On May 7, 133 Catholic cardinals will meet in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope. Discussions abound on whether an African will be next to ascend to the papacy. If one does, then he would not be the first: Victor I, Miltiades, and Gelasius I all hailed from the African continent, and each, serving during the early church, had a lasting impact on the church’s early foundations. All three were canonized, and it was during the pontificate of the African-born Miltiades in the fourth century that Constantine the Great issued the Edict of Milan, establishing religious toleration of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Around this same time, the church gained ownership over the Lateran Palace, the main papal residence for the next millennium. From these popes to other early figures, such as Mark the Evangelist and Saint Augustine, Africans have held important roles in the church’s theology, philosophy, doctrine, and discourse. Should the next pope be African, it would indeed be a milestone in the modern era. But for an institution that often takes a longer view of issues, it would signify the return of leadership for a continent that helped define what the church has become.
The next pope may be African—or not. Either way, Africa is at the forefront of today’s Roman Catholic Church (Alexander Tripp – Atlantic Council)
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