness are urgently needed.

Moreover, a Black pope would fulfill the Church’s missionary identity in a vivid way. Africa now holds some of the fastest-growing Catholic communities. The faith is vibrant, youthful, and joyful there. As Isaiah prophesied: “Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising”. Elevating an African to the Chair of Peter would recognize this new dawn and inspire millions of faithful not only in Africa but across the global South.

The early Church Fathers, many of whom were African, defended orthodox faith and shaped Christian doctrine. Men like Athanasius of Alexandria fought heresies that threatened to divide the faithful. Now, as relativism, materialism, and moral confusion assault the Church, an African pope — deeply rooted in traditional values yet open to dialogue — could stand once again as a firm “pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).

Peter Turkson’s voice is not the voice of ambition, but of quiet authority, patience, and hope. He represents a Church that does not close in fear but opens in trust, just as the Acts of the Apostles describes: “God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him”. Turkson’s election would be a prophetic symbol of inclusion, healing old racial wounds, and showing that Catholicity means true universality.

In these trying times — with wars, economic inequality, migration crises, and ideological battles — the Church needs not just a good administrator, but a shepherd who sees Christ in every person. A Black pope like Peter Turkson could bridge East and West, North and South, offering the world a living sign of unity. His papacy would echo the heavenly vision of Revelation: “A great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb”.

The time has come. A Church that began in Jerusalem, spread through Antioch, Alexandria, Rome, and the ends of the earth, now stands poised for a new chapter. Let the successor of Peter be chosen from among those who have long carried the cross with faith, joy, and perseverance. In Cardinal Peter Turkson, the Church would find not only a son of Africa, but a son of the Gospel, ready to lead her into the new dawn.

*Collins Opurozor is a devout Catholic, writes From Owerri