The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI; the first Pontiff to do so in about 600 years has unleashed a febrile miasma of conspiracy theories, rumors and speculations over who will succeed him as Bishop of Rome.
It was a stunning decision made more dramatic by its unexpectedness. The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI left the Vatican in a state of spiritual and bureaucratic shock, groping for ways to deal with a situation without precedent for at least 600 years. It has expectedly unleashed a febrile miasma of conspiracy theories, rumors and speculations over who will succeed him.
The 85-year-old Pope, who served the notice just two days to Ash Wednesday, the traditional start of 40 days fasting by his 1.2 billion faithful worldwide, leading to Easter, cited old age for his resignation. Otherwise stated, Benedict’s soul is willing but his body is weak. Vatican spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said he expected a conclave of Cardinals to be held in March within 15 or 20 days of the resignation and a new Pope elected before Easter Sunday on March 31.
In the papacy’s mediaeval history, other Popes have stepped down for a variety of reasons but the only other Pope to resign because he felt unable to fulfill his duties was Celestine V in 1294; a hermit who quit after just a few months in office, saying he yearned for a simpler life and was not physically fit for the office. In 1415, Gregory XII resigned in a bid to end the “Western Schism”, when two rival claimants declared themselves Pope in Pisa and Avignon and threatened to tear Roman Catholicism apart.
Pope Benedict XVI will be remembered as a staunch defender of Roman Catholic orthodoxy, a diehard traditionalist and a lightning rod for controversy. The German intellectual known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger succeeded the long-reigning rock-star John Paul II in April 2005 at the age of 78 and leaves behind a Church grappling with crises from child abuse scandals involving priests to confronting radical Islam as well as struggling to find its place in an increasingly secular world. As head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; and later as Pope, Benedict rejected the ordination of women and marriage for priests; He fiercely opposed abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage, homosexuality and communism and was never afraid of upsetting political sensibilities.
Widely seen as an ultra-conservative, Benedict never succeeded in generating the fervor enjoyed by his Polish predecessor, who was welcome with enthusiasm, bordering on hysteria, by huge crowds across the globe. He will be remembered more for his disastrous public relations record that saw him antagonize Muslims, Jews, gays, native Indians, Poles, AIDS activists and even scientists. Memories are still fresh of the fury he unleashed in the Muslim world with a speech in September 2006 in which he appeared to endorse the view of an obscure 14th-century Byzantine emperor that Islam is inherently violent. The academic lecture sparked violent protests in several countries as well as attacks on Christian targets. Weeks later, this son of a policeman added AIDS activists to the list of groups he has angered. On a tour of Africa; hardest hit by the AIDS pandemic, Benedict said condom use aggravates the crisis.
As Pope, Benedict distanced himself from the intrigues of the Curia, which eventually caught up with him last year. The “Vatileaks” scandal in which hundreds of confidential papal memos were leaked to the press by his once loyal butler, Paolo Gabriele, opened the doors on Vatican dirty deeds in an unprecedented way; adding up to the portrait of a Pope who is not in control of his own church. The scandal exposed widespread corruption, cronyism and backdoor payments showing that wealthy Catholics could gain audience with the Pope simply by donating 10,000 euros ($13,000). The scandal was a particularly devastating blow for the Pope, already widely criticized for being more interested in his books than in the business of leading the Church.
The intellectual Benedict was a man of hospitable disposition, who has been keen to communicate through new media, becoming the first ever Pope with a Twitter account (@Pontifex). His resignation has raised the possibility that a Cardinal from Africa could become the first Black Pope. In an era when Barack Obama has been elected twice as President of the United States; if the Catholic Church has to keep up with the times as Benedict suggested, then now is the time for a Black Pope! Three Popes have come from Africa in the past, but they were all white or Arab in appearance. The three African Popes were Pope Victor I (189-199); Pope Miltiades (311-314) and Pope Galasius, (492-496).
Of the 18 Africans in the Vatican’s College of Cardinals, two are in serious contention for the papacy: Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, 64, of Ghana and Francis Cardinal Arinze, 80, of Nigeria. At 80 years, Cardinal Arinze does not qualify even to go into the conclave to elect the Pope, and he cannot be chosen or elected, leaving Turkson, who heads the Vatican Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace as the clear front-runner from Africa.
At no time in the history of the Catholic Church has the selection of the Pope excited so much global interest. When the 118 cardinals enter into conclave in the Sistine Chapel next month to elect the next Pope, a quarter of them will be Italian. The last non-Italian Pope before Benedict, who is a German, and his Polish predecessor John Paul II was Adrian VI, who died in 1523. From Europe, the leading contender is Milan Archbishop Angelo Cardinal Scola, 71; believed to be Benedict’s choice. But another European Pope will be the worst nightmare for the Church at this time. European churches are getting empty, as people no longer to relate to the Church and to religion; therefore Catholicism needs a game changer.
Technically the selection of a Pope is supposedly a reflection of God’s will. In which case, this time around, God needs some strategic advice: since His enemies like Satan least expect Him to choose a Black Pope, God should just appoint Cardinal Turkson of Ghana and shame His detractors. It will be the first time the job of God’s Messenger goes to a non-European since 731.
Conventional wisdom supports the case for a Black Pope since Africa with 600 million people and counting; offers the best growth and expansion prospects for Catholicism. Above all, a Black Pope will signify the Church is returning to its original foundation of what Jesus Christ wanted it to be – a Church of the poor! Blacks are amongst the poorest people on earth and few will argue that God loves the poor; else, He would not have created so many of them. As the moral voice of the world, the Vatican will miss a historic opportunity to stamp credibility on the Catholic Church if another White Pope emerges from the imperial opaqueness that usually surrounds the selection process. The world is watching…in the Mighty Name of Jesus; Amen!
Huhuonline.com Editorial
