Cardinal Turkson To Be Pope?

Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson

Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday appointed Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Archbishop of Cape Coast, as President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. 

He succeeds Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, who goes on retirement. With this appointment, Cardinal Turkson will move to the Vatican.

The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace promotes justice and peace in the world in accordance with the Gospel and the social teaching of the Catholic Church.

It is one of the most influential jobs in the Vatican, increasing the possibility that the next pontiff might be a black man.

Turkson has been tipped in Catholic Church circles to be a strong candidate for the papacy after the death of the current pope.

The Justice and Peace Commission, is a position roughly equivalent to Justice Minister.

Turkson, Ghana's first cardinal, becomes only the second African to head Justice and Peace, a department which advises the pope and Vatican on justice issues and prepares documents on topics such as human rights, immigration and law.

Turkson, 61, has just completed a high-profile stint as the relator, or secretary general, of the three-week synod on Africa that ended at the weekend.

The new appointment, following the synod job, will give him increased visibility in the Roman Catholic Church and around the world.

At the start of the synod three weeks ago, Turkson was asked if, after Barack Obama became the first black U.S. president, the next pope could be an African. He answered: "Why not?"

Turkson was born in Ghana and educated there as well as in the United States and at pontifical universities in Rome.

The Catholic Church is growing faster in Africa than on any other continent and Turkson has years of experience in relations with Islam, an attribute which should stand him in good stead for a shot at the papacy.

There have been only two African popes in the history of the Church, the last in the fifth century. Many in the Catholic Church believe the next pope should come from a developing country in order to draw more attention to the plight of the poor.

In their discussions, the 300 bishops and cardinals tackled the pressing issue of AIDS on the continent, including the question of whether married couples could use condoms if one spouse is infected.

While the Vatican has no specific policy concerning condoms and AIDS, the Catholic Church opposes the use of condoms as part of its overall teaching against artificial contraception. It advocates sexual abstinence and marital fidelity as the best way to combat the spread of HIV.

Cardinal Turkson, after the announcement, told journalists that he accepts the appointment with all humility and thanked the Holy Father for offering him the opportunity to serve the Church in this capacity.

The new President of the Justice and Peace Council was born on 11th October 1948 in Ghana.

He was ordained a Priest on July 20, 1975.
In 1992, he was appointed Archbishop of Cape Coast. The late Pope John Paul II made him a Cardinal on October 21, 2003.  

He took part in the April 2005 Conclave that saw the election of the present Pope- Benedict XVI.