An African Pope?

John Allen of National Catholic Reporter just returned from a trip to Africa. Read his column about it.

If and when there is a Vatican III, Africa will be a huge player as Catholicism is spreading and rooting there in some very interesting ways. Some even suggest Africa would be the place to hold Vatican III to reflect how much the church has changed since Vatican II.

Allen spoke with Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki at his Nairobi residence on Sunday evening, Sept. 12. Here's an excerpt from his interview

Allen: "What do you make of the so-called "sects," small independent Protestant movements, that are growing rapidly in Africa."

Archbishop: "They come out forcefully, but they don't seem to keep their stamina. They seem to burn out quickly. … There is too much dancing and emotion, usually without a moment of reflection. Whereas traditionally, like in the area where I was born, when we met for worship there was a moment for talking, for chatting, and then a moment came when no one talked until the leader does this business around the tree, pouring water or oil or what have you, and then he sits down and starts talking. Even the children would keep quiet at that moment. This is traditional African religion. In the Catholic church, we have the moment when the priest prays, the consecration, when nobody else talks, so it's familiar to Africans."

Allen: "What is the relationship with Islam?"

Archbishop: "We worked together until a debate arose over the new constitution. The Muslims wanted Islamic religious practices inserted, and there we differed. They wanted their Islamic legal system, the shariah, their courts, to not only be recognized but financially supported. We wanted a clause that would recognize all religions and their rules, for example canon law, provided that religious law does not work in conflict with the national constitution. They walked out of the meeting, but we are trying to get them to come back. … Really, apart from areas where there is a heavy Muslim population, in Kenya we have no fight."

Allen: "Some say that the Catholic church has stood in the way of solving the AIDS question because of its opposition to condoms."

Archbishop: "For me, a condom is not the answer. In fact, in this country I would say without fear that the use of condoms has been the greatest means of increasing the cases of AIDS. … In this country, to provide a young person, a young Kenyan, with a condom is a license. It's like saying, "my son or daughter, you are free." And they do it."

Allen: "Many have talked about the idea of an African pope. Is the African church ready to produce a pope?"

Archbishop: "It's possible, if there is one who could be elected by the cardinals. Why not? Whoever thought there would be a pope from Poland?"