By Loucoumane Coulibaly, Emmanuel Bruce and Benoit Nyemba
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 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
African Catholics attending services honouring Francis after his death on Monday said a Black pope was long overdue.
“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.
Scholars researching the early Church have cited evidence that some first millennium popes were born in North Africa or were of African descent, though details are scant. One
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