African touted as Pope's successor

Herald Sun ^ | Octover, 2, 2003 | Richard Owen

[RockDoc]

THE man tipped to be the first black pope has set out his credentials as the Vatican continues to prepare the public for the death of Pope John Paul II.

Following comments from top Vatican official Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger that the Pope was in "very bad" health, the Pope's private secretary Georg Gaenswein said yesterday the 83-year-old pontiff could not walk or stand. "He is a hero for the faithful," Mr Gaenswein said. "The fact he doesn't give up despite his illness makes him even more credible ... When he is no longer allowed to travel, then dear God will come for him."

Meanwhile, Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria has become the first possible successor to be publicly promoted.

In a book of interviews published this week called God's Invisible Hand, Cardinal Arinze presents himself as a man who has risen from humble origins in a Nigerian village to a senior position in the Vatican, and as a conservative capable of reaching other constituencies.

Cardinals do not publicly campaign for advancement, yet an Arinze bandwagon is beginning to roll. This week the Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Eusebio Oscar Scheid - one of 31 new cardinals appointed by the Pope last Sunday - said that although a Latin American pope was a possibility, he would vote for an African.

His views were echoed by Claudio Hummes, the Archbishop of Sao Paulo. Even Cardinal Ratzinger, who heads the Vatican's congregation on doctrine and will play a key role as Dean of the College of Cardinals that will appoint the next pontiff, said he could envisage a black pope.

Cardinal Arinze, 70, is Africa's only possible papal candidate. He uses God's Invisible Hand to describe his early life in a village near Onitsha, in British-ruled colonial Nigeria, his conversion to Christianity as a boy and his journey from Lagos to Rome to study for the priesthood.

He became Africa's youngest bishop, and records his ordeal as a "bishop on the run" during the Biafran War, his studies in London in the 1960s, and his surprise at being made a cardinal in 1985. After 18 years as head of the Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue in Rome, he was put in charge of liturgy and the sacraments last year, giving him vital experience of internal affairs.

He suggests Christianity can learn from other faiths, and calls for greater tolerance and free discussion within the Catholic church.

Speculation about the Pope's successor will increase this month when cardinals from all over the world converge on Rome for a "pre-conclave" marking the Pope's 25th anniversary in office.

[choirboy]

THE man tipped to be the first black pope . . .

Maybe, maybe not. There have been three popes from Africa:
St. Victor 188 - 199
St. Melchiades (or Miliades or Militiades) 311 - 314
St. Gelasius 492 - 496

Don't know if they were black Africans or from northern Africa.

[Support Free Republic]

Hi mom!

[Domestic Church]

Given all the attention Cardinal Arinze has gotten already, he doesn't stand a chance. The new Cardinal from Sudan has better odds at becoming the next Pope.

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

He who enters the Conclave a Pope, leaves a Cardinal

[Salvation]

The Holy Spirit will be the deciding factor here.

[sinkspur]

He suggests Christianity can learn from other faiths, and calls for greater tolerance and free discussion within the Catholic church.

Sounds like the ideal candidate to me!

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

Not as cool, but with Arinze, I really wonder what that really means. Judging by his actions and what he does within the Vatican that might not mean exactly what the "progessive" minded media might think. Just speculation and hope.

[Catholicguy]

"Sounds like the ideal candidate to me! "

Harumph...another expected source of support defecting from me

[drstevej]

***Harumph...another expected source of support defecting from me***

The Fourth Secret of Fatima.... the vision of the gold and white chest-high waders... is yet to be revealed.

[JNB]

With Cdl. Arinze recent statements about liturgy from his position at the CDW, I think many progressives are re thinking their views of Cdl. Arinze. He also is a long time ally of Cdl. Ratzinger. Also, if Cdl. Arinze is so progressive, then why is he showing a very visible sign of support for this parish in Chicago?

http://www.cantius.org/HomePage.htm

I know others in the forum may say otherwise, but this is a big show of support for the restoration of the liturgy.

[Catholicguy]

LOL...

"My creel is full. I am a fisher of men."

"O.K., admittedly they are tiny men. They fit inside my creel, but, they are all over the 6 inch limit."

[drstevej]

The problem with fishing for men is that once caught, they are really hard to clean.

[A.J.Armitage]

I'm not Catholic, and even I know that.

[Catholicguy]

I 'spose I could suggest the Laver of Salvation, but I won't :)

(Notice the paralepsis? Quite appropriate for this political season,no?)

[Loyalist]

He suggests Christianity can learn from other faiths, and calls for greater tolerance and free discussion within the Catholic church.

PING with trepidation.

Greater tolerance and free discussion almost always translates into greater tolerance and free discussion of anything except the faith of our fathers.

[Thorondir]

I have seen Cardinal Arinze speak many times. He always seemed very down-to-earth and VERY orthodox.

We have had enough of satan's work in the church during his vile century, as fortold by Pope Leo XIII. I pray for a firebrand Pope to start excommunicating the heretic clergy and "Catholic" baby-killer politicians.

But, may God's will be done, not mine, and especially not sinkspur's.

[saradippity]

Cardinal Arinze gave a wonderful Catholic commencement speech at Georgetown this past spring. It caused many faculty members to walk out and many others to formally protest his address the following week.

I thought that reaction,by that group,was a good sign for real Catholics as well as the Church.You can find the speech easily on a Google search of his name.

[Thorondir]

If he angers the bad guys, then he must be doing something Christlike.

[Romulus]

THE man tipped to be the first black pope . . .

Memo to Rush Limbaugh: we'll handle this on our own, OK?