Let’s talk about something many won’t say out loud: the Catholic Church, despite its global presence, still feels like a kingdom tightly held by a select few. The process of choosing a pope—the so-called “papal conclave”—looks more like an ancient monarchy than a spiritual selection guided by divine wisdom. And for those of us watching from the outside, especially African Christians, the message seems clear: you can belong to the faith, but not to its inner circle.
On the surface, the Church preaches unity and universality. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll notice a pattern. European leadership—especially Italian—has dominated for centuries. Even Pope Francis, seen as a break from tradition, turned out to have strong Italian roots. It makes you wonder: is being part of the faith enough, or must one carry the right bloodline too?
This brings us to a hard truth. For Africans, the hope of seeing someone who looks like us in the role of Pope remains just that—hope. Brilliant, faithful, and capable African cardinals have been floated as potential popes. But time and time again, they’re passed over. Why? Is it that they don’t have the right connections? Or is there an unspoken belief that leadership should stay within certain geographic and cultural lines?
This isn’t about bitterness. It’s about fairness. It’s about whether the Church, with all its teachings on love, justice, and equality, is willing to live up to its own ideals. Because if it can’t see beyond its own historical comfort zones, then we need to ask tough questions.
The Church is not just Italian. It’s not just European. It’s African, Asian, Latin American. It’s global. And it’s time its leadership reflected that reality.
I’m open to being proven wrong. But so far, the signs aren’t convincing.
The Papal Conclave and the Illusion of Inclusivity in the Catholic Church
